Why I Will Leave Education

Before you read this posting, you need to read this first: https://karareevesblog.wordpress.com/2015/11/26/a-not-so-graceful-exit-why-i-left-teaching/

I started to write this in the comments section of the sister that posted it with the simple statement "For my teaching friends and family...." but I thought it would be rude to go on a tirade on some one's page rather than my own. Then, a spark...Miss Marjorie this is so about your journey and the path you are on.

This brought me to tears. I know that I am one of those that cannot leave, yet. I know that I have to teach in the district I teach in until my youngest graduates (June 2017) because we do not live in the district and I have to teach until my bankruptcy is done (December 2019). June 2020 is my date for a probably not so graceful exit because simply, I don't do things with grace...usually it is loud and with a huge bang. I know that education is not the education that I came to 24 years ago. Change happens. I was never so idealistic that I thought I could save every child, but I was idealistic in that I could reach at the least one child. I went to college with the intention of becoming a Social Studies teacher and along the way (or my path less traveled) I landed in Special Education. I know that I have for various reasons, but mostly because they have told me and not because I sought out the validation. Their timing has always been impeccable, or rather God's, in bringing them into my life not once but twice. Without even asking a single one of them, I know in my heart and would stake my career on it, that the things that I have done have absolutely nothing to do with their performance on State and District wide assessments, "student engagement, higher-order thinking, Daily 5, everyday mathematics, common core aligned, critical thinking, portfolio assessment, hands-on, multiple intelligences, discovery learning, balanced reading, IEP, chunking, differentiated instruction, direct instruction, deductive thinking, extrinsic motivation, formative assessment, inclusion, individualized instruction, inquiry-based learning, learning styles, mainstreaming, manipulative, literacy, life-long learning,flexible grouping, data driven, SMART goals, DIBELS" (http://k6educators.about.com/od/professionaldevelopment/tp/7-Buzzwords-Your-Most-Likely-to-Hear-in-Education.htm) ... Think about it, envision leaders of governments doing a think-pair-share activity to problem solve a major world crisis or conflict....Not going to happen.

Here is what works, the adult drops whatever they are doing and listens to the child. Listening does not always mean that you are going to actually have vocalizations coming from the child, or young adult as I teach high school students. Is it important to cover the curriculum? Yes but, not at the expense to the individual or individuals. There are teachable moments that arise the very moment that you, as the teacher, have made the realization that you are running out of time to cover all that the curriculum says you must cover. I, without a doubt, believe that 100% of the students that I have had an impact on (whether I know it or not) will defend me in saying that because I seized that teachable moment (writing this and having visions of the genius that was Robin Williams saying "Seize the Day!"), I put aside all of the bull shit buzzwords above and started a completely off topic, out of discipline round table discussion in class or I have simply sat down and listened to what that individual was saying, has made the greater impact. Yesterday, on a Monday after a 5 day holiday break the last hour of the day, I attempted to lead a Kagan Strategies 4-Corners activity and was not being even as remotely successful as I had been the first hour of the day. With 25 minutes left in the class period, I announced that they had a choice to play nice and participate or I could guarantee them that I could talk for 25 minutes straight without a break with no problem and they would be my captive audience. A voice from within the crowd (of which I knew exactly which student it was by recognition of the voice) stated "I am sure that you could talk a lot longer than 25 minutes." We made it ten more minutes. For 15 minutes, that class sat in their desks and made eye contact with me as I spoke to them (not at them) about the American Dream. About what it means to be wealthy beyond measure and it has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of money you have. About the fact that the root word for activism is active. You must leave the confines of your safe environment and physically get out there and do something about it. You have to put yourself in places that are out of your comfort zone. You have to be active. That you must take responsibility for your own learning because I am not hear to teach you what to think but how to think while providing a safe environment for you to take the risks that are seizing the day. For 15 minutes, every student (even the ones that typically evade me) was looking at me and listening to what I was saying.  There was no side conversations and there were no phones out with extra curricular texting  What was it that indicated to me that my students were "cognitively engaged?"  Their body language.  When I hit a nerve, a sad place, a happy place, a I-never-thought-of-that place...you could visibly see changes in their expressions, their skin color, their movement in their seat. But the most glaring indicator, was that when the bell rang at the end that very long day, they did not start the ritualistic packing of the things to escape while I was still talking.  Cognitive engagement...and there was not an administrator in sight to evaluate me with the highest of all ratings of a 7 on the Network for Educator Effectiveness scale.  That 15 minutes was more meaningful to me than that 7 could or will ever be.

As a teacher, I have learned more from the people that have sat in those desks in front of me than I ever learned from a text book myself. I hope that, at least a few of them are able to say the same.

While 2020 seems far away, it is not. I have a plan. I am laying the path and it will not be in education.