Recently I was privileged to visit two high schools and to take part in their daily schedule as a substitute teacher. This was my first time venturing back into secondary classrooms since retiring from the public school system in 2003, and these visits occurred within two days of each other. My only objective here is to share my experiences in both places without offering any evaluations of either. Both schools are supported by taxpayer dollars, so we all have a stake in both. As aging citizens, we have a greater stake in that our futures and grandchildren's futures are in the hands of the students there.
Both schools in the words of Hemingway were "clean well lighted places." In fact one was much brighter and lighter than I had ever seen it with murals on the walls that were not there the last time I walked those halls. Both places were about the business of learning, lively places with the laughter and sound of young people being young. But there were some differences.
In the first school I entered early on a Monday morning, students were everywhere. Small groups were bunched together in a large open area and even more filled the halls on their way to class or wherever. There was noise, but it was a pleasant noise of friends greeting each other and laughter. I simply walked in a front door and up to a counter. I told the lady behind the counter why I was there, and she directed me to the sign in pad. I was told where my classroom was, and two passing students happily lead me to the room. The door was unlocked, the plans were laid out on the desk, and the bell rang beginning the day.
On Wednesday morning in the second school I had a bit different experience. I first had to find an unlocked door to enter the building, usually I found you have to be buzzed in. Then I entered an office area after passing through completely empty halls. I know kids were somewhere in designated areas,but I saw none of them. Then I had to stand in front of a computer,enter my name, and have my picture taken. Then the machine spit out a poor likeness of me I had to wear stuck to my chest all day. Next I had to surrender a key in my case my car keys in order to pick up the key for the classroom I would be working in that day. Un
Both schools in the words of Hemingway were "clean well lighted places." In fact one was much brighter and lighter than I had ever seen it with murals on the walls that were not there the last time I walked those halls. Both places were about the business of learning, lively places with the laughter and sound of young people being young. But there were some differences.
In the first school I entered early on a Monday morning, students were everywhere. Small groups were bunched together in a large open area and even more filled the halls on their way to class or wherever. There was noise, but it was a pleasant noise of friends greeting each other and laughter. I simply walked in a front door and up to a counter. I told the lady behind the counter why I was there, and she directed me to the sign in pad. I was told where my classroom was, and two passing students happily lead me to the room. The door was unlocked, the plans were laid out on the desk, and the bell rang beginning the day.
On Wednesday morning in the second school I had a bit different experience. I first had to find an unlocked door to enter the building, usually I found you have to be buzzed in. Then I entered an office area after passing through completely empty halls. I know kids were somewhere in designated areas,but I saw none of them. Then I had to stand in front of a computer,enter my name, and have my picture taken. Then the machine spit out a poor likeness of me I had to wear stuck to my chest all day. Next I had to surrender a key in my case my car keys in order to pick up the key for the classroom I would be working in that day. Un