Back to School Musings
I am a mom of four-4th Grade, 6th, 8th, and 10th. I am also a teacher. When my kids were little, they loved to read. My 1st grader read all of the Harry Potter books and understood everything he read. My 5 year old’s favorite thing to have in his bed at night were 20 of his most prized books. My kids created outfits out of newspaper. They spent an entire snow day making butter beer and role-playing Harry Potter scenes. It has been one of my primary focuses as a mom to foster their creativity and love of reading, love of learning. Unfortunately, as they hit the middle school years and even earlier, reading has become a chore. They often hate going to school-and this is not for lack of friends as they all thrive socially. Our schools are becoming assembly lines. Don’t get me wrong, we have had some amazing teachers who bucked the system and fostered excitement and inquisitiveness. However, the testing, testing, testing. Singular focus on computer skills at the expense of personal interaction, artistic expression, dramatic interpretation of literature, and mathematical engineering. As parents, we must get involved in our children’s education. We must demand that teachers engage our children, not show them five movies the week before school gets out. I can do that at home. I want my children to enter the workforce with imagination, excitement, endless opportunity. Please, teachers, schools, parents, what the state might think is best for our children, we know in our hearts is not. Let’s ensure a future in which our children rival Michelangelo, Neil Armstrong, J.K. Rowling, Mozart, Edison. I am going to read with my high schoolers this year and help them regain a love of literature, take them to the art museum to admire and interpret the great works, ask questions when they hate their classes and demand better. Most importantly, as parents it is our job to raise our children with compassion for others, love of learning, and values to make a difference in our world. We cannot leave this important job to chance, we must get involved. I will volunteer, attend conferences, call teachers with questions, ensure learning and not just memorization is taking place. What can you do this year for your children or those you teach to reboot the education system and enact change?
