Apathy (Part 2)

Apathy in the classroom: The Death of American Education

My previous post gave some of my generic thoughts on apathy in our society and how getting involved and recognizing how each individual effects society would help address several issues of our culture.

Now let me specifically address that student’s comment about the PSAE not being important to her. Bear with me for a moment and follow this chain of command.

1. America is ranked in the bottom three of the top thirty industrialized nations in math and science.
2. The federal government enacted No Child Left Behind to help increase our competitiveness in a global market. This law established a standards-based, normalized criteria for all students in public education to help monitor deficiencies of our educational standards.
3. Colleges all across the country closely monitor and enforce “readiness standards” for entrance into their campuses. In addition to their own academic entrance requirements, they use the ACT score, which all students must take, as one component to evaluate which students are qualified to continue their studies with them.
4. State Education Departments are allotted a certain amount of money by the Federal Government to fund education to meet the expectations of educational law. The federal money plus the money raised by State revenues [sales taxes] and local communities [in many forms, including property taxes] are what pays for public education. Public education is required to educate to a certain age, and, in that process, prepare students to continue their own education somewhere. In short, prepare students to meet or exceed on the Prairie State Achievement Exam [including the ACT].
5. Local Education Departments allocate, budget, and spend that money to meet the needs in the best way possible to educate and prepare current students to be active and well prepared for their futures.
6. Superintendents, Principals, Administrators, Teachers, and all Staff Members are all held to standards to be in compliance with the demands of No Child Left Behind. This includes not only the top–down scenario [making sure students have necessary equipment {within the financial means} and as safe and healthy learning environment] but it also examines the quality of the product.
7. Students, YOU are that product. Each step of this process leads to you. It is ALL about preparing you to be competitive in the world’s market.

Now, thank you for indulging me in that chain of command. One more, but put in little more simplistic terms. Start with you and work your way up. Oh, and throw in that apathy word we are talking about. Apathetic student. No. Strike that. There is more than one. Apathetic students, like the one that prompted this conversation, have made choices NOT to take into consideration how their individual test scores effect the . . . . [now take a moment and go UP that line]. The next step is accountability. Miss the standards for a year or two, not a big deal. Miss them for several years and SOMEONE has to step in and make some adjustments. [That is where this school district is currently.] It is to the point that the federal, not state, government is going to “take over” certain schools in our district if students do not meet or exceed those standards THIS YEAR.

To be fair, I am focusing on the student here. But we all know that apathy is NOT exclusively a student quality. There is not a step in that process that is not inundated with apathetic individuals or groups. And we are ALL paying a big price for that destructive and pervasive attitude. Our backs are up against the wall. Students are not meeting the standards in sufficient numbers, teachers are ill-equipped or unwilling to prepare students sufficiently, Administrators and Superintendants are having their resources severely limited, States continually mishandle budgets, and the federal government seems to set the example of all of this. It is as if the federal government is a fat cat who has eaten all of the female mice and is now working on the males. Eventually . . . . well, who really cares anyway? “It’s not really important to me, it won’t affect me at all and I will never really use it.”

Why are we talking about this again?

Apathy

Apathy is the “lack of interest in anything, or the absence of any wish to do anything.” I bring this up because of two recent comments. Well, one specific quote from a student and another generic observation about our culture as a whole.

First, I overheard a couple of junior students discussing the PSAE in April. One girl caught me off guard when she said, “I don’t really care about that test, it really is not that important.” The other student did not necessarily disagree with her, which is JUST as upsetting to me.

The second is our culture as a whole that has developed the attitude that “if it doesn’t relate to me then I don’t need to pay attention to it.” So we have developed into a society that does not care about moral principles, politics, or the entrepreneurial spirit and have replaced those ideals with entertainment and self gratification. We do what we want, when we want, where we want, how we want, and with whom we want. An attitude of satisfy me. It has led us to where we are as a society.

Without getting into a super long and detailed history of how I think we have developed this complacent attitude, I want to simply challenge us all to adopt a new attitude. One that states: My actions impact others. It would mean a switch of focus from “me” to “we,” or at the very least, “you.”

