It was encouraging to read that our school board is discussing solutions to several identified problems. Some teachers had felt a lack of support from administration and parents, as well as disrespect from the students. Some parents felt the teachers didn’t respond to their phone calls and hoped that their children would just be able to graduate high school. Some students focused on social relationships, either sexual or sadistic or drug related. I learned of a retired teacher/administrator who is writing a book about the educational system. So, a trip to Grants to speak with her.
Dr. Kate Orozco has spent 40 years teaching all grades, administrating schools in various parts of the country and was involved with consulting and professional development. She still seems cheerful and hopeful that any system can improve.
With a constant smile, a soft spoken voice and a pleasant manner, she demonstrates her philosophy about the qualities needed to establish a comfortable relationship.
She feels that learners of any age want to feel safe, be seen, known and loved.
They respond to being engaged and challenged. They realize that what they are learning is something valuable and serves a purpose.
Administration can also provide many of these same conditions for the teachers.
Even though administrators are involved with paper work and person to person problems, they need to go into the classroom, as well as enabling model teaching and trauma informed teaching practices.
School board members are advisory to the superintendent. Each member should have more than one agenda or reason why they joined the board. Their openness to the community requires the ability to listen to a variety of opinions and evaluate them critically.
The community can be part of listening sessions or town hall meetings for asking questions, posing respectful constructive challenges, in addition to encouraging appropriate accomplishments.
The 3R’s for teachers [relationship, relevance and rigor] provide their joy and fulfillment when they see their students improve with their thinking, speaking, treatment of other students and being on fire to learn and understand. Of course, this is also a delight for the parents. Parents are the first and last teachers. It is important to have a safe home, filled with conversation, books [being read to the little ones, even in the womb] and daily meals together. The greatest danger is screen time, whether TV, computer or smartphones.
Today’s lesson: To educate those of us without an innate love of learning requires hard work from each member of the community.