More Positive Noise
Thank you, teachers!
Recently, I read an article by NPR discussing the results of a poll of parents and guardians addressing their experiences with the schools their minor children attend. Specifically, I was struck by the finding that approximately 80% of those polled were satisfied with the schools. (Read Here)
Hmm. Funny, that. Because it seems like all I hear about lately is how terrible public schools and teachers are. Heck, I even started a movement to help support and encourage teachers!
Wait, does this mean…can it be…did the purple signs fix education? Pack it up folks, our work here is done.
Unfortunately, I’m kidding. On the plus side, though, the first half of my hypothesis, the hypothesis that started me on the road to Strong Schools Movement, was confirmed — more parents are content and supportive of teachers. The discontented voices that we are hearing seem to represent a vocal minority.
That’s the catch: when 20% of the community is vocally negative, and the other 80% stays contentedly silent, the rhetoric of the minority takes over. It overwhelms. It’s the primary voice at the microphone, and boy-oh-boy does it get a lot of coverage.
That rhetoric spreads. Teachers, already overburdened and under-supported, feel the constant stress from all sides: parents…administrators…the community, all playing on their deepest insecurities, forcing them to jump through impossible and often contradictory hoops to prove their worth, all while trying to do the actual job of teaching our children.
Where does that leave the rest of us? If 80% of the community is largely content with our teachers and schools, where is the positive narrative? Where is the cheering squad? Did someone forget to turn on the other mic?
This is where the second half of my hypothesis comes in: I believe that right now, positivity is lacking momentum. We’re all coming out of a couple rotten years and we’re tired. More than that, we feel the discomfort of things being different than they were before. Growth isn’t comfortable. We don’t know where to start. We don’t know how to make things better. It seems too overwhelming.
Today is the first day of Teacher Appreciation Week. Here’s my proposal: let’s approach this week as the first step to making our teachers feel encouraged all year long. We can use this week, while PTOs, administrators and outside groups are working to organize events celebrating teachers, as a sling shot towards positivity. Yard signs and posters and goodies in break rooms are fun treats, and I know, absolutely, that the teachers appreciate those efforts. Now let’s set our bar a little higher and resolve to show support in small, meaningful ways throughout the year. Not every day has to be a luncheon-and-serenade. Even a sweet and simple note can start the tide turning on morale. Let’s share easy ways, small ways, that we can boost the spirits of our teachers and school staff past the first week of May.
Let’s resolve to make more positive noise beyond this week. Our teachers deserve it.
