Well, I know I have to get this off my chest sooner or later. Been mulling it over the past few weeks, trying to analyze my own feelings. I think I've finally found the source of my consternation.
First the story. I was a chaperone to take the kindergarten kids on a field trip. The were going on a bus to see a movie, Bambi. I teach PE to all the kinders, but am not their classroom teacher, and none of the children are assigned to me for special ed; thus my role was simply chaperone. When we arrived at the theater, one child picked up a pebble and thre it in the street. She then picked up another pebble and was going to throw it when her teacher stopped her, looked her in the eye, and said "Do not throw that rock, put it back on the ground". The child looked at the teacher, then threw the pebble into the street.
The teacher blew up because the child did not "listen", and made the child sit in the lobby - during the entire movie. This one child who did not immediately obey the teacher was left alone in a lobby for a period of 90 minutes. I was, to say the least, angry. Very angry. There were 180 other students allowed to see the movie who many times during the school year had not immediately obeyed a teacher. Why was this one child picked on?
Well, I never got an answer for that. I do feel that the teacher has some childhood issues that need to be worked out if she is ever to be a great teacher. But I wanted some immediate solving of this for the child's sake. What do I see when a child does something like this? A communication. I won't try to guess what the child was communicating without observing the child in other settings; but the child could have been making a statement of some sort. There is another possibility - the child simply wasn't processing what the screaming teacher was saying. In either case, this was not a deed that deserved ostracation from the tribe for 90 minutes.
If the teacher had her sit out for 5 minutes I would not have gotten so angry, but she insisted the child had to sit out for the entire movie. I tried going over her head. The principal was also there - as a chaperone. I went to her right away with the issue, and was told, "You're right, the child should not be punished like this. I certainly wouldn't do it if I were the teacher. But we can't interfere with another teacher's discipline plan. I will see if I can convince her to let the child come in 1/2 way through". That's not the action I wanted, but it was a compromise. We are forced to compromise so much.
I went to the principal because she claims to be a true believer in positive action, and positive discipline. It was obvious to me that this discipline was not positive in any manner. It was - simply - punishment way beyond the crime. In some circles this is known as abuse.
I checked on the child from time to time. She sat in the lobby like a good little soldier, never moving from her seat. The entire movie!!! The principal was not successful in getting the teacher to back down 1/2 way. The 5 year-old child remained compliant to her punishment the entire time. Most five year olds would have been out of the seat and messing with things. So, this child has been through a lot in her short live to mold her into this.
Okay, so it happened, live goes on. Why was I dwelling on this for 2 full weeks - sometimes almost blinded by the injustice of it? I think I've finally found the source of my continued anger. I have from time to time thought about possibly entering administration. I ran my own business for many years, and have good business sense. However, this episode taught me that my vision is not correct. I have always seen the principal as a leader and a master teacher. If I were principal I would have said, with no regrets, "You will not allow that child to sit there longer than 5 minutes. If we need to discuss this further, we'll do it back at school after the children leave." If the teacher did need to meet, I would have called in the school counselor and highly recommended counseling for the teacher.
Well, it became obvious that this is not how the system works. We are growing children, not teachers, in the current system. That could explain why there are so many poor teachers today? I don't really want to say that - most teachers are excellent at what they do, and I have no complaints; but we all know there are a few that are okay teachers who need help to become excellent. I thought that was the principals job. To me, one poor teacher is one poor teacher too many - but I also feel a poor teacher can become a great teacher with training. Now I'm learning that the principal is not a leadership position; but more of a politically-correct position. In this and similar instances I've been told that the teacher is the "queen of her classroom". It doesn't matter if the children are learning - what matters is if the teacher feels she has control of her class.
So then, my anger is at my misguided notion of entering administration after teaching in the public schools for a dozen years. I can see that my style of management is not one that would be accepted. This should be a relief - and I will try to make it one - I will resign myself to staying the course and trying my best year by year to become an excellent teacher, and not worry about helping the schools administratively. I guess that's best left for the politician type of personality - being able to make the majority happy instead of being able to make the majority reflect.
