Have you ever noticed that some teachers think the work of being an educator would be absolutely awesome if it wasn’t for the damn kids?

Or those stinkin’ parents?

Or those silly administrators?

Or those reprehensible peers?

Or those annoying blogger types? (Okay, I made this last one up as I really couldn’t find any examples of folks who fit this profile. And yes, I searched and searched and searched. Matter of fact, I looked everywhere except in the mirror. LOL!)

All of us have an opinion on what is wrong with education, but how much time do we spend in our conversations speaking about that which is right?

I like the damn kids.

I seek to break bread with the stinkin’ parents.

Okay, screw the administrators. I mean even they feel that way about one another, right? (JOKING!! Admins are so often placed in untenable positions that I don’t know why more people do not recognize that we are often seeing in our schools is a crisis of administration. Too much work for too few people with too many skill sets required to sensibly prosper in the position. I’ll leave that for another blog.)
As for the annoying bloggers, if you come across any, please let me know. Truly, they ought to be tarred and feathered.

So how did your kids spend their holiday break. Mine, let’s see.

–They slept.
–They ate.
–They watched tv.
–They played video games.
–They were bored.
–They “chilled”.
–They did “too much” homework.
–They did no homework.
–They went to the mall.
–They partied. (This is where my “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy comes into play).

A few of them travelled, some of them caught the flu and some of them went to the movies.

All in all, they got to be real people. Fine. Cool. Glad you enjoyed it. But after reading their papers (so sloppily written, I might add) and hearing their words, I am more determined than ever to “bring the heat”.

January is a time when there is so much good work that can be done but I also know that if I spend the first week back allowing a honeymoon mentality to sink in — as so many people often do — I am just wasting valuable class time.

Class time I desperately need.

Yep, we are up and running!

But what scares me is the knowledge that across this great country not every educator in the U.S. thinks this way.

Mentality matters… and it starts with the person at the front of the room.

So let’s not rush to judgement about the demise of “brick and mortar” schools and race off into the “digital high schools will replace education as we know” just yet. Why? Because, it seems that the skill set needed in order to earn an online high school diploma is not quite as rigorous as it is in a traditional high school. Like for one thing, the students, apparently, don’t even need to be of our same species.

Yep, an online high school just awarded a degree to a cat.

And as if the media needs more reasons to pile on teachers and paint us all us incompetents doofs, here’s another fabulous story about an educator — the tale of the of the New Mexico driving teacher who got popped for drunk driving. Ain’t that kinda like me bein’ an English teecher not comprehensibilitizing and applicationifying the prooper rools of grammer and speeling?

But proof lives everywhere that we are simply not doing enough to serve the intellectual needs of our students. I mean come on, some teacher somewhere has to take some ownership over this mistake. Seems a guy gave his ID and bank account number to the teller… right before he robbed the bank. Truly, I do not think this reflects as poorly on this person as it does on all of us in the field of education. After all, are we not our moronic brother’s keeper?

And last on my list today is Mr. Phil Spector. Seem Ol’ Toupee (btw, has there ever been a less flattering mug shot taken of a celebrity? Here he is in court. Here he is after arrest number 1. And here he is in the Big House. Scary!!) wants a new prison cell because is not happy with his neighbors. Do people convicted of cold blooded murder get to have requests such as these honored? I mean I’ve never blasted away an associate and tried to cover it up in my classroom and yet, does my principal respect my wishes when I ask him to install a jacuzzi in my room so I can be a more relaxed, better-rested educator? Would working for a warden be an upgrade?

Hmmm… much to wonder about in this wacky world.