Elisa and I have been on the road for a couple of months now, and we’ve heard powerful stories in every city, both uplifting and heartbreaking. One of the most important aspects of the tour is hearing such a breadth of perspectives—positive and negative, competing and complementary, and often a mix of all of these.
Of these perspectives, the thing that’s struck me most is the clarity of the voices of students and parents. Today’s education debates have become so divisive, adversarial, and grounded in rigid political ideology, that most of the time, we don’t hear the unfiltered voices of students and parents at all. But when we take the time to listen, the message they’re sending is clear, and powerful.
Photo provided by Teach For America
This post marks National Mental Health Awareness month, focused on creating awareness and educating the public on mental health.
What comes to mind when you hear the words “mental illness”? You may think of the Aurora movie theater shooting or the tragedy in Tucson, Arizona. Or how about the movies Silence of the Lambs, What About Bob, and Black Swan?
The only time there seems to be a national discussion on mental health is when someone does something that is deviant or difficult to understand. The media calls on mental health professionals to weigh in on the tragedy, and to determine the role mental illness may have played.
Photo by Benjamin J. DeLong via WikiCommons
Hey y'all, @BexwithanX here. Last week we all celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week, and it was AWESOME. Here are some of the highlights from us and others in the social media world. PS: Don't forget to celebrate teachers year round. They deserve the love.
Talk about the power of knowledge: a five-year-old boy who was with his father when he suffered an aneurysm and stroke was able to call for help then identify their location by using his ABC’s. He spelled the name of the store they had pulled in front of when his father started to get sick. Help arrived in time. Watch his adorable interview here.
Picture from Wikimedia Commons
Taiyyaba Qureshi attended a roundtable discussion with other members of the eastern North Carolina community during a stop on Matt and Elisa’s Listening Tour. On the anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, she and her colleague, Mark Dorosin, explain how the specter of segregation is resurfacing in schools.
Although racial segregation in public schools was held unconstitutional in 1954 by Brown v. Board of Education, massive resistance by segregationist state and local governments prevented meaningful implementation of this landmark ruling for over a decade. It wasn’t until the late 1960s, and in response to community activism, litigation, and intervention by the federal government, that the doors of educational opportunity were finally forced open to create equal access for children of color.
Photo by Thomas J. O'Halloran via Wikimedia Commons
For the last three years, it has been my job to evaluate teachers. For roughly 60 hours a week, I observe, debrief, reflect, and problem solve with corps members teaching high school English in Chicago. I help my teachers with everything from behavior management to unit planning to relationship building to organizing their desks. When I’m not in classrooms, I’m thinking about classrooms. It is wonderful, challenging, time-consuming work.
If a system of feedback and skill-building weren’t crucial for teacher development, I would be out of a job. In that vein, I’m excited to hear that my city is prioritizing teacher evaluations. Even more exciting is that these evaluations shift the focus of teacher effectiveness from test scores exclusively to things like classroom culture and community involvement. Yes! Finally a tool that takes into account the intricacies of teaching!
Photo by enixii via Wikimedia Commons
Alisha Walker (Alabama ‘11) pays tribute to her veteran teacher mother in recognition of Mother’s Day. Alicia recently presented a Tedx Talk at Auburn University.
I wish I could say that I have always wanted to be an educator, but that is not entirely true. When I was younger, people would make comments about how I would be a teacher--just like my mother --when I grew up. I, however, saw myself working somewhere in corporate America. Thankfully, senior year of undergrad I was challenged to find my passion and realized that being an educator was my heart’s desire. Although I had made various attempts to “run away” from my calling, my mother’s genuine joy and love for her career is what helped to inspire me to become an educator.
My mother is not and has not always been the “favorite” teacher during the school year. She sets extremely high expectations for her students and is not a slacker when it comes to issuing consequences for misconduct. Her students refer to this as “tough love.” She is often, however, the teacher that students remember long after their time in her classroom. The teacher that kids know truly has/had their best interest at heart despite the day-to-day hustle and bustle of the school year.
The author and her mother. Photo courtesy of Alisha Walker.
Sandra Walker’s daughter, Alisha Walker, is a member of the 2011 Alabama corps. Alicia recently presented a Tedx Talk at Auburn University.
It is amazing how similar my daughter and I are. When I was in college I, like Alisha, started off in education but changed my minor. I decided that education was not for me, even though my degree is in history and I truly love it. I worked in banking for a number of years, but my husband was forever telling me I should be a teacher. Not until I came to that realization for myself did I go back to school to become certified to teach.
Children need to know that their teacher cares about them. Alisha has a true gift for making people feel special and important. During her freshmen year of undergrad, Alisha changed her major from education to business. As her mother, I know that she is a born teacher and nurturer. However, I also knew that she had to come to that conclusion herself.
The author and her daughter. Photo courtesy of Alisha Walker.
Last night 10 Teach For America teachers were invited to The Late Show with David Letterman for his Top Ten. Last night’s topic? The Top 10 Reasons I Decided to Become a Teacher.
10. I hope to live up to the teachers who inspired me. . .like Ms. What’s Her Name — Zach Smith (Phoenix '13)
Here are ten tributes to veteran teachers to mark National Teacher Appreciation Week. Members of the Teach For America community salute the teachers, mentors, friends, and colleagues whose wisdom and care made a difference in their lives.
Ms. Hall. Oh, Ms. Hall. I feel that calling her my co-worker lowers her God-like status. She can control a classroom with a sideways glance and a whip of her hair. Her students know that she cares about them, but they also realize she is no nonsense. She has been invaluable in making me accept the messy crazy imperfection that first-year teaching is. -Blair Mishleau (Twin Cities ‘12)
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