When I was reading “The Challenge for Implementing the
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics” a few of the statistics gathered
by Michigan State University, Center for
the Study of Curriculum shocked me.
One being that 49.7% of students have a lack of parental support when it
comes to learning mathematics and implementing the new CCSSM standards. Some parent’s
wonder why their student is below their grade level in math or not testing well
and its not so much the student’s fault… in most cases it’s the parents. If students had devoted parents how took the
time to guide their child in the right direction and praise them when they were
worthy of praise, the turn around with motivation and enthusiasm within the
child would be immense!
The National Education Association estimates that 50% of the
teachers currently in our classrooms will either retire or leave the profession
over the next 5-7 years. I was looking at the charts from The Teaching Profession article and saw all the reasons why
teachers leave their positions; the primary ones being too little prep time,
too heavy of a load, and too low of pay.
Its so frustrating how little appreciation teachers really receive. Their role in a child’s life is crucial to
the success of that child physically, mentally, and socially. For the amount of
energy and passion teachers exude towards the success of their students, they
should be making double the amount of pay they do now. Thats one of the many reasons why I am planning on opening up my own inquiry based learning community on Kauai! I can create my own curriculum, get paid what I deserve, and guide young learners in the most wholesome and knowledge-gaining way:) Hopefully there will be a shift in overall teaching
conditions in the future because I am tired of seeing teachers not getting exactly what they deserve!
I think that the lack of parental support is due to long working hours. Of my twenty-two students, ten students stay at the after-school . School starts at 7:55. Dismissal is at 2:45 P.M. That means the students day lasts about 10 hours. Many parents pick up their other children at preschool, also. They still have to go home and cook dinner, bathe the kids, and put their kids to bed. These children do their homework at school. That means that their parents do not hear the kids reading, or practicing their math concepts.
ReplyDeleteI know many parents who do care about their student's education, but many feel it is best to hire a tutor, instead of helping their own children.
It is disheartening to have a parent conference in which you are trying to tell the parent that their student has many difficulties in the classroom, that they need to try some of the mathematical games. I had a parent say that her daughter is in charge. One parent blamed their child's acting out was because dad was away from home a lot instead of understanding that their child did not do any assigned assignment. Realistically, I think some of these students will not get to share what they are learning with their parents. It is sad.
Yes, parental support and teacher pay/respect are definitely a problem in our country. The American culture with regards to elementary and secondary education is despicable as a whole. I am fortunate enough to have been a tutor for one incredible child for the past four years. I've tutored other children, but this child represents the best of my experience. Her parents are dedicated to her education and keep up with what's going on, even though they work until 5 or 6 on weeknights. Since they are not able to be there for her physically, they have a schedule thoughtfully planned out with me tutoring two nights a week (sometimes more) and other mostly academically-driven activities on the other nights. The important factor here is that they are aware and involved in their own way - and it works! Their SES matters little here because there are tutors that are cheap and tutors that are expensive, after school activities that are cheap to free and those that cost a great deal. The point is - parents need to sit down and make a plan that works for their budget and their child's needs and then - stay in contact with their child and her teachers so that they can be the best advocate. This child, by the way, is sweet, conscientious, considerate of her parents' work schedules, and finds the good in things due to their involvement, dedication, positive attitude, and - most importantly - their expectations of her. She has always had a good work ethic because her parents expect her to have one. I communicate with her teachers and her parents about her academic success. You get out what you put in with your children. If parents drop their children off at school and expect the teacher to solely handle their child's academic success, with no additional help or guidance from them - they will get results that reflect that kind of "hands off" parenting. No matter what the work schedule, parents must come up with a plan and implement it. This child's mother schedules her life a month to months in advance (depending on the activity). There is consistency and stability - something children need and respect. I believe it's time to somehow force parents to take responsibility for their children. We, as teachers, cannot bear the brunt of students' failures anymore.
ReplyDeleteLack of parent involvement is something I see much of at my school. Based on my experience and our cultural demographic, the lack of parent involvement is not because the parents don't care about their child. I truly think the parents at my school have a lot going on like meeting financial needs, simply to stay alive and functioning. Its unfortunate, however, it is what I found to be most prevalent with my encounters with parents.
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