Why Aren't Needed Changes in Education Implemented? - school improvement planning - Brief Article

College Student Journal, March, 2000 by Marlow Ediger

5. a first grade teacher had a pupil in class who threw a temper tantrum in class at the slightest provocation. The disruptions really hurt the ongoing teaching. The teacher, when having a conference with the involved child and the mother, was loudly called a liar by the child. The mother said, "Now Anna," and petted her forehead in a rewarding manner. After referral to the guidance counselor, the child continually exhibited the same behavior. The principal felt the teacher should "do the best possible."

6. a different first grade teacher received written notes from a parent twice a week, criticizing the quality of her teaching. The self esteem and morale of this good teacher was lowered considerably by these sequential letters, almost to the point of quitting the teaching profession.

7. even though she volunteered to do so, a kindergarten teacher in a small school system was not asked personally by the music teacher to have her pupils participate in the annual Christmas program. Two days before the program, the superintendent called the kindergarten teacher to his office, berated and scolded her for being so uncooperative and not participating with her children in the annual Christmas program. The kindergarten teacher quickly got her pupils to practice two songs to sing at the program. She was surprised that the two songs went as well as they did at the program, but her entire Christmas vacation was ruined and she worried much during this time. After the new year started, the superintendent called the kindergarten teacher into his office. Being extremely fearful prior to going into the office, she was immediately complimented by the superintendent on how well pupils in her room were achieving! Needless to say, the kindergarten teacher lost all respect for the superintendent of schools as well as for the music teacher.

8. an intermediate grade teacher was assigned to a teaching team for one school year. This had been a long school year, indeed. The teaching team was planned and implemented solely by the principal due to his positive beliefs, after reading educational literature, about how effective team reaching is on pupil progress. Neither team member had input into forming this team of teachers. Initially and continually, one had not wanted to team with the other.

9. a teacher was always by passed by the principal when communication was necessary between the two individuals. The principal would walk past the teacher's classroom door and then leave a notice in her mail box. The teacher felt shunned. This happened, of course, when the teacher was completely free to speak with the principal, with no pupils in the classroom. When the teacher came to see the principal in his office, the latter was always busy and had no time to talk. When meeting the teacher in the hallway in the morning, the principal faintly said `hello" and walked quickly to his destination. There was no sign or evidence that the principal would move on to another school in the near future. With one elementary school in town, the teacher resigned at the end of the school year, not being able to accept the shunning.