Fighting the Good Fight

Today was rough for me. I spent time at the middle school I've been observing in with a 7th grade English class (on-level). I witnessed the teacher, on at least three occasions, insulting the intelligence of these kids. I was heartbroken on the drive up to QO after school let out. Sure, they may not be the most driven students in the school, but on-level students are NOT dumb. They need more structure and direction. They need someone to believe in them, someone to teach them good academic skills. It's a reoccurring trend in this school. "We can't take them to the computer lab because they misbehave." Result? None of them know how to write with a word processor, and are missing out on the fullness of an education that is rooted in multi-literacies.

Too many people are defining intelligence based on test scores. How can a number possibly give any idea of how smart you are? I am afraid that once I find myself in the classroom, I will warp into the type of teacher who treats her on-level students like crap. The hippies say fight the man. Looks like I'll be trying to do the same in the coming years.

Thank God for rehearsal though. Guard is always such a bright spot. One of the few left.