I recently read a Washington Post article about the new craze of banning books in schools. It's actually not a new craze though. Our country seems to be hurtling towards fascism, and everything old is new again. I made the mistake of typing a comment on the article. This was followed by me being called out for not knowing what I was talking about, by a reader named "joebideneatdeeznuts", and by a woman who had extra tight security on her social media. Apparently she just wanted to troll away, without having to be accountable.
I have been teaching since the end of the nineties. I actually do know about school issues, as I have taught at different schools, with different formats. The commenter said that there should be cameras in every classroom. Okay. Let's do that. Who will watch six hours of footage every day, for every classroom? Will my boss be watching? Will the superintendent watch for all of the schools in each district? Or, will parents watch it? If parents are watching it, why don't they just volunteer in the classroom? I have taught at a parent participation school for the past eight years. Let me tell you, parent participation rules... It benefits everyone in the classroom! I'm all for these camera nuts actually spending time at school, to see what is really going on in classrooms.
Book banning? Critical race theory? All schools operate under the umbrella of state standards. Want to change what is being taught, then go through your state representatives. All of these folks protesting and raising a ruckus at board meetings are wasting their time. We follow the state standards. Everyone follows the state standards. My math textbook, and my reading textbook are written from those same common core standards. And, to be honest, it's pretty good stuff. If you spent any time in a classroom, you'd know. And, if people are trying to make changes to the state standards, then it's time for opposition from the unions.
To me, the more important thing that parents should be watching for is how their child is treated in a classroom. Are different learning styles being respected? Are students loved and cared for by their teacher? Is the teacher prepared? Does the teacher model respectful behavior? I have worked at schools where this is not so. I have seen teachers behave badly. My current school has teachers who enjoy kids. Students know that they are loved. Kids are cheerful.
You wanna film me teaching? Go for it. Pop some popcorn, and watch all six hours, because frankly, I'm working full throttle every day. Watch me going out to recess with my class, because I learn more about them as individuals that way. Watch me prepping after school, or going to stores to buy supplies. Watch me writing lesson plans each week. Watch me sitting in bed at night, worrying about school. Watch me reading all of the book club books that I assign. Watch me crying when things don't work out.
You wanna ban books? Over my dead body. Knowledge is power. Teach your kids properly at home, and then you don't have to monitor their every move and thought. Teach your kids to make informed choices about what they read.
Being a teacher is a lot like being a dentist. My dentist knows exactly how I live. He knows when I floss, when I snack too much, and when I use my waterpik. As a teacher, I know when kids aren't reading aloud for thirty minutes a day. I know when kids aren't getting enough practice by doing homework. Instead of screaming at a board meeting, why not spend that time at home, reading aloud with your children? Read something that you want to read with them... Personally, one of my favorite memories was of my mom reading to us from Tom Sawyer. But, she also read to us from the scriptures.
