Opus 2012-71, Observations

Teachers, like many workers, are subject to evaluation.  As a permanent employee I am to be observed every two years by a qualified administrator.  There are forms to fill out, hoops to jump through and a dog-and-pony show to put on.  Although I kick and squirm, if you pin me down I will admit that the concept is not bad.

I just went through my observation.  It went well.  I had the assistant principal come to my best class, which isn’t saying much.  They were intimidated by her presence just enough to make it a great teaching time.  It was the kind of day that made people go into education and stay.  It is the kind of day that we rarely see anymore.  The difference between a day of teaching and a day of babysitting is sometimes a very subtle attitude shift in just a few of the students.  That little change makes them listen instead of tune out.  It makes them think before they speak which means the questions they ask actually have something to do with the topic.  It makes them hold back on questions they know are stupid.  It keeps them from shouting answers.

It would not take much to begin to turn education around.  All it would take is a little respect for authority and fear of consequences.  The change would not happen over night but it would begin and move in the right direction instead of consistent degeneration like we have now.

Is is not happening and with the current “self-esteem” culture in control of education it will not happen.  It is hidden behind words like “rigor” and “standards based” but in reality the major goal of education is to have kids feel good about themselves and educators to not be hassled.

How do we change it?  First, be willing to look beyond the jargon of the educator class.  Assume they are hiding something.  If you are wrong you lose nothing.  Second, understand that the best intentions of change and reform are stopped by the courts and liberal judges who agree with the educators.  Understand that those judges are appointed by politicians that are elected by you.  After you check out your own attitudes the next real step is to clean house because nothing will happen as long as we are paying people to pass laws that go against what we feel must be done.

Elections matter.  You may not have been thrilled with George W. Bush but think about how the country would be different if Al Gore had appointed three more liberal judges of the ilk that Obama has been able to dig out from under some rocks.

When in doubt, vote the suckers out.

homo unius libri