12 Summer Ac-Cool-Ades for Teachers, Administrators, and Parents
Click! Click! Click! From
about the third week of May through the third week of June, this clatter
resonates around the country as teachers, parents and administrators snap off
their alarm clocks, roll over to catch a few more zzzzzs and sigh, “Finally!”
Teachers, parents and administrators are the triple-tined spear
that prod children into successful students and lifelong lovers of learning.
Teachers:
Strawberry Lemonade Splash
Teachers not only hold the key, but they are the keystone of any
successful educational program. Classroom instructors need to assess, sometimes
instantly, why Johnny isn’t engaged and what type of hook they must bait to
reel him into learning, and, consequently, his success. Each and every day they
make the choices that will build Johnny’s confidence and help him understand
that, “Yes, he can,” read any book, compute any equation, pass any test and
write any essay because “Yes he is” smart enough to do so.
Pina Colada Slush (Mocktail or Cocktail- Sipper’s Choice)
Teachers understand that Jane and her 24 plus peers are not balls
of clay composed of the same exact ingredients. Therefore, educators know that
they need to create lessons that are fast-paced for Jane, hands-on for Joey,
auditory-based for Betty and visually-grounded for Bob. The lessons need to be
lively for Liz, hushed for Harry, repetitive for Rhonda, yet varied for Victor.
Also, they all need to be focused on state and/or Common Core standards of
learning, A.P. exams, and/or other testing criteria so Jane and her peers earn
at least a proficient or, in the case of
A.P. exams- a score of 4 or 5.
Caramel Cappuccino Quencher
Teachers, knowing that the majority of their energy must be student-centered,
spend hundreds of hours planning engaging lessons, assessing students’ progress
(or lack thereof) and constantly making adjustments for their charges’ needs.
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Milk Shake
Teachers appreciate the fact that they must form professional
bonds with parents if their students are to experience success. They understand
that parents are more than willing to discuss their children’s academic
strengths and weaknesses as well as the attitudes and behaviors that could, and
most often, affect their offspring’s’ success. Speaking of parents…
Parents:
Southern Sweet Tea
Parents know that their children need their fierce protection, but
recognize when to allow a teacher’s sincere worries about Johnny or Jane’s lack
of success to penetrate this armor. During collegial conferences, they are open
to listening to instructors’ concerns and to work with the teachers and their
children to form academic action plans.
Cool Cucumber Lemonade
Parents put school first-and not their children’ jobs. Some kids
work to pay for their cars, clothes and extra-curricular activities, but most
moms and dads set a reasonable limit to this so that school remains a priority.
Even parents whose kids must work to
help to pay the rent and food bills push classroom success because they realize
that their children’s future financial stability rests on a solid education.
Berry Blaster
Parents promote respectful attitudes toward education and
teaching. They let their kids blow off steam about the dictatorial history teacher,
the micromanaging algebra instructor and the never-ending reading and writing
assignments from the English educator with a My Class Rules attitude.
But…but, they never join with their children in denigrating these
educationalists.
What a Peach Punch
Parents might disagree with the word picture about their son or
daughter that the teacher paints, but they understand that the teachers see a
side of their children that they don’t. They know that their children are
multi-faceted, and reveal various sides of their personality to teachers,
bosses, friends, frenemies, Aunt Marge and Grandpa George, and to them. They
realize that those lessons on rounded, dynamic characters they survived in high
school English classes are meant for actual living beings and their children,
and not just for characters that spring from a writer’s imagination. They
staunchly push this fact to administrators that their Jane or Johnny is not
just a clay clone of any of the 24 plus children in each of her or his classes.
Speaking of administrators…
Administrators:
Rockin’ Caffeine-Me Iced Coffee
Administrators hire teachers that they know will be the best fit
at their school, and who bring with them goody bags overflowing with appealing
activities, provocative lesson plans and inspiring attitudes. They hire
professionals in their fields and never deny them their hard-earned
classification.
Frozen Banana Foster Smoothie
Administrators understand the importance of data in the quest for
AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), but also know that each child carries to class
a backpack crammed with feelings and fears, the reality of life situations, and
the effects of prior academic circumstances. Respecting the fact that they
hired professionals, they allow their teachers the space and time to help their
students to jump any hurdles that could keep them from being successful test
takers, but most importantly-lifelong lovers of learning.
Chocolate caramel Nut Frappuccino
Administrators will respectfully listen to any complaint against
one of their teachers, but will not make any judgment at that time. Like
parents with their children, they will close ranks around their staff member
until they have collected all pertinent information from whatever necessary
source (s). Only when armed with this information will they make a decision and
privately, but in person, inform all involved parties.
Dock of the Bay Raspberry Bomb
Administrators will never forget the rigors of the classroom that
they experienced and that their teachers face daily. Because of this, they will
never turn a deaf ear to any staff member, parent, student or citizen of their
district. They hold firm to the knowledge that a solid curriculum will stand up
to any test, any scrutiny and any non-educator’s one size fits all dictate.
To teachers, parents and administrators, known and unknown, I send
these Ac-Cool-Ades of appreciation, today and every day. Whether it’s during
the school year or summer vacations, you struggle constantly against tides of criticism
and waves of love-hate relationship with all things educational, yet you shine
on and on and on.
Now, it’s time for you to slide into an Adirondack chair, a hammock
or a beach chair, open a good book, click on Hulu, Prime or Netflix, or
fade into an earful of tunes and sip one or two of these Ac-Cool-Ades while
you relax, rejuvenate and refresh.
Happy Summer to you all!
Connie
