October 5 is World Teacher's Day > Watch + Learn + Share"On this day, we call for teachers to receive supportive environments, adequate quality training as well as ‘safeguards’ for teachers’ rights and responsibilities...We expect a lot from teachers – they, in turn, are right to expect as much from us. This World Teachers’ Day is an opportunity for all to take a stand." ~ Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General
World Teachers’ Day is an opportunity to examine issues facing teachers on the national and regional levels from an international perspective and to measure the progress made by national teachers in a global context. A truly international perspective necessitates that all countries accept and celebrate World Teachers’ Day on 5 October. "There are one billion people who have never felt the power and privilege of literacy. There are hundreds of millions of children who have never seen a book, smelled a book or heard a story and THAT IS NOT OK!" ~ Angela Maiers
"We were created for significance and one of the most dangerous things that can happen to us as individuals, as organizations and as communities – is to get the feeling that we don’t matter." |
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So, I woke up this morning wondering what the world would be like if Americans devoted as much time and money to our education system as they do to sports. If they revered (and paid) teachers as much as they do sports superstars. What if every parent reallocated the time they spend watching football this weekend to reading or doing homework with their kids. Seriously, I would like answers to these questions.
It occurs to me that we (our society) are largely responsible for the many woes we lament about. It also occurs to me that this has little, if anything, to do with politics.
I find it very ironic that Americans cherish excellence in every walk of life (and profess to be the the world's greatest power) yet we tolerate mediocrity in the very institution that is largely responsible for a child's propensity to achieve excellence in life.
Please stop tolerating mediocrity. Take a stand for teachers. If it means watching one less football game this weekend so be it.
Steve,
I taught for years, sat on curriculum committees, and concerned myself about education. And I am sure that we have failwd our educational system. As you suggest, the problems in our schools begin in our homes. I have no patience with teachers who retire in the job, but i understand how draining it can be when what the teacher is trying ot do in the class room is undercut and unsupported at home and by the society as a whole. It reflects an attitude shift in our society, which only leadership can correct, and I don't have an answer, but I believe that it illustrates one of the biggest problems with democracy - that we get exactly what we deserve.
This is not very helpful, but it's the best I can do.
In an effort to strengthen my "stand" for teachers I went to a local watering hole yesterday afternoon. Like all bars worth their hops, theses guys have big screens on every available inch of wall and ceiling space. Every game of note was on.
As luck would have it, FSU was playing and I sat next to an elementary teacher at the bar. I kid you not. She was a hard core Seminole fan. Two important take-away's from my Saturday afternoon field research:
1. I am getting old. When I told the teacher I attended FSU when Deion Sanders was playing there she said, "Damn, you're old!"
2. People watch college football with a level of focus, attention and enthusiasm that has no rival, if you will pardon the pun.
I go back to my original premise (question) which is, Can you imagine what the world would be like if we could channel all that energy and the amount if money spent on football tickets and tailgating toward working with children and improving our education system?
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