What's happening to our schools?

I'm worried about our schools.  I know from years of experience both in the classroom as the teacher and as the student of some of the most brilliant minds in the world that we humans learn best in inspiring, supportive, somewhat entertaining environments.  Why?  Because it meets so many of our human needs.  Major seminar presenters know this because they are out of business if their audience members don't enjoy the presentations AND retain what learned.  Our schools?  Not so much.

I've spoken to many educators lately on a variety of levels in several states and the picture of what's happening in our classrooms is not positive.  And it's getting worse by the day.  Here are some recent comments heard:

• If you have an idea for a creative, out of the box program for schools that really works, we can't take it on.  We no longer have any authority to adopt anything for our schools.  It's completely out of our hands.  The only thing the districts are going to allow are programs that improve test scores.
• There's no time to teach becasue all we're doing is testing, recording the results, re-evaluating and testing again.
• There's no time for fun in schools - no parties, no assemblies, no movies, and little or no recess
• All teachers should be on the same page of the text book at the same time
• In a short time, math education will be scripted

Each of these comments is worthy of a full dissertation.  Together they represent the antithesis of how humans learn best. 

Life Coach and author Martha Beck most widely known for her monthly column in O Magazine says in her book, "Finding Your Way in a Wild New World" that according to profesional futurists, the upcoming trends show, "Knowledge is no longer power because knowledge is no longer scarce. What is scarce is human attention."

Our way of educating students right now is doing exactly the opposite.  It is taking the focus, the attention away from the student, the person and placing it on the knowledge.  We need to be developing kind, critical thinkers who love to learn and know how to get the information they need.  No business wants to hire someone who is just a good test taker.

Beck also states that "the qualites that capture positive attention are...authenticity, inventiveness, humor, beauty, uniqueness, playfulness, empathy and meaning."  I believe our schools need to do the same. 

It's time we took a stand and asked more for our students than just good test scores.  It's time we created schools that help students fall in love with learning because when you come right down to it, learning is the only thing that can't be taken from them.  Guiding students to love what they're doing helps they prepare for the lives they most want for themselves and that we want for them. 

Enough...

This all takes me back to 1999 when I was a classroom teacher and the tragedy of Columbine. I felt the same heartbreaking sadness and wonder about what we could do as a society back then. I remember taking a pen and paper and furiously writing down all the things I had been learning that I thought teens needed so that something like this would never happen again. I wasn't sure what to do with those ideas other than to weave them into my regular lessons when possible. But I knew it wasn't enough. So many kids felt disconnected for so many reasons. But who’s going to listen to a classroom teacher?

A year later, one of my former students hanged himself after being bullied. I had had enough. I had to take action. I ended up creating a program for my school because of these 2 tragedies to help our kids not only survive but thrive. It worked more than I could have even imagined, helping kids find their place in the world, helping them feel connected and valued for who they were. It’s still running all these years later…in my school and a few others around the country. But it – or something like it - needs to be in more schools.

I don’t know if it would have prevented this horrific event but I do believe that it’s needed now more than ever. The program has won multiple awards both locally and nationally because teens love it and are designing the kinds of lives they want and that we want most for them. While no one program or law can prevent every tragedy, maybe it’s time those of us who have found workable solutions to help kids got a chance to share what we know.

Haven’t we had enough? I’m hoping this time someone will listen to this high school teacher because we need to listen to everyone who has a workable plan. I don't know who reads this blog but if you've had enough, I can help you get this program in a school. Email me at Marianne@MarianneDouglas.com

As Nelson Mandela said, “We owe our children – the most vulnerable of citizens in our society – a life free of violence and fear.”

The world of education in 2011

Lack of funding… overcrowded classrooms… students with increasingly tempting technology…bullying issues…test score frenzy.  Education is certainly on the hot seat these days with everyone expecting schools to answer all of society’s problems.

Classroom teachers are already overwhelmed with a myriad of responsibilities that didn’t exist a decade ago.  They need to, as the requirements state, “increase student achievement, enhance classroom instructional strategies that promote rigor and relevance throughout the curriculum, and prepare students for continuing education and the workforce”.  But how best to do that with limited resources and time?

One of the best ways is to enhance the classroom atmosphere and modify the style of teaching so that students want to be there, want to learn.  As Julia Steiny, former educational writer for Rhode Island’s Providence Journal states, “What so many reformers don’t seem to get is that a kid needs to WANT to learn first.”  When they want to learn, are eager to attend class, are captivated by the lessons presented, the challenges that provide the most difficulties in teaching fall away.

The late Dr. Laurence Martel, author of “The Seven Secrets of Learning Revealed: What Your Teacher Never Taught You Because Your Teacher Never Knew” stated that, “There is recent brain research that shows that the frontal lobes of the neo cortex which are responsible for empathy, consideration of others…do not mature until the late teens, early twenties.  This might explain why anything in learning that is immersed in positive emotions, with love, fun, joy and high active energy tends to have more success than the traditional drudgery of high school classrooms.” 

Classrooms that are engaging, safe, inspirational and even fun have a greater chance of creating a climate conducive to learning and free of the stresses that more traditional classrooms often encounter, whatever the subject matter.  They also help create a more resilient and empathetic student which can help decrease incidents of bullying and discipline problems in general.

This professional development session will share how this type of classroom is not only possible but achievable with the added benefit of increased test scores, higher graduation rates and improved school attendance.  It will be presented modeling how it was used over twenty times in a public high school classroom - a blend of lecture, activities, participation, and humor.   Participants will learn simple, practical, researched-based strategies that are ready to implement upon return to the classroom.  Additional support will be made available through distance learning (webinars, teleseminars), online mentoring and a book for those wishing to expand and support their learning.

"This seminar was phenomenal!  It was wonderful professional development. Inspiring!
"Rhode Island Middle Level Educator's Conference - 2011

"Great practical information that any teacher can use in the classroom that will promote learning!  Loved your real-life experience."
NASSP Conference - San Francisco 2011

"I'm at a point in my life that is low, professionally and personally and this presentation was so motivating and engaging that I'm feeling like you are a genuine supporter of me and that I can do this!"Rhode Island Middle Level Educator's Conference