There is an old idea that used to exist in human history. Societies have built countries on this seemingly strange philosophy. We have gotten so far away from it that it seems ancient, like walking into an old library and taking that book off of the shelf covered in dust. You know the one. You open it and it has that smell. Old. Yellowed and crispy pages. Fragile, must be very careful. You can actually hear the pages crinkle when you turn them. Yeah, THAT book. But you begin to read its pages and realize that it actually makes sense. It talks about a society where people were actually afraid to do something wrong and get caught. In getting caught they shame not only their family, but also the whole neighborhood. The neighborhood would look out for each other. Families were close knit. Parents would have such a close interaction that they would have no problems correcting someone else’s children, and they would EXPECT other parents to correct their own children. This society lived in fear of heavy punishment if they were even thinking of doing something against the societal norms. So they complied and lived very happy lives. They knew that there were liberties within those norms. Laws were made, not for the oppressive rulers to keep their loyal subjects under a strict system, but to keep those erring few in compliance with human rights. You know, keep murderous thinkers from actually killing. Keep thieves from taking from other people. To keep family values pure, not self-indulgent. We have lost this way of thinking. We think, "My actions only effect . . . ."

How did you finish that thought? If you said “me” then I want you to examine the source of why our politicians are so out of touch. Why Congressional approval rates were approaching single digits. Why our President’s numbers are unsatisfactory. Examine why our debt ceiling is being raised to 14 TRILLION. And education . . . do we really want to understand why our scores are so low when compared to other industrialized nations. Like bottom three in math and science out of thirty. Now let’s talk about business, banking, real estate. On and on and on. Could it be that we have lost that sense of “my actions impacting others”? Apathy?

Would it be such a bad thing to reopen that book, learn what made our country so great, learn what our great grandparents knew: things that taught them how to survive during war and bankruptcy and Depression? Would it be so bad to actually KNOW what our elected officials are doing with our vote? Would it be so bad to do well on a test to not only gain the best opportunity for personal advancement but also see to it that fewer obstacles are there for the next group? I mean, THAT is what our parents do for us, our grandparents for them, our forefathers for our new nation. Where did WE lose that? When did we replace principles like hard work, honor, dignity, trust, generosity, and stewardship with apathy? And are we satisfied with the results?

I am not.

And what if you answered that statement earlier with “everyone”? If you did, then you must be weird, strange, different. You are not conditioned to think like that. Our society does not promote that. If you really did think that . . . .

WELCOME! I am glad you are awake. Now go wake up your neighbors.

GRADEBOOK

I’d like to take a moment to discuss the gradebook postings. First, I will describe something very simple that may relieve a certain amount of stress. Secondly, I will provide a few specifics of why some grades might show “missing” from time to time. And finally, I will spend a moment explaining details of a long-standing grade.

Simple:

If you are checking the gradebook online [SKYWARD FAMILY WEB ACCESS] . . . .
An asterisk [*] with “Missing” = NO WORRIES

A zero [0] with “Missing” = WORRY, I have graded the class’ assignment and your child’s work was not found.

A zero [0] without “Missing” = too much time has passed to receive credit.

Complicated:

There are several times where I will put an assignment name into the gradebook for several classes [i.e. Writing assignments / DOL/Analogies / and others]. When I do that, it might hinder ALL classes from getting grades entered for several days. So, if it happens that grades are not entered for a few days, it may show the asterisk with “missing” [see above note]. Again, no worries.


The “In the News” grade:

One specific grade I’d like to clarify is the “In the News” grade. This grade is going to accumulate throughout the semester by five-point increments. I am asking your child to bring in a newspaper article [or something from an online source] once every two weeks.

I’ve assigned each child a number and I post when their number is due on my whiteboard in the classroom. I assign three at a time in consecutive order – so there are no surprises. At the beginning of each cycle, I increase the gradebook points by five points. If your child is number 21, let’s say, then it may seem as if he/she is missing points for several days. We are currently in the middle of the second cycle.

On the other hand, if your child is missing MORE than five points, then there is a good chance that there really are missing points because an article was not submitted. That’s not good. I feel that turning in one article once every two weeks is not too much to ask.

There is a two-fold purpose in this: first, I feel it is important for all students to pay attention to current events [not just celebrity gossip]; and secondly, when we have a few spare moments at the end of a class, we can use these articles as quick class discussions.

Happy New Year!!!

Yeah, I know. But it really does feel like everything is "new and exciting," doesn't it? The beginning of a school year, I believe, has much more significance because there really are more important changes at this time than the change of a calendar.

For those of you who are new to Jersey High School -- WELCOME! For those who are not novices -- WELCOME BACK!

This year will be what you make of it. As our new superintendant challenged us at the beginning of the school year, "Don't have a great day, MAKE a great day." I agree. Each day is what WE make of it.

With that said, let me welcome you to this blog. There are a couple of important "rules" that must be followed.

First, this blog is meant to be an academic conversation. Please understand that I have students, teachers, and friends who will occasionally comment on this blog because it is designed to open the doors of conversation about academic, and sometimes RAN DUMB, topics.

