"Can I warn next year's class about you?"

 Continuing my series on letters to my students which answer questions they have is today’s question, from my friend Adam*:

“Can I tell your class next year what it’s like in your class?”

It is the human condition to want to be liked.  Developmentally, children in elementary school want their teachers and parents to love them and approve of them.  In middle school and high school, we all want to be ‘popular.’  As adults, the approval of our peers and society helps drive how we act.  As a teacher?  I’m not sure how it is in other schools, but a team member and I had the following conversation last year:

Ms. S.: “Now that Penny’s gone, who’s going to be the ‘mean’ teacher?”

Mr. Lin:  “I want to be the mean teacher!”

Ms. S.:  “No!  I hope it’s me!”

In the world of education, the prophetic words of Nicolas Machiavelli ring true:

“It is better to be feared than loved”

I begin every year telling my students that 5^th grade will be the hardest year of their lives.  I tell them that I’m not here to be their friend; rather, my job is to make sure they are learning.  I let them know that it isn’t my job to get them to like me, and if it’s important to them for me to like them, they need to work harder than they ever have before.  To me, work habits are just as important as their performance at the elementary level, so for my students to earn an ‘A’, they need to not only show their mastery of material, but also show me their best effort.  On top of that, I expect my students to respect each other and learn to become good citizens.  Because of my standards, I tell them that I’ll be the meanest teacher that they have ever had.

If you’ve ever been in my classroom however, you might share the same sentiment as my student Kaylee*, who wrote at the end of the year,

“The first time I met you I thought you were mean and I didn’t think I could survive in your class.  But once I started to know you, I thought you were the best teacher! In the whole wide world!  Even though you could be mean sometimes, I know you were just trying to make us safe or look out for us.”

One of the greatest lessons I ever learned as a teacher was one that wasn’t even meant to be taught – it was a lesson by my friend Penny who told me that although she was tough, her kids knew that she loved them.  That’s what I want to be for my students – a teacher that is hard on them because I care.  I want them to know that I won’t give up on them, so they can’t give up on themselves either.  So… what do I write to my friend Adam, who I was hard on but who told me at the end of the year I was really nice?

Dear Adam,

            Thanks for your question!  I’m really glad that you want to tell future students what it will be like in my classroom.  What you tell them is up to you, but in doing so keep in mind what I’ve always told you:  with everything, honesty is the best answer.  If you’re honest with people, not only is it helpful to them but they will trust and respect the things you say.  And, just as importantly, you need to be honest with yourself – this will allow you to make better decisions in your life.

            Therefore, I fully endorse you being honest with future students.  You may surely tell them that I’m a tough, mean teacher who is always in a bad mood.  Let them know that they better work hard, or they need to beware of my whacking stick.  And, they should know that the 5^th grade will be the hardest year of their lives.  Please don’t lie to them and tell them I’m nice or that I’m a fun teacher.  If you do, the rigors of the 5^th grade might come as a shock to them, and I want my students to come into the year prepared to give their best effort.

            I hope you’re having a great summer!  It was great going for ice cream with you and Frankie* a few weeks ago.  I’m really proud of how much you were reading by the end of the year – those weren’t easy books either!  Keep me updated next year on how you are doing – if you keep up the hard work and get good grades, maybe we can go out for ice cream again.  Best of luck next year!

                                                                                                                Love,

                                                                                                                Mr. Lin

*Names Changed

"Mr. Lin, when are you going to get married?"

Continuing the series I’m doing on the letters I’m writing to my students, today’s question is from my student Alan*, who I wrote about earlier in the year:

“Mr. Lin, when are you going to be married? Or, do you have a girlfriend?”

Goodness, as if I don’t get enough of that from my parents,friends, and co-workers! Throw in the fact that it’s now wedding season and it seems as if I’m getting it from all sides. Don’t get me wrong… it’s not that I’m opposed to getting married. It’s just that finding a girlfriend is a process. And, the process of dating – as any single person in my age bracket can attest to – is daunting.

A Language Arts Lesson

When introducing vocabulary, teachers will often ask children to break down words into things that are familiar. Words often have prefixes, suffixes, or are compound words. For instance, the word ‘girlfriend’ is a compound word. If I were to teach the meaning of this word, it might go something like this:

Mr. Lin: “Class, what words do you recognize in this new word?”

Students A: “I see the word ‘girl’!”

Student B: “I see the word ‘friend’!”

Mr. Lin: “Great! Girlfriend is a compound word; we are combining the meanings of both words. So… what do you think the word ‘girlfriend’ means?”

