The Elephant in the Room

I'm taking a risk posting this kind of reflection, but I think it's worth it. For the past few weeks I've been knee deep in research trying to solidify my dissertation topic.  I wrestled with a few ideas, had a few rejected, and finally settled on a topic that hopefully gets approved by my chair.

In a nutshell, I want to explore teacher perceptions about the impact they believe their instructional practices have on student engagement, achievement, etc.  Students often indicate that teachers are one of the most important factors in their decision to not only stay in school, but to achieve academically. 

Ah, yes, that's a lot of responsibility for one person.  For one profession.  In a lot of ways it doesn't seem fair.  In a lot of ways, it's too daunting, too exhausting, and simply too much for educators to own.  Perhaps that, along with the demands of rigid standardized testing, is one of the reasons teachers are leaving the profession in groves. 

Some educators question whether our profession has become a game of who can put on the best show.  I would argue that engagement and entertainment are two separate things, and that reciprocal teaching should happen on a daily basis.  We don't make it easier for students, rather we challenge them, we push them to do better, we raise the bar, and we ask "why not us?".  Good teachers do this.  They might not do it the same way, but they do it.

But we're tired.
 
We're tired of turning on the television and seeing a former student who is wanted in connection to robbery, assault, or murder.

We're tired of the entitlement that exists in all of our schools and every socioeconomic class.

We're tired of feeling like we care more than our students care about their own futures.

We're tired of being measured by a single test.

We're tired of students who curse, defy, and destroy others around them, including themselves.

We're tired of burying our students from senseless acts of violence.

We're tired of burying our students because they couldn't find a reason to live.

We're tired of people who don't know anything about education making serious legislative decisions.

We're tired of facing opposition from parents, rather than receiving their support.

We're tired.

Some of us are so tired that we'll leave the teaching profession.  Some already have. 

Yet, a lot of us wake up every day, stand outside our door, and refuse to give in.  We shake off our weariness, drink a cup of coffee, and remain hopeful that we're making a difference. And we do, even if it doesn't always feel like it.