Secondly, NO NAMES please. Obviously, my name is fair game, but do not use other peoples' names OR EVEN YOUR OWN. The overly simplistic answer to, "Why not?", is because I do not want to have to fill out a bunch of legal paperwork. So, as you comment or reply to my posts, do not use names.

Thirdly, please understand that all replies have to be approved by me before they can be viewed publically. If you reply to a post, do not expect to instantly view your own reply. That will not happen unless we happen to be on this blog simultaneously -- probably NOT gonna happen.

And finally, BE HONEST. Do not fret over typing misteaks or misspellled werds. We all maik mistakes. I am much more concerned about expressions of ideas. With that said, I will NOT allow posts to be viewed if they are simply pointing out other peoples' flaws. That is pointless and a waste of time. On the other hand, too many mistakes reveal certain character traits that may be lacking. If you understand that there are students AND adults who are both professional and casual readers of this blog, you will agree to self-edit your work before posting. Perfection is secondary to expression, but perception favors the prepared.

Hey, enough already! Let's get ready for some great chats . . . . . Write with ya soon!

Silence

It has been ten weeks since I have written anything on this blog. Silence.

Here is a thought for you: Much happens during times of silence.

Think about that for a moment. In this electronic format, while this keyboard has been silent, class has pressed on. In the sophomore classes, in addition to the massive change of personnel in my afternoon classes, we have explored the strengths of poetry: word choice and the interpretative power of presentation. Now, we are exploring personal beliefs as we engage in an intense writing environment. In the freshmen classes, we continue with the reading process and couple that with the analytical skills of identifying the core literature elements: plot, character, seting, theme, and point-of-view.

Since I've last written, we have celebrated four holidays [can you name them?], we've had two students involved in serious accidents, and MANY changes in the political realm [pay attention, things WILL affect you].

And yet, silence. Silence does not necessarily mean cessation. Things still happen. In fact, silence allows for more focus -- to recognize the enormity of activity, to hone in on the big picture, to see more of our minute existence.

So why do I bring this up now?

Because I needed a break from the fast pace of the routine. I needed silence. I needed a moment to hear myself breathe. An "Aha" moment where I realize that my life is busy, not slowing down any time soon. [Yeah, that was a fragment, so what?] That "Aha" moment led to the realization that it is all right to have a stack of papers nine inches high that need to be graded, it is all right to not have the calendars in the classroom updated, it is all right to take a moment for me in the middle of the mundane insanity. It is perfectly acceptible to live out the seventh habit.

Silence.

A whisper, "Pause, reflect, take a moment to charge the batteries."

The interesting thing about silence . . . it never lasts. I've had my moment. Now it is time to get moving again. Let's make some academic noise! Are you ready?

*****UPDATE: ADDITIONAL COMMENT*****

So I write about this thing called "silence" with the hopes that things will go back to normal -- whatever that means. I thought that maybe I'd be able to get caught up on grades by now and that my momentum would pick up a little bit in the classroom.

What I am continuing to learn is that the best made plans are the ones that will surely change. I did not expect the weather to be what it is -- to have as many snow days as we have had. I did not expect my home computer to go out and be without one for four days. I did not expect my wife's car to experience "problems." And most importantly, I did not expect the bold reality that the human body is frail; manifesting itself in my wife's back, which decided to go out Friday evening; and, in the middle of my soccer clinics, her uncle comes into the gym to inform me that he has just taken her to the emergency room.

When I mentioned the break from the routine I was not expecting THESE things to be a part of the equation. I guess there is another lesson here that I need to learn. MY schedule must remain open to the persistence of life. Silence may be golden, but it does not follow the golden rule.

Endurance

It has been a little while since I have posted anything on this blog. In short, I have been observing, learning, and enduring. In my last post, I jested about communication and grades. Well, my banter returned somewhat of a cricket-in-the-woods echo. If you want to know where I stand with grades, please read the previous post.

OBSERVING
In the past five and one-half weeks I have been seriously observing my students. I have observed some of the best and worst, well . . . let me not say “worst” . . . I’ll say “mediocre” student behaviors. There are some who obviously embrace the challenges the class has offered. Others, not so much.

LEARNING
Not only am I learning that JCHS is an exciting place to be right now because of its focus on internal improvement – mirroring some of the processes I incorporate in class – but I am also learning how to adjust to a different academic culture. It is refreshing. And it is scary. It is like Bella jumping off of the cliff. For her, an opportunity to live on the edge of danger to experience her obsession – Edward’s reprimanding voice. For others, our district’s direction will be misinterpreted and misapplied – hopefully not resulting in an Edwardian suicide attempt.

