Whaddya Wanna Bet?
Whaddya wanna bet that...
In 2007, more political officials, like the Mayor of Los Angeles, will try and take over major school districts that are "failing?"
Despite the political capital these officials have to gain, the success of our students has everything to lose?
A teacher could never get away with leading a class in prayer, and few would defend them if they did; but a teacher who openly discusses his or her sexuality, that will be defended.
This very fact will continue to separate and divide us?
You will make plenty of resolutions this New Year's Eve, but keep very few!
I already bent the rules on one of my resolutions?
We will continue to invest billions of dollars in reshaping Iraq, but we won't invest half of what we invest on war as we waste on education?
Your students will continue to confound you, astound you, entertain you, and drain you--all in the same period?
Even though I want to take a baseball bat to every cell phone I see being used in class, I will refrain?
Students will still fail to see why cell phones are annoying?
When Red Sox baseball begins in April, I will be more concerned about Dice-K than grading essays?
If I ever become famous for this "Whaddya Wanna Bet?" concept, Randy Smith, the guy I stole it from, will probably sue me?
When I retire from teaching, new teachers will be complaining about all of the hoops they had to jump through to become a teacher?
Those hoops will be just as silly as the ones we've encoutered?
If education reform remains a hot item of discussion on Capitol Hill, it will eventually become what Social Security reform is today--great in theory, but no one will want to really touch it?
2007 will be full of happiness, sadness, hope, fear, and all of the other paradoxes of life, both personal and professional?
In the midst of all of that, what will make us truly human is our compassion and honesty?
Happy New Year, educators!
posted by Mr. McNamar @ 7:46 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
The first one--you bet--there are going to be some rapid take over to "prove" political take overs will work, which so far have been more of a myth than an actuality. Students will also, definitely, be the ones to lose.
It's interesting the division you mention between prayer in school and discussing sexuality. Contradictory? Changing social norms? Interesting to think about.
My resolutions never make it past January, so which one have you bent already?
One issue with the prayer vs. sexuality is of course the discrimination issue: that being, not everyone is Christian but everyone does have sexual orientation. That doesn't mean that the classroom is the most appropriate place to vent about sexuality, but if a teacher's sexuality (being a lesbian might surely raise questions) impacts a student's curiosity or learning experience, perhaps it shouldn't be completely ignored. As far as the story goes, the only thing the teacher did was share part of her life with the students, in perhaps the same way that a student might come to know about a teacher's husband/wife/kids/etc. Good topic for discussion!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home