I'm sure most of you are aware of the Time's Up movement started by Hollywood celebrities in response to the growing accusations of sexual harassment and inequality in Hollywood. Does this have a place in the field of education?
I am 41-years-old and a female working in education, and I can say definitively that the boy's club is alive and well. According to a 2011 eSchool News article,
"Seventy-two percent of the education workforce consists of women, yet the number of women in leadership positions falls far short of that statistic. They fare best in the role of elementary school principals, with 54 percent of these jobs being held by women. But at the secondary school level, only 26 percent of principals are women, and in the head job of superintendent, 24 percent are women."
At one school, I actually had my administrator tell me that I would have a hard time getting respect from parents because of my age and gender. Of all the jobs I have had in education, I have had one female administrator, and my children have only had a female principals while in elementary school. When I mention the boy's club to some in power, they seemed surprised. Well, the men seem surprised. Even as I write this, I worry that I will be seen as radical for suggesting inequality.
When discussing this disparity, some say that women are underrepresented because they take time off to have children, so that puts them behind. WHAT? I am punished because I decide to have a FAMILY? Women feel such pressure to get back to work after having a child, which, I believe, increases PPD. I speak from personal experience. I am lucky enough to have four wonderful children. I had such severe PPD with my last one. I went back to work when he was 8-weeks-old. He is now 17-months-old, and I am still struggling.
So, what is to be done? Respect women of all ages. Give them the chance to lead if they show the interest and ability. I am tired of feeling marginalized because of my gender. Time's up.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Friday, January 19, 2018
Recovering from Snow Days
Most teachers are thrilled when they hear about the possibility of a snow day. Two snow days? That is like winning the lottery. After five, I am sitting here in a bit of a panic. I like a lazy snow day home with my kids as much as the next mom, but I also want to do my job to the best of my ability. Losing so many days for snow, combined with days missed for field trips and other events, means that I have less time to do my job.
Some of my friends have posted how Atlanta area schools have digital learning days. Many parents are appalled. "Let them be little." "Let them enjoy the days off." "Snow days should be fun." So how do we get through the material and make everyone happy? I believe the answer is technology and personalized learning.
As the Instructional Technology Coordinator at my school, it should have been my first thought, but it wasn't. My first thought was that my students would have extra homework until we were caught up. Then I thought that I would have to leave out something that I deem important. Would not finishing Romeo and Juliet really affect their ACT scores? Then the answer came to me.
Although it will not be easy, I've got to meet the students where they are and work to get us all back on the same footing. Instead of traditional vocabulary instruction, I could record myself giving the instruction and then let the students work at their own pace on the work. I could also pare down the amount of vocabulary work I give them.
As for the novels, I could cut some of the work related to the readings. We could use the time for class discussion or divide them into groups to discuss a certain element and bring them together for their group to teach. I enjoy reading in class, but this might be a time to put aside my preference and let them read on their own a bit more.
Finally, not everything has to be graded. Grades are NOT the end goal. LEARNING is the end goal. How we get there does not have to follow a cookie cutter design. It is time to ditch the industrial classroom model and personalize learning.
Some of my friends have posted how Atlanta area schools have digital learning days. Many parents are appalled. "Let them be little." "Let them enjoy the days off." "Snow days should be fun." So how do we get through the material and make everyone happy? I believe the answer is technology and personalized learning.
As the Instructional Technology Coordinator at my school, it should have been my first thought, but it wasn't. My first thought was that my students would have extra homework until we were caught up. Then I thought that I would have to leave out something that I deem important. Would not finishing Romeo and Juliet really affect their ACT scores? Then the answer came to me.
Although it will not be easy, I've got to meet the students where they are and work to get us all back on the same footing. Instead of traditional vocabulary instruction, I could record myself giving the instruction and then let the students work at their own pace on the work. I could also pare down the amount of vocabulary work I give them.
As for the novels, I could cut some of the work related to the readings. We could use the time for class discussion or divide them into groups to discuss a certain element and bring them together for their group to teach. I enjoy reading in class, but this might be a time to put aside my preference and let them read on their own a bit more.
Finally, not everything has to be graded. Grades are NOT the end goal. LEARNING is the end goal. How we get there does not have to follow a cookie cutter design. It is time to ditch the industrial classroom model and personalize learning.
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