Yall teachers ain't working hard enough! If yall was doing ya job, these children would be learnin sumthin!

All around the world same song. We must improve education. Our schools are failing. We must put in tighter measures to monitor that teachers are teaching and not just hosting fight clubs in their classrooms. We have to get more qualified teachers into the classrooms. We must be accountable. Teachers must be trained. We must extend the school day!........etc......etc.......etc.


But wait.... (needle scratches the record)


Sitting in my seat as a teacher and school administrator, I get to see a lot of different sides of this thing and I tell you the newpapers aren't doing it justice. While I search through my mind, body and spirit for the right words to express I feel sorta at a lose. Cause when we talk about schools we often over look the thousands of teachers and thousands of schools that are getting it right. We must point our camera lens and micro-phones toward those situations that show the success we want. When schools are connected to communities and communities are connected to families children do their best. When children have a sense of belonging they do their best. When we see their best, they are their best. We are not separate. Schools are suffering because the political decisions and media presentations of them expect them to. Get what I'm saying here. What we focus on we get more of.

Have you noticed that since they started showing more crime on tv we get more crime? If there were a statistician out there who could show us the trend and relationship between the beginning of the television show "cops" and "america's most wanted" and the like and the trend in crime. I would not be surprised. However, I would also like to see the stats on countries that don't show as much violence and crime on tv and what their trends look like. I mean, we focus on drugs, guns and crime so much and create task force after task force only to need another one when our neighbors (Canada) don't have nearly the same levels of crime and violence. Why? I ask ... Why? Is it because we have created so much variety and diversity in what if available to the senses that we've gotten confused with what is freedom and what is just dumb.

Since we started reporting on school failings have we found more schools failing? Yes. Yes we have. How many of you talk about the wonderful teachers. Those that go un-noticed cause they do such a good job. Some parents never even see these amazing men and women cause they run things so well that the students never get put out and therefore the parents never HAVE to come to the school. We don't go to the school PTA meetings when our child is doing well. And some don't go at all. But we must start to pay attention to the successes. This can be difficult because its an unfamiliar way to look at the world and especially education. I try to hold the line and even I get lost in the vortex. When students act out, people want something to be done. I would rather focus on the students that are doing well and ignore those that aren't. We may not even notice these habits of mind. But they are there. How often do we celebrate our children's great days at school? Do we go all out? Or do we get complacent when they say everything was good today for the 55th time in a roe?

I put forth that if we celebrated more. We could celebrate more. And I do mean everyone. Parents, teachers, administrators, children, media, government etc. You name it. Turn our eyes toward the magnificent ones. Or even those who are just average and watch them become magnificent. Where our attention lies there lies our energy. Give energy to the good. When I was little, I would always get good grades. So much so that my family really didn't look at my report card. They assumed that I did well. (Most often I did do well) But this rubbed me the wrong way. When my brother got his report card there was attention a buzz. Dad came to the house and he got a talking to. Private time. With Dad. While I got ignored. He was offered bribes. I asked for the same they said, "We know you'll get it so you don't need it" I was furious. But what could I do. When I got into junior hight I decided that I would not try any more. I didn't care. (on the surface) I had mediocre grades but I didn't fail. Still no attention. I realized that I had to do it for myself. Some where I figured out intrinsic motivation. But... I was still angry. Unrecognized. And angry. That eventually turned into some other behaviors but still, I wanted to be recognized for what I was good at.

For all you parents, aunts, uncles, god mothers and god fathers, grand parents and family friends. Celebrate the kid that you think is on auto pilot. Let them know that the good is "whats up". Support those that need it. Look for what THEY are also good at and you'll see more of it in all areas of their life. Our attention is the key. Attention is the key. Together we can shift our lens to include the wonderful ones who put band-aids on our children while we work our 9-5 jobs, those who watch out for our daughters when they are growing into young women and keep them safe, those beautiful people who hug our children daily and see them awake and vibrant for 8 hours a day 5 days a week. Most children spend more (awake) time with their teachers than they do with parents. Recognize that for the most part, we love them. Believe me it is not a job we do for money or fame. (real teachers know, that anyone who gets into teaching cause they think its an easy check is sorely surprised after year 1...lol)

Say thank you to that teacher who keeps calling you. Let them know they are appreciated. Teachers of today are the shapers of tomorrow.