In the world of education, this is called “Inquiry-based teaching”, and it allows children to determine for themselves the answers to questions, making things applicable and relevant for them by getting them to access their background knowledge in order to problem -solve. This isn’t a revelation; most of us learn and retain information better this way. Often however, children and adults alike come in with pre-conceived notions of things, and this might hinder our ability to learn and grow. Therein lays the problem when learning about what ‘girlfriend’ means.

A Compound Word

Ask any 5^th grader, and the words and phrases associated with ‘girlfriend’ are love, romance, kisses, holding hands, dates,and the like. These words come from their already-formed ideas of what the word means. However, when breaking down the word into its parts, here are Webster’s definitions:

girl – (noun) A single or married woman of any age

friend – (noun) One attached to another by affection or esteem

If you’re like me, you’re the same way as a 5^thgrader when thinking about what a girlfriend or boyfriend is. The thing is, I can recall the website of my best friend at his wedding in 2005 when he mentioned in their story that he was happy to be marrying his best friend – and clearly he meant his wife, and not me! I wonder… is that the missing component for many of us single folk when it comes to finding that person we want to spend the rest of our lives with? This makes me consider what the meaning of a good friend is…

On Friends

On my way back from a friend's wedding in New York last weekend, my time alone in the car allowed me to reflect on how fortunate I am to have incredible friends. Despite my many imperfections, I – like many of us I’m sure – have friends that would bend over backwards for me. They are there for me through thick and thin, treat me like family, and are loyal to a fault. And the thing is, it’s easy for me to act the same to them. We treat each other with honor and respect, easily putting the other person first simply because we want to – not because the other one did it first. Imagine if we treated our significant others in this way? This is not to say that we don’t fight with our friends. But it sure seems to be easier to let things go, and to forgive and be forgiven with them. In fact, I don' t think it would be presumptuous if I said that all of us keep a whole lot more of our friends than we do our girlfriend/boyfriends. Personally, my batting average with finding and keeping friends is darn near 1.000; with girlfriends it’s more like .000! Anyhow, on to my letter…

Dear Alan,

Thanks for your question! It’s always interesting to hear what my students are thinking. I recall when I was a student never knowing what my teachers’ personal lives were like, and I guess it’s only natural for the minds of my students to be curious about me, their teacher.

Even though students often think their teachers or parents know the answer to everything, we really don’t. After all, no one knows everything, and in fact I really respect people that admit when they don’t know something instead of pretending that they do. The key is to try and find out the answer if you don’t know! The question you asked me – “When are you going to get married” – is one of those things that I don’t know, unfortunately. In trying to find the answer, I probably need to first find the right person to marry, and learn how to be the right person for her as well. After all, getting married – and more importantly STAYING married – is not just a decision for one person.

Are you having a good summer? It’s been really hot – I hope you’ve been staying cool! It was really great watching you make progress this year in my class. I hope you work hard and continue to make progress next year in middle school! Come visit anytime – it’s always great for teachers to see what their former students are up to.

                                                                                                               Love,

                                                                                                               Mr. Lin

*Name changed

Questions from my students: Into the Mind of an 11 Year Old

Routine is what keeps kids sane… and teachers for that matter.  Kids don’t handle change well, and any teacher can attest to the insanity that follows a change in schedule.  As wonderful as it is to not have the stress of a curriculum to keep pace with, the end of the year can be a struggle because every day brings a different schedule.  Couple this with the excitement of the upcoming summer and a potential mini-Armageddon is brewing during the last week at your local elementary school.  Freedom is so close it is palatable… what kinds of creative activities could I, a notoriously uncreative person, come up with to ensure my students and I all get to the summer break unscathed?

Like any other teacher, all year my students have bombarded me with questions.  Don’t get me wrong; questions are great.  However, many questions are completely off topic and we would never get through everything we need to learn if I answered them all.  Plus, kids are naturally curious creatures and I’d prefer to keep the details of my usually boring life to myself.  Therefore, one of the activities I gave my students during the last week of school was the following prompt:

What questions do you have for Mr. Lin?  I will write you a letter over the summer and answer them for you.

I told them I would write them each a letter over the summer and try to answer their questions.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll share with you their questions. Then, I’ll share with you my letters as I do my best to answer their questions.  It should no doubt be a fascinating look into the mind of a child.  Today’s questions come from a student we’ll call Nicolas:

Mr. Lin, who is the fastest in your class?  Obviously it’s me, but still…

Who is your best student?

Don’t I look good in black and red?

Would I look good bald?

Would I be a good king for France?

Can you beat up Jackie Chan?

