The Days of Reflection – Keep Going
Today a whole group of students had been told that they were going to amount to very little. This is because the people who were educating them were going to fail them; that they didn’t care about them. I was angry. I have nurtured my classes: worked hard to raise their self-belief and self-esteem and now I look at them crushed. They looked at me like I don’t care and ad if I have abandoned all hope. Why?
I guess President Trump would call it “fake news”. I call it irresponsible news or inflammatory news. A tabloid newspaper had made a list using government data and created a shame list of schools that didn’t meet the new goal posts. The problem is, the goal posts change as often as the cabinet does. Each time, a new novice with a new theory paints an idyllic picture of success.
I spent time during my lessons reassuring my students that I care, my colleagues cared and they were important. Shame on anyone who made them doubt themselves. I’m tired of reading the news and thinking how bleak the world looks. Every day I get to look at our future. A generation of children who will succeed despite news that the education system struggling. This is austerity. Education, like any other industry in the public sector, is under pressure.
I have this message:
To my students: your thoughts and words matter and they are powerful. You make a difference no matter what you do. Work hard and you can make a difference in a greater way than you can ever imagine.
To the parents of my students: I’m watching, I’m helping and I’m caring. Your children are more to me than a statistic. Your children hold undiscovered brilliance. You know it is there: I’m going to help them to release it. It’s up to them but we can work together to show them the way.
To my fellow teachers: Keep going