Warning; New School Year Ahead

New School Year

I started my day today wishing my son to live his life to the fullest and to enjoy all that life brings him. And I wonder about what this means as I start my second day of a new position as a School Psychologist. The school held its convocation yesterday to get teachers excited about the new year and excited to be back. I watched so many young teachers as the school honored them and let them know how much their service is appreciated. 

It made me think about what a magnificent year it could be if we could create an atmosphere of love and acceptance, not only for the students but for the teachers. I was thinking about all of the meetings I sat in over the last 50 years where parents are defensive and resentful, as are the teachers. Teaching is not an easy job. It is one we take for granted and we do tend to think it is easy – after all, they have three months off in the summer.  By the way, most of this time is spent in summer school working toward future certification, advancing their education or preparing for the coming year. We are losing so many of our young teachers as they realize that, with a bit more education and a willingness to change fields, it is possible to double their salary. Teaching is not a field to enter in order to become rich in money.

There is an amazing amount of paperwork in this field. In a climate where everyone fears being sued, paperwork has multiplied to an alarming extent. This is in addition to making sure each day the teacher is well prepared to meet the individual needs of students. One thing I appreciated about COVID is that so many parents realized just how difficult it is to be a teacher. It brought new respect. In my life abroad, it amazed me how I could enter a classroom of 50 students with one teacher and no one was misbehaving. For most countries, and especially in poorer countries, it is recognized that education is the key to freedom and the ability to live a desired life, so the student is committed to working hard. Teachers are respected and the profession is revered, and education is considered a privilege, not an entitlement.

Paolo Freire was a Brazilian educator who believed that, through education, we could develop critical thinkers who could change society for the better. But for some reason, we seem to be more influenced in our educational system by people like Daniel Webster. When asked in a Massachusetts Senate session how to best control people, he named public education because it reduced everyone to the same common denominator: teach everybody the same thing in the same way. It tends to discourage creative, critical thinking. And I certainly have seen this in public education. But as I see paperwork, harsh criticisms, and increasing responsibilities, I understand how and why it is happening.

Imagine going into a meeting where the primary emotion was love and understanding and everyone was working toward understanding and meeting the needs of the child. This would be a meeting without blame, no criticism, and a mutual understanding that everyone is doing the best they can. Can you imagine how amazing a meeting like this might become? A young parent being understood that they truly are trying their best and just don’t know how to proceed, and teachers also being understood that they, too, are at a loss, and maybe everyone can work together without recrimination to try new solutions. 

With this understanding, teachers feel heard and listened to, and parents do, as well. Perhaps this is where we start, by listening to each other and truly hearing what the other is saying. It is amazing what happens when people feel heard. Because in being heard, we feel love and compassion. We understand our humanity, and we understand we all share these feelings, and when we do, we come to a reconciliation that brings light and love.