You Have Our Permission to be Great!

In February I attended a very sincere professional development day with an Education Thinker (capital letters intended) who seemed very empowering at first blush. He was all about telling us we can be great if we flip the narrative. His message told us that when we seize the initiative to take accountability for our own preconceived notions and our own attitude, we can BE THE CHANGE in our organizations. He told lots of personal stories about how he personally SAVED (I'm not exaggerating) this or that student by some way he changed his attitude and thus changed that child's attitude. Or how he NEVER GAVE UP on anyone ever ever ever. I would think if he was that awesome at saving people, he'd still be an active educator but wait... never mind.

It seems very empowering at first. And I won't deny that he imploded some of my organizations more egregiously stupid ideas. But. But. I felt there was a kind of insidious shifting of the blame here.

I work in an industry (some might argue education isn't an industry - it absolutely is) where we are CONSTANTLY told that we can do better. That there is one more kid we can "save" - that there are more points, more growth, more more more we can wring out of the children who are our "customers." No matter how awesome you are as a teacher, there is always someone willing to tell you how you can be better - or actually THAT you SHOULD be better - with ideas on how to make that happen thin on the ground. There is a highly pervasive attitude among many admin that if you don't find something to criticize when you are observing or evaluating - you aren't doing your job. Our whole evaluation system is built on finding fault. 

Our administrators, our communities, our media never stop telling us that we are failing. I just did a Google search of the term "American education failing" and then subbed in various years - 2022, 2018, 2011, 2007, and 1987 - and found an article about our failing schools for every year I tried. (And I'm not even going to touch the "anti-woke" Moms for Liberty chanting in our ears from this past school year). It's hard to "be the change" when no matter what you do - you suck.

But when we point this out, when we ask for a break from this - when we turn to our leaders for support and reassurance, we are told we are taking too many sick days, or that if we only use this or that system "with fidelity" we will solve the problem, or that we are "family" and they just know we're awesome "Thanks for all you do!" We are given anything but actual, concrete, help. So this message - that the problem is our attitude - we need to somehow not internalize these messages - that it's our attitude that is stopping us from giving ourselves - and our students "permission to be great." This message - it's damaging.

In telling us over and over that we have permission to be great, and we need to give others permission to be great - isn't he blaming us when we cannot thrive in our surroundings? When we cannot cover the curriculum we're told we have to teach? When we are given massive new curriculums, given half a day to learn it, and then expected to be experts? When the curriculum is thrown out every 3-7 years in favor of something different? When sub shortages mean your specialists are put into rooms to babysit instead of serving their population? Where when you beg for help to deal with a troubled student, the answer is a data collection chart and by the way keep teaching the other 24 kids? And all the time parents, media,  government, and your admin if they ascribe to the "I'm not doing my job if I'm not telling you what you aren't doing correctly" cadre - are chanting in your ear telling you that you suck.

So no thanks, dude. I refuse to accept that somehow I can solve the education system if I just change my attitude. I do believe that I can change my ability to COPE in the system if I change my attitude. That I can make myself a happier healthier (and maybe better) teacher if I refuse to accept the blame for the breakdown in systems.... I'll take that message. As for your message that as teachers it's OUR attitudes that are holding the students back... No thanks. Until education changes itself - until admin see themselves as educator supporters not educator micromanagers - until teachers no longer suffer from the same stink as veterans (we're heroes until we need help - then we're a drain and weak). Until then I will change my attitude so that I can survive the system.