Working for Children

So many teachers walk into a classroom each day simply to collect a paycheck, and I don't understand this.  How can you spend 8 hours of your day with some of the most amazing people in the world and simply want a pay check?  Each day, I gain more knowledge from my kids, than most people will gain in 3 months just walking around the world.  I absolutely love what I do each day with my kids.

Thats the other thing...Some teachers don't care about their students...so in turn I ask this question...How would you feel if your child was treated that way?  Most parents would be extremely upset...but yet most teachers don't think that way.  Once a child walks into my classroom...they are "my kids" no matter what.  I love then unconditionally regardless of the choices or grades they make.  Of course, there are those days when my kids stress me out beyond belief...but when doesn't that happen?  So often I'm the only person that my kids have that truly care about them no matter what.  This is a huge deal to me. 

Recently, we had a discussion about where I work, and retention rates (keeping students coming back to our school) were brought up and ways to improve them.  My suggestion was simple...treat each child as if he/she was your own...well I was looked at like I had lost my mind....I wanted to ask...Really??  What is wrong with all of you??  You are here for the kids (It can't be the pay...or at least not in South Carolina)...so what is the problem here?  If we treat these students the way we would want our children treated...wouldn't that make them want to stay at our school?  Remember the Golden Rule?  Treat others the way you want to be treated...That applies to children as well...something to think on and about...

Schools of Choice

Schools of Choice is an amazing option that has been created for so many parents.  For so long, parents were stuck in the specific school district where results were not being achieved nor were students learning.  Now, schools are challenged to be the best they can be with Public School Choice on the horizon.  This also creates a venue for students to get specialized instruction.  Many charter schools have begun opening, through focusing on the arts, literacy, technology, and a host of other specializations.  This has become so great for so many students, because they are able to focus their learning on something they may be interested in. 

Often times students may choose a virtual school.  So many people believe that a virtual school is not a "real school," but I beg to differ.  I currently teach 4th grade at a public virtual charter school.  Our curriculum is more challenging than I have seen in most brick and mortar schools.  A good example of this is that my students are currently finishing up the Revolutionary War, where in the brick and mortar schools, I never even began the Revolutionary War until the middle of January.  This school allows children to have a lot of one on one attention even though they are not in a classroom with their teacher.  This is because there are no scheduling distractions for the teacher and no classmate distractions for the student.  Many days I feel more accomplished and that my students have learned more from me in a day than I ever taught while I was working in brick and mortar.