Doing More With Less - Are We Our Own Worst Enemy

Many years ago when I was a novice Assistant Principal in New York City, I attended a city wide meeting prior to the start of another school year. The Deputy Chancellor greeted us and wished us well on the upcoming school year. Once again our school budgets had been cut, our teaching staffs reduced, and our mandates increased. After a collective groan from my collegues, myself included, the Deputy Chancellor commented almost as an after thought, " You know, you guys could be your own worst enemies!"

He went on to explain that every year schools are expected to do more with less resources. Every year somehow we manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat and provide a meaningful education for our students. Sometimes that means that our teachers use their own monies to make up for a lack of supplies and equipment. Sometimes we shuffle monies from one fund to another or put off needed repairs to the infrastructure.

The question arises - do we provide less for our students, when times are tough, in order to make the point with the general public or do we continue to pull rabbits out of the hat?

Education - It Ain't What It Used To Be

I have been doing this long enough to see the latest and greatest trends in education come around 2 or 3 times. Always under a different name and always with the same fanfare. It's as if every year the powers that be get amnesia and forget every new trend that has been tried in the past to improve some aspect of the educational process. Enough already!!

Lets concentrate on what we know works. Get the best people possible in front of the classroom. Give them the supplies and equipment they need to get the job done and provide the support and encouragement needed when they try something new.

One of my all time pet peeves is the new directive which arrives on your desk on the first Monday morning in September from Central Office stating the following:

Effective immediately, forget everything you've done in the past regarding instruction and from now on you will apply process "X" to your teaching strategy. It makes no difference whether or not what you've been doing in the classroom for the past 25 years has worked! Just use this latest and greatest way of teaching and you will be successful. Oh yeah, you are on your own to figure out how to apply this new process and or course you evaluation will depend on how well you implement this new directive!!

Once and for all, educating children is not the same as manufacturing widgets. Unlike widgets, children bring a host of different attributes to the table and a "once size fits all" approach to teaching is never, ever, going to work. No matter what new directive is issued, some strategies will work for some children and not for others. It's the role of the professional educator in the classroom to differentiate their strategies so that every child learns in a way that is appropriate for them. More difficult for the teacher, yes, but always more successful for the student.

Where have you gone "Joe DiMaggio"

Well, I'm not Joe DiMaggio but I have been M.I.A. from this blog for some time now. The reason is very simple and something that many of you have experienced or will experience in the future. "Burnout" Years ago, as a new administrator I observed many of my senior colleagues experience this phenomenon. Individuals who always had a smile and a joke to share were now moody and short tempered. Administrators who were always present at extra curricular events were now nowhere to be found after the regular school day. Their attendance began to suffer and their attitude changed markedly.

As a neophyte, I couldn't understand how this was possible. Now I know first hand what this experience is like. About 2 years ago I began to notice that my patience with my fellow educators and parents was waining. I would get annoyed at things that I'd hardly noticed in the past. My blood pressure which was already controlled by medication was getting higher and it took me more time to relax once I finally got home. I explained all of these symptoms to my doctor on a regularly scheduled visit and this very learned man offered a simple explanation and solution. He told me I needed "asshole medicine". After my look of surprise I asked for an explanation. He very calmly explained that day after day people with no training in our profession feel an obligation to tell use how to do our job. For many years we are able to deflect these comments but after awhile they take their toll. I was clearly experiencing this condition.

So, after dealing with this situation for the past 2 years, successfully at times, and not so much at others, I have decided that I will retire shortly. As I have told my friends and fellow educators I thought that 35 years of doing anything was enough and it was time for a big change in my life. But don't worry. For those few readers who have enjoyed this blog, I will continue to write articles as I have much to share. Some of which could not be written while I'm still employed.

For the first time since I began Kindergarten as a student, over 50 years ago, I will not arise on the first day of the new school year this fall, eager for the experience to begin all over again. Instead, I will arise at my regular wake up time, look at my alarm clock, and go back to sleep.
Here's wishing each of you an outstanding new school year!