This seems to be a terrible marketplace in which to try to get a job as a teacher. Literally every school district in the USA is trying to make ends meet, and this often results in paring away some fat (as a means to save the ‘meat, and bone’ from these cuts…). In some previous posts I discussed the idea of trying to quantify what is truly important for students to know when they graduate. This usually necessitates a hard focus upon the knowledge and skills which would directly result the student in question:
(a) getting into the college of their choice,
(b) getting a job (a job that is worth the effort…).
Consequently, there is a big focus upon and overwhelming support for classes which have quantifiable results regarding these outcomes. BUT… there are other things of great value which we can teach students, things which might not help them get the job, but which might give them reason to have a job.
In the age of school curriculum cuts, the first’ head on the chopping block’ would be arts and aesthetics classes (you know: drama, theater, fine arts, studio arts, orchestra, band, choir, etc.). Second on this chopping block usually come to extra-curricular activities and even into the range of athletics. High school (and to a great degree middle school) can be seen as a laboratory for students to experiment with socialization, and this is, I think, a valid proposition. While literally every student in involved in the education which takes place in the hallways, there are some other means for students to experiment with, such as: extra-curricular activities, athletics, and aesthetics.
If you consider what we are supposedly trying to do by educating our children, you would think that giving them a reason to understand the deeper aspects of our culture, to develop their own deep connections, and to learn how and why these things have value would be placed very high on any list of what is important to teach. Ironically, it is these classes and activities which are culled first, and are traditionally given short shrift for all kinds of reasons…
Of course, I have quite a few questions to ask regarding this topic! For instance, while examining this idea in this broad a sense, is there a real value in exposing students to some of these ideas? Is there real value in becoming ‘cultured’? This also implies that there may be more of value to examine than merely becoming adept at the popular forms of art and entertainment. To me, as a history teacher, it seems quite self evident that any culture needs to have some bit of continuity, and to throw much of the works of our forbearers is a tragedy.
While I think that there are plenty of very good arguments to be made as to why there should be opportunities for organized athletics in almost every students life (e.g. it builds team work, leadership, poise, magnanimity, dignity and even ‘class’…). I also think that taking the time to understand…let’s say…Shakespeare’s Hamlet results in greater intellectual depth, complexity, and that the opportunity to have aesthetic experiences gives a deeper sense of how to answer some of the big (e.g. freshman philosophy class) questions in life.
I don’t see why these experiences are considered to be less important than ‘regular’ classes…
