Teaching evaluations have been called dog-and-pony shows for years. Those dog and pony shows may have masked unfortunate changes in the educational climate of our time. Yes, we always hyperplanned those short hours, with spiffy visuals, auditory back-up and manipulatives to sideswipe any kinesthetic learners who had somehow missed our point. We prepared sets of questions designed to demonstrate how cleverly we steered student conversation and how much our students were learning.
No one expected every day to be a dog-and-pony show, though. Most especially, the kids knew that most days were not going to include all pieces of the teaching puzzle, neatly bundled up for their entertainment. My post from two days ago captures a slice of today’s classroom life. Students expect classes to attempt to entertain them now. They expect the glitz and glamour of computers, games, and gallery walks through classrooms and hallways.
I remember three years ago when I had the temerity to suggest students make flash cards so they could work on their vocabulary together.
“MAKE FLASH CARDS?!?” The voices held disbelief.
Where was the spiffy computer program? If they had to use cards, where were their cards? Make cards? You would have thought I’d told them to clean the parking lot with toothbrushes. I ran into that roadblock every so often in the Spanish 1 class in question. Memorize lists of words? What??
“I am going to get Rosetta Stone this summer so I can learn Spanish,” one boy told me. He was pretty upset that after three months of Spanish, he could only say a few words and phrases. If he had done what I suggested, he might have known considerably more, but I doubt I could have satisfied that boy. He wanted it to be easy. He wanted it to be fast. He wanted to be regularly entertained. He did not want to work, however.
Eduhonesty: I am not against “engaging” lessons. I am not against trying to make learning fun. I love to try to make funny PowerPoints, actually, when I can get my laughs and still get my lesson across. I like games. I support using computer programs to reinforce learning — though, I think those programs are much less effective for introducing new material. But I am afraid the engagement pendulum may have swung too far. Learning cannot always be condensed into sound bites. Students should not feel they have a “right” not to be bored. When confronted with work, sometimes now I see students becoming petulant, sulky at the thought that they might have to give up their trip to the mall or evening’s texting and gaming to do homework. Disappointment would not bother me. I felt disappointed when my plans were interrupted as a kid, when I realized that I was going to be stuck doing math for an hour or more, and I am sure the teacher could see that on my face.
Those occasional expressions of petulance are another matter, however. Underneath some pouty faces, I can see entitlement peeking out. Students should not feel that their teacher owes them a good time in class or a free evening for gaming. Our students are taught early about rights, and by middle school many can advocate for their rights with passion and conviction. Where did so many of students get the idea that they have the right to be entertained, though, while not also understanding that they have a responsibility to learn new material — and that responsibility does not somehow vanish because the new material’s presentation does not meet student standards?
Again, we are failing to prepare some students for real life. When they get to college, that visiting professor from Korea may lecture nonstop, without stopping for a fun activity during the whole semester. When they find employment, they will not be able to skip taking inventory because they don’t like tedious, detail work, not if they want to keep their job or get ahead. They will find their taxes are not optional and whining won’t make their taxes easier. If they opt for the EZ form, they are likely to be giving away money, especially when they start to climb the economic ladder.
The unluckiest students will continue to do just well enough to keep their jobs, while whining their way out of possible promotional opportunities. They will sulk their way out of marriages when the going gets tough and then wonder why they are alone. They will walk through life with a vague sense of dissatisfaction, not realizing that the world does not owe them entertainment.