Hello! I haven't written in this blog for awhile.
I've been highly anticipating the release of "Undercover High", being aired starting this month on A&E. Not only do I have multiple personal connections to the city and school, its also a subject very near and dear, and with much conflict in my heart: The current state of public education. I didn't realize the expansive emotional response I was going to have to it. Amusement, pride, screaming (my husband appeared TWICE in the opening credits), shock (but not surprise), and tears.
First of all, I was very nervous at how HP was going to be portrayed: how much of this was going to be fabricated. However, I was very pleased with the first episode.
My first concern was for the staff. We live in a world where teachers are often blamed for problems in school. I know, from first hand knowledge, that the HP staff, like other school's across America, is full of competent adults who truly care about students, and are working their tails off everyday at it. The show reinforced that. One point for Undercover High.
My second concern was for the students. HP has a history of getting the short end of the stick when it comes to positive press in Topeka. As a student from that city, I know it has been decades of false appearances. But, the show's first episode highlighted truly amazing kids, with a promise to see more in future episodes. I am excited about this. Another point for Undercover High.
My third concern was the spin they are going to take. It appears as if the show has put forth considerable effort to see the truth in these classrooms. But that's yet to be determined.
The conflict in my heart, which bubbled to the surface while watching, revolves around my decision to leave my classroom a few years ago. My life as a teacher was a constant emotional rollercoaster. Extreme highs and extreme lows. The truly amazing students and moments I shared with them fed me the precious nutrients I needed to get through another day. The stressful situations would send me home in great conflict and sometimes tears. There was rarely a day that I didn't see fireworks behind my eyeballs at an outrageous choice of a student that caused a problem in the classroom. There are so many hidden gems of kids that are overlooked because the riffraff of other students controlling the school. My biggest struggle was keeping myself separated from these stressful events and remembering that I'm the adult and they are a child needing the guidance of a caring adult to help them through this hard time of adolescence.
This first episode touched on many of the overwhelming obstacles I faced everyday.
1. Cell phones. OMG.
I'm so glad this is being addressed. I noticed a considerable change in student's willingness to learn about 5 years ago. This was around the time that every student started having a mobile device, with unlimited network access, in their hands. Coincidence? Teaching became that much more exhausting, because I had to entertain them, or endure the sighs and eyerolls and constant complaining from the general student population. But I will never be more entertaining than their mobile games and group chats. Additionally, the show talked about cell phone addiction. I have seen students get downright hostile over having access to their cell phone.
2. Noncompliance to simple expectations
There was the girl who said they aren't supposed to have cell phones in class and they do it anyway. They just don't care about the rules. The school I spend most of my time at, profanity, from my perception, has become such a large issue. They know they aren't supposed to talk like that in the classroom, but they do anyway. I heard a student defending his language by explaining that the young teachers don't mind when they cuss. This very well may be their perception, but many are just plain choosing not to comply. In fact, a student said to me just last week "Why should I change my language? It doesn't affect us. Its only affecting you." (*Fireworks behind the eyeballs*)
3. Disrespect, subtle and outright, towards adults
There's some uncomfortable footage of a teacher's classroom where the teacher is calmly trying to redirect student's attention to the lesson, away from their personal conversations and cell phones. The teacher made a sarcastic remark, and so a student fired one back. Shortly after, the student who was asked to turn down his music, and instead made it louder. There are some teachers (magicians, if you asked me) that can handle these situations with grace, humor, and expertise. Teachers who have THE THING. I was never that teacher. The murky waters of disengagement, apathy, and bad attitude stumped me every time.
4. Ruthlessness of students towards each other
On one hand, there were some truly heartwarming moments while the new students were making friends. Such wonderful kids at HP. Those hispanic girls looking out for each other and giving the new (undercover) students the lay of the land, made me feel encouraged by the existence of humanity in the world. But I'm also astounded every day how mean young people are to each other. The reveal of the group chat sexually objectifying the new girl was utterly shocking. Not at all surprising, though. In my job as piano accompanist, sometimes I feel a little like I'm undercover myself. I'm not a teacher, technically, and rarely do I assert myself as an authority figure. I tend to stay quiet and mind my own business at the piano. Students have said absurdly awful things within my earshot. Sometimes I speak up. Most of the time, I don't. Its a strange existence behind the piano sometimes.
The show also gave considerable effort, more so in the "extras" discussions with the psychologists, that what we saw at HP is happening in every school in America. Another point for Undercover High. Absolutely. As a staff member in a school 50 miles east, I can proclaim with utter assurance that this is happening EVERYWHERE. But I also think we would be lying to ourselves if we didn't acknowledge that these issues are happening at different degrees in different communities, and likely in connection to low SES classifications.
Despite the fact that this show is undoubtedly causing a distraction for the students, staff, and community of HP right now, I am optimistic about the conversations the show will create. I have been utterly obsessed with reading reactions and comments on social media. Some of them are short-sighted and hurtful. I hope this will serve as a wake up call to many, most of all students, parents and leaders in education.
No comments:
Post a Comment