ENDURING
I would like to stay on this point for a little while, so bear with me. Enduring, in its simplest definition, means “long-suffering.” The implication, then, involves a certain amount of discomfort. So, what is currently making me uncomfortable? First of all, ten minutes! Time. Transitioning to a 45-ish minute class has been frustrating. There are so many times when my students are gathering up their books, closing shop, and I look at them as if I still have 10 minutes worth of material to cover. That is because I have been accustomed to a 55 minute schedule, and believe me, that 10 minutes is valuable. Not having it is like wearing a pair of socks that have been stretched a little too much. Secondly, supplies. Of all of the praise I can give this school, I can offer a balance to all of that with one word: books. I had a student say to me the other day that his mother was surprised we are STILL in the same book. We have practically spent the entire semester on one text. Although I know that is not entirely true, I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment . . . . “STILL.” I disagreed with his response to his mother, “Mr. Kimble just reads slow.” The reality is twofold: lack of resources so that each student could take a book home a read [as if . . . .], and students’ reading abilities are somewhat low – slowing the pace to maintain understanding. The last thing to endure: students. Now, please don’t take this too negatively. I love students. I love teaching. I find it difficult to tear down students’ internal obstacles to academic performance. The give-and-take is draining me. The Win-Win is not evident right now. I feel it is a Win-Lose scenario right now. I win because the quality of work being turned in doesn’t require much of my time . . . . . . [OUCH! That hurts Mr. Kimble.] There is always a method to my madness . . . . the simple is not always so simple. Yes, there are small rewards being achieved [some grades] at the expense of career related skills [work ethic]. The real question becomes, “Would I rather have someone working for me that gets the job done, or would I rather have someone who gets the job done right?” There is a real epidemic of “fast food” work ethic in a setting that promotes entrepreneurial leadership. Let me be a little crass here – that work ethic works in a Socialistic society but not in a Capitalistic system. And in our current economic reality, I know exactly which answer I’d choose for that question.
So what Mr. Kimble? What are you really saying?
Stick with it! Show me your best!
I have to encourage you demonstrate a certain amount of perseverance. I implore you to adjust to the academic environment. I challenge you NOT to just exist, but to permeate this academic shell.
I have shared with you some of my basic principles of teaching. I have a passion for this profession because of how I can influence others – students and staff. That passion is from a very important relationship I have. HE is my Audience. HE is my focus. HE is the reason I am who I am. James 3:1 forces me to do MY best at all times because I am ultimately responsible for what you learn from me. If you are not a better person, professionally, academically, and relationally, because of your experience with me, then part of my existence is nothing short of failure.

OK, so ummm . . . yeah!

Is everyone clear? Yeah, so, like there is this thing going on in class that, ummm, gets a little, yuhknow, like, frustrating, to me. It's called, communication. So, let's examine some things real quickly.


First of all, we are in the 14th week of school. Are there STILL questions of expectations?


Secondly, each class is basically doing something different than the others . . . sorta. I have tried to offer some sort of "ownership" in HOW we approach the class. Some of you sophomores are in small groups, attacking the Iliad, writing, and SSR. Other sophomores are bouncing back and forth between writing and reading - now a certain amount of non-fiction pieces. Freshmen, you have been allowed to dictate the PACE of the class to a certain extent.

Third, let's talk grades - a very "touchy" subject right now. I say that for several reasons, primarily because you all expect grades to be put INSTANTLY into the computer. You hand something in and POOF, its graded and into the computer. I wish it worked like that, but let's step back into reality of Mr. Kimble's world for a moment. Let's consider my instruction . . . . I do my best to guide you through class. It is very rare that I would just meet you at the door, hand you a paper or have something on the board, and say, "OK, there ya go. Get it done by the end of the hour whether you understand it or not." Actually, I've NEVER done that. I TRY to actually plan out lessons that are interesting, varied, paced appropriately for the class while still encouraging you to "pick it up," and I try to allow you all opportunities to use technology that relates to our course of study. [Now, I am NOT comparing myself to other teachers and I do not want any comments that are reflective of that thought.] This takes time. And add to that the fact that I have a lunch and a prep time, a grand total of 90 minutes, to plan, grade, and handle the administrative roles of this job. Do the math, with 135 students, that's 66 seconds per student, without lesson planning time. So when am I expected to grade and plan? That's right, on MY personal time. That's the beautiful part of this particular profession. We sacrifice personal time to make sure YOU all can move forward with your lives. So, consider the next time you get stressed because grades are not ABSOLUTELY caught up and you want to "discuss" my lack of entering grades just what you are asking me to do -- sorry, not trying to be harsh, but with all due respect, you will just have to be patient.

OK, rambling on a little bit, sorry.

Back to the communication component. . . .I don't know. Maybe we just need to spend more time together so we get on the same page.