We are led to believe a lie When we see not thro' the eye, Which was born in a night to perish in a night, When the soul slept in beams of light.William Blake
I found the light above after it passed through the multiple lenses of a horseshoe crab that no longer needed them. The light was there whether or not I saw it, but I saw it, so now I share it.
It's been an interesting year. I sat directly across the Governor Christie in my school building, and next to the NJ Acting Commissioner Cerf in his.
I listened to both of them, and they both deigned to listen to me. I heard their words, then parsed the meaning of those words. I am blessed with moderate intelligence and keen curiosity, so I have little doubt of how they expected me to interpret their words.
And, sadly, there is nothing true from either meeting worth sharing.
It's been an odd year here in New Jersey.
I'm sticking to the classroom--where I can still effect change.
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3 comments:
So many leave the classroom in order to effect change. It is reassuring to know there are still teachers who believe the classroom (and maybe this place as well) works for effecting change. At the same time, how sad to realize how little power or control or influence we as teachers have outside our classrooms, even when given the audiences one would think necessary.
Dear Jenny,
I suspect most who leave the classroom "to effect change" are more interested in effecting their own lives. Teaching well is hard, as you know, but also rewarding, as you also know.
I'm in a good place with a phenomenal principal, so teachers here have some say, which is a powerful thing.
OTOH, principals are hand-cuffed by many things legal and otherwise beyond their control--I can only imagine the frustration of those administrators trying to effect change they believe is in the best long-term interests of children instead of the best interests of careers.
I am one who quasi-left the classroom (took on some coaching part-time) and I am ready to be back in the classroom full-time. I had more autonomy, impact and meaning in my own classroom than I do as a teacher/coach.
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