We're Missing the Point

These past two weeks at school have been frustrating to say the least. We seem to be missing the point - that we are there for the children, that it is our job to teach them and do what's in their best interest. And most importantly, like doctors, we should do no harm.

But people don't seem to get that. They don't seem to care what's happening to children while we write planner after planner. There were some moments that made me wonder if there is hope for my school, if after all the filling in of planners, we will be able to actually teach. Filling in planners is taking precedence over just about everything else - over the social and emotional well-being of children and families, over good teaching practice, over actual instruction.

And I feel like screaming.

Last week I listened to a teacher berate a child, telling him he does disgusting things and therefore will no longer be allowed to sit next to other children. But wait, it gets worse. The teacher then proceeded to allow the other children to call out all the "bad" things they had seen him do and heard him say.

The same child was later discussed in a meeting where the teacher warned other teachers that this child might "act innocent" but that he knows what he's doing. This after he'd been in her class for just two weeks.

Another teacher chimed in that if ever there were a person that proved that humans were descended from apes, this child was it. "I mean," she continued, "have you seen the size of his hands?!" Giggles, head shaking, but no one said anything. And if you're wondering, yes, the child is black, Southern Sudanese. The tallest and darkest skinned child in the grade. Six years old and already dehumanized, vilified and written off as the "lowest" child in his class.

This amongst discussions of how to increase international-mindedness at our school. Let's cut to the chase about this one - until we deal with the racist undercurrent flowing through our conversations and classrooms, international-mindedness is not going to happen.

Other children are treated badly in other ways. One little girl has been branded a liar. The two non-English speakers in the class are seated with the liar and the child descended from apes. I mean, why not put the problem children together? Make it easier to "help" them?

And what do we discuss at our planning meetings? Do we talk about how to include children who are currently being excluded? Do we talk about how to teach in ways that are appropriate for the grade? (i.e. not having them seated on the rug for over an hour and then moving them to sit at tables for over an hour and wondering why they're not listening...) Do we talk about how to incorporate hands-on, inquiry based learning into an integrated thematic curriculum?

You guessed it. No. We don't. Instead, we write planners: language planners, math planners, reading planners, unit of inquiry planners.

I'm fed up. I can't help but speak my mind. Does it help? Do people consider the damage being done?

You guessed it. No. They don't. They see me as a problem, an instigator. Maybe it's me. Maybe there's a better way to approach the subjects. But I'm fuming. Pissed off.

And I don't know how to say that nicely.