When reading this article, I felt that it raised many good issues that need to be discussed. Why are urban schools failing to prepare students for college and the workplace (see speech from convocation below)?
However, I think the tone in which the article was written was not quite appropriate. It made me feel helpless and disheartened rather than empowered to change things. I felt as though the author was blaming too many things on the school and the teachers. Is nothing the fault of the community or the parents? Do peer groups not have a major effect on students?
I do agree that teachers can do more to hold students accountable for their own actions. I can see how the author would feel about each of his points, and with the skills that he mentioned, students are bound to get fired from any job that they might hold. If a student doesn't hand in homework, maybe they shouldn't have any more chances to do it. If they are late to class, they should be counted for a cut or have to make up all work that they miss. A laissez-faire attitude is the easier method, but probably not the best method.
My main question is how much of a difference can one teacher make? It has to be a whole school reform or even district reform. When a student comes into tenth grade Biology, they have already learned how they do school. Whether this is successful or unsuccessful, it is often set. Yes, it can be changed drastically in some cases, but in other cases, as hard as one might try, those strategies are set. An exemplary teacher can touch the lives of many students, but I think it would be better if students have these kinds of teachers during their entire school career.
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I agree that this article made me feel disheartened and helpless. How much of a difference can we make as one person? You said that teachers are being lassaiz-faire, and I am glad you brought up that point. I feel that lassiaz-faire is an easier way of teaching, but it is not necessarily better, especially when we are setting students up for failure. I feel that teachers have a lot of control over this, and need to do things about it. But there are many other aspects that affect students, and it is not just the teacher's fault if students do turn out like this.
The challenges teachers face are substantial. But compared to what our students bring, we have great potential for making a difference. Although one teacher cannot, by herself, overcome the multitude of problems, if the individual teacher declines to try then what hope remains?
My belief is that people fail to take initiative because they would rather place blame elsewhere. I've heard college science professors say that they can only lecture and that it's up to the students to learn. If many fail the exam, it's out of the professor's hands: "I taught it but they have to learn it." I find this irresponsible on a college campus. But at the pre-college level, such views are unethical. It might not be quite so obvious within day-to-day decision-making. But if we're going to make a mistake, perhaps it should be during our efforts to make a difference -- no matter how small.
The individual teacher has some control. I think Haberman reminds us about the ways we can individually fail students. Clearly students deserve a caring teacher every year of school. Maybe I can be one of those teachers for my students ... at least for the time they are with me. Perhaps my example will inspire the teachers who work in the same system?
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