In The Out Doorway

Way back at the dawn of time when I was in school, LBJ was in the White House and cigarettes were prescribed by doctors,  a book was published called Up The Down Staircase (1965). It was a free form written look at the daily life of a teacher in public school. It was very funny in that it identified some of the foolishness teachers had to contend with while simultaneously attempting to cram useful knowledge into dense heads. (I know, I was one of those dense heads.) Although fiction, it rang true for teachers across the nation.It is with that thought in mind that I chose this title as an homage.

Baxley once stated he would be interested in my secondary career (such as it is) as a substitute teacher. I thought it might be fun to pass along what I have learned after doing it long enough to have some credible to impart.First and foremost, as it applies to Duval County schools, it is a serious problem teaching in the public schools but not a problem that is insurmountable. What may be insurmountable will be getting bone brain bureaucrats out of the education system. From what I have read and seen, the bureaucracy is doing most of the damage in the classroom. Also, the bureaucracy has done its level best to take the fun and interest out of learning by simply teaching to the FCAT. Now, I have no problem with a statewide assessment of students throughout Florida with a standard test. I think it is a very useful tool but the way a bureaucrat thinks is completely out of synch with the real world. It’s not unlike bean counters at an automobile company writing off “X” amount of fatalities as good business if the lawsuits do not cost more than fixing a potential life threatening hazard in their vehicles. This happens more times than you can believe. I have elected to teach the younger children. This covers grades Kindergarten through 7. With the exception of two classes involving a sixth and a seventh grade class, these kids have been an overall joy. They still want to learn.

Many classes that I have been warned may be “overactive” have, instead, been marvelous. Most especially is a class I had called “varying exceptionalities”. I suppose that is the new “special education” label. Having a 12 year old in fourth grade pretty much illustrates that. I have been in many schools now and the one common problem I have witnessed seems to be when some of these kids hit puberty they turn sullen and uncooperative. This pretty much means the parents are ill equipped or unable to address issue the kids have with their changing bodies. Many of these kids do not have fathers in the home or any strong male influence. There is very little that can be done about it. The fun is in teaching and how some kids respond. In one class I had an outdated worksheet for a geography lesson involving naming the capitals for various countries.  On it was the former Yugoslavia and the kids had to identify the capital. I told them to ignore that one and move on. One girl was not satisfied with that. She went through several older books in the classroom until she found it and correctly identified the city in question.

The truly horrible thing I learned is that despite the con perpetrated on schools by the legislature in not “enhancing” funding to schools, they simply replaced funding with the lottery proceeds. These people should be shot. The students do not have enough books or supplies to attain anything and the politicians just don’t care. And they can’t even take the books they do have from the classroom home.Another time I walked in and a couple of students perked up. One asked me” Are you taking over the class?” I said “No, I’m only here for today”. To which I was asked, “Could you?”  I had to stifle that laugh.

Another class I had included a 6 year old boy with that bizarre aging disease. He looks 80 years old. Sparse white hair, one eye patched, aged skin. It is heart breaking. Until I saw every other student in that class looking out for him. The teacher had left instructions that if he were to prove too disruptive (he had not participated in anything all morning) I should send him to another class. Imagine my surprise when he sat down and participated in a spelling test (getting them all correct) and continuing that way for the afternoon. Sometimes all that is needed is a change of pace for them.

One truly miserable class involved several students I had to send out to the principal’s office. (One student I sent twice.) The other one insisted on ignoring me at every turn and just bounced around like an idiot “rapping”. I asked him if English was a second language. Eventually, I was saved by the bell. I hope not to get another class like that again. I suppose I’ve gone on long enough. One day I would like to transfer to the Clay schools but for now, doing this part time is fine. I try to stick to the Westside because I don’t want to commute over the Buckman Bridge. Is there a more rewarding career? I don’t think so.

 I really appreciate our teachers all over the country and look forward to a day when they can do what they signed up to do. If only we could dislodge the bureaucrats. There isn’t a single school board member or department of education clown that can’t be done away with but like a virulent case of mold on a dilapidated toilet, it will be an uphill fight.

I see I have rambled on quite a bit here but I wanted to start something for everyone else to ponder. I doubt Clay schools have the same problems as Duval but I would caution that it could all change if we don’t stay involved for everyone’s sake.

Since I began this epistle, several months have passed. I have gained even more experience and still find this part time job to be the most fun working I have ever had. I know kids today get a bum rap from the doom and gloom crowd but let me tell you, in the immortal words of The Who: “The kids are all right!”