You would think that teachers bitch about how teaching is underpaid, overworked and under-appreciated. That’s what you hear in the press all the time. But I disagree. The thing that I find that is dragging this business to a halt is the missing ‘they people.” This time of year we are giving test on top of test. We are giving multiple finals to the same student for the SAME class. We are giving a post test to some students that have never taken the pre-test in an effort to show growth. We are giving tests to some students that have nothing to do with the goals or design of the class. We are asking for all of the grading to be done and then STILL hold the kids for several days to have “meaningful work.” The kids, although somewhat beaten down into compliance, know that most of this is ridiculous. They turn to the teachers and ask, “Why?” And the response? “Because THEY said we must.” And the teacher asks the administration, “Why?” And the response, “Because THEY said.”
I would like to meet “they” – the ultimate “they” – the “they” that stands behind all of these “they” decisions. They got some “splainin’” to do.
One comment on “It’s Getting Me Down”
Yes, indeed. This is a common problem in all educational institutions. Tests and more tests. Reviews and more reviews. It’s going crazy. I’m from England and children as young as seven now have to take nationally set tests and teachers are going crazy. I don’t know who ‘they’ are anymore either. Unfortunately, without tests people complain that things are too easy but too many tests miss the entire point of education. A sad state of affairs.