Wisconsin Strike

With baded breath the world is watching this strike in Wisconsin...wondering how this will replicate across the country. Our children are not the only ones who are Waiting for Superman". Teachers are also.

During the month of February alone, my colleagues and I were expected to not only teach the state frameworks, we were expected to host parent conferences on why students are and aren't making the grade; create a whole-school improvement plan in some quasi-disjointed fashion where staff members work in caucuses during lunch breaks, planning periods, and first light breakfast sessions to create a narrative on how we meet the needs of our students; administer assessments made by businessmen and officials who don't even step a foot into our classrooms--ever! One of my colleagues had to maneuver hosting a six-week cultural experience for his students, take his kids to a nine week program that helps students cultivate conflict resolution life skills, and find some time to teach with the three or so hours he had left in a six hour school day. oh, and did I mention spending his lunch break with the half of the class who did not attempt to homework or failed to do it correctly. This doesn't even account for hourly meetings to help our children receive wraparound services so that they can thrive and in some cases...survive, in the classroom. And then there's free after school tutoring that we proctor to ensure that students meet proficiency expectations by the state.

However, throughout it all...we find moments during the day to check in and find out why kids may have lost their smile for whatever reason, facilitate small group and one-on-one sessions to reinforce the previously taught lessons, and just chat and laugh over lunch to see how they are doing.

Why is it that the world seemingly turn a blind eye to the fact that teachers are many times Super(wo)men themselves and are doing their best to love and elevate our children to happiness and success with what we have.

The protest in Wisconsin is only the beginning. Its time that the world realize that education should be the first priority. Not military insurgences into other countries. Not Carmello's 65 million dollar contract over 3 years. Not Lindsey Lohan's drug addictions. But education. If we are not willing to invest into our children--what message are we really sending? Superman must be taking a lunch break.

Mental Grind

I have a twelve year old young man who is debilitated by his ADHD condition.

I sat in a meeting with his mother, his advocate, and a team of people of specialists and teachers as we tried to dissect this young man who I adore a great deal.

He's a voracious reader and when he's interested in something...he takes his research and learning to the 15th Power. My class was reading this story that was an aside to the Diary of Anne Frank. It was about this Japanese man who lived in Germany and was an official who could give visas for German citizens to move throughout Europe to avoid the Holocaust. The young man of mine not only digested the story and video that I had shown on the Holocaust. He went to the library and begin reading up on the Auschwitz. I was amazed. He had learned so much about how unfairly the Jews were treated by Hitler. And he became this reservoir of information that also shocked his classmates.

Back in this meeting we talked about his inability to attend to the lessons in class, his depression and low self-esteem in being able to manage his focus ability to complete grade level classwork, and the reality that without some real interventions put in place quickly he may be swallowed up in middle school.

Its disheartening to see him cry in frustration and anguish at not being able to sit in a room with his peers and complete a single assignment during the day. You can see a visceral desire to excel but he's held hostage by this "monster". I so want to help him to be a better young man.

We all agree that his ADHD, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, will hinder him from being the best young man he possibly can. I don't believe we need to medicate all kids who have a little bit too much energy...but I believe this young man needs it. With it, I believe there are no limits to his success and achievements.

Having him in my class has inspired me to do some serious research on ADD/ADHD and adolescent brain development. *Smile* I want to be able to run a school in which a strong understanding of contemporary adolescent development is the foundation in molding tomorrow's leaders.

Boosting Brain Power with Adderall?