Education: What’s going on?

I am new to Substack and wasn’t sure if this should be a note or post. Post it is!

I am an educator. This will be my twenty-fourth year in education. My first three years were spent as an instructional assistant. One year in second grade(oof! Not built for elementary) and two in middle school (my home). After that, I went back to school, earned a degree in middle school education with a minor in English and history. In 2003, I started my life-long passion teaching English to middle school students. Over the years, I have taught seventh and eighth grade English. I love it. I love middle schoolers.

I have watched education change drastically over the last two decades. Everyone says it’s the kids who have changed and while there is some truth to that, kids are still kids at the heart of it. But, something has changed. It has been an uncomfortable change. Painful at times. You may be asking, well, what is it?

I don’t know if I have a complete answer, yet. The power of yet. However, I am committed to figuring it out because, frankly, something has to change.

Here is the one thing I know to be fundamentally true: reading abilities are declining in addition to the love of learning. Why? That is such a complex answer, and I don’t have all the answers. I think it is safe to say the way reading has been taught over the last twenty years is a piece of the problem, but as a public English educator, I am telling you, from my heart, there has to be more to this story.

So, I have some questions for the readers of Substack. I hope that as this post circulates through the invisible highways and back roads of Substack, many will see this and respond to the questions. I ask one thing. Please be intentional and considerate with your words. I am a real person. I bruise. I have dedicated half my life to educating middle schoolers. Yes, I accept that I have made mistakes along the way, but I have always worked with the intention of helping kids learn to be critical thinkers. Research now shows that I should have done some things differently. I want to. Also, and this is to other educators, specifically, if you read a comment from a parent’s perspective and it hurts, remember they are just telling their story.

My purpose for these questions is to hear multiple perspectives about the state of education so that I can learn and do more research. I want to make education better. I want to make my classroom better, but I can’t do that without perspectives other than my own.

So, finally the questions!

What are your thoughts on education today?

Why do you think we are struggling?

What could be done differently? (Please don’t make this political. I’m looking for boots on the ground ideas. Change starts small.)

When you respond to this question, it would be helpful for you to include the following information:

• Your perspective (parent, educator—public, private, homeschool, administration, or general observer)

Lastly, and most importantly, thank you for helping me on my quest. Your responses and observations are appreciated whether we agree or disagree, you are helping me learn. To quote one of my favorite reads of the summer:

“Stranger, whoever you are, open this to learn what will amaze you.”

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

I hope when I open your responses, I will learn much and be amazed.

Xoxo,

Rhea