Why This Year Is Better

I'm teaching an elective class this year, which means I'm not teaching a tested subject. The downside of elective classes is that we have to fight against the mentality that it's "fluff." But the upside of that mindset is that we're not tested and we have a considerable amount of curricular freedom. Add to this the fact that I am teaching only two subjects and I'm not part of discipline meetings or weekly department meetings about data and assessments. I'm not prepping for six subjects. I'm not exhausted. Don't get me wrong. I'm tired. I'm a high energy teacher and I'm taking organizing some cool projects. But I'm not emotionally exhausted by the pressure of test scores. I'm not overwhelmed by lesson plans and materials coordination. I'm spending my prep period frantically making adjustments without any time to reflect on how things are actually going. Things still go wrong. The internet went down. My printer still isn't working. I'm suddenly closed off to setting up student Google accounts. But I can handle these issues, because my flatline this year is different than last year. Between the change in the pace, the pressure and the curricular freedom, I feel like I can breathe. All of this changes the dynamics of my classroom. I haven't had raise my voice with my students, because I can plan lessons that are engaging and I can relax. The kids are excited about what they're doing, because I'm not trying to force a rigid curriculum map into a project-based format. I'm smiling. I'm calmer. I'm enjoying my job and the students are enjoying things as well. So, I have a lingering thought. People act as if doing "what's right for kids" means teachers have to be martyrs. Unions are demonized for protecting the rights of teachers. Prep periods are viewed as a luxury. Complaints about the pressure of high-stakes testing sound like whining. I get it. But here's the reality:  if teachers have respect and time and curricular freedom, then students will experience a better education. photo credit: Kalexanderson via photopin cc