Wow, what an assortment of questions.  I didn't think the first question was actually a question, so I'm going to skip that one.  But let's see if I can answer the rest...

Dear Nicolas,

I hope you are having a great summer!  I really enjoyed having you in my class this past year.  At times, you were my best student.  I especially liked how you always had a great attitude, and one of your greatest characteristics is that you are your own person.  Not only did it not bother you when people laughed at anything you did or wore, but you relished it!  Your style is definitely one-of-a-kind, and anything you wore – whether black and red or not – was definitely ‘cool’.  Therefore, I’m sure that you’d look great bald!  Perhaps you should wait on that hair cut though; if  you’re still interested in joining the Marine Corps years from now, you’ll get a first hand look at what you’d look like since they shave the heads of every recruit in boot camp. 

Your last two questions reminded me of another reason I loved having you in my class – I never knew what kind of things would be running through your head!  While you do need to work on staying focused, your inquisitive nature is something that will serve to benefit you because I’ve always felt that great minds are always asking questions.  Since it takes great minds to lead countries, you can be a great leader if you work hard.  Unfortunately, I don’t think you can be the king of France because they no longer have a monarchy – which means France doesn’t have kings anymore.  As for whether or not I can beat up Jackie Chan, he seems like a pretty nice guy so I think I’d let him be.  Remember, fighting is a last resort – it takes more courage to talk things out than to fight.  

Thanks for the great questions, and I hope you’ll write me or drop in and let me know how you’re doing next year.  Best wishes next year in middle school!

                                                                                              Love,

                                                                                             Mr. Lin

Stay tuned for more letters. 1 down, 23 to go!

Happy Birthday, America!!!

On July 4^th, 1776 the 2^nd Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, officially severing ties with the British Empire.  Today, 236 years later, we all celebrate by taking the day to relax, barbeque with friends, and watch/set off fireworks to commemorate the event. 

 

One of the great parts of being a teacher is that I get to teach my students about our holidays and help them gain a greater understanding of why they are important.  For MLK day,we read and discussed Dr. King’s famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, and then tooklines that meant a lot to us to make poems from his great words.  For Veteran’s Day when I was student teaching, I wore my dress blues to school and talked to a rapt audience about what Veteran’s Day is and why we celebrate it.  However, Independence Day falls in the middle of summer so I don’t get to talk about this great holiday to my students. Do kids grow up thinking that is about cookouts and fireworks? 

As humans, it’s common for us to lose sight of the importance of events as we move further in time from them.  Easter and Christmas have become distortions of their original meanings, and I hope that Independence Day does not move in the same direction.  Today, I realize how spoiled I am that I get to experience the kind of freedom our forefathers fought for.  While I often don’t agree with our government, the very fact that I can openly disagree is because of the men that led our nation years ago, and those that currently lead it now. 

Thank you to the countless men and women that established our nation and continue to lead and protect us.  Happy Independence Day to all Americans!!!

My Year-end Bonus!

At the end of each year, teachers often get gifts and thank you notes from our students.  They are always precious, because the kids put a lot of thought in the words and gifts they get.  For instance, I've gotten several coffee cups (including one with a Steelers insignia), Butterfinger bars, a new water bottle (I'm always losing mine!), and words that are more valuable to me than any gift.  For instance,

"Thanks for teaching me.  Thank you for doing things that no other teacher would.  For example, you would let me tell jokes, and you would sometimes even let me ask you questions that had nothing to do with the subject.  You really knew me, and you also made me a better writer.  Thank you, Mr. Lin.  I will always remember you!"

Inside the card, there was a gift card to Target, because

"My aunt is a teacher, so I asked her what the best gift for a teacher is.  She said, 'a Target gift card."

No, sir - the best gift I could get were the words put on that card.  My year-end bonus each year is priceless!  

Girls (and Boys) Gone Wild - Part II

“Mr. Lin, I know someone who didn’t have to follow any rules.  That person is Jesus Christ.”

I had been praying for opportunities to talk about my faith, but didn’t imagine it would be in this setting – in front of the entire 5^th grade in the middle of discussing the students’ behavior over the last few weeks of their elementary school careers.  So many times in my past I had let these chances pass me by because of worry about people’s perceptions of me and doubt in what I would say.  I was now worried about my job, since this was a public school setting.  At the same time, I was determined not to let the harbinger of my previous inaction win out this time.  Would I be able to successfully answer this question in a way that would not endanger my job security?

“I’m glad you brought that up.  From a Christian perspective – and I’m a Christian – Jesus Christ DID have to follow rules.  If you would like to hear my reason, you can stay here.  If not, you are free to go back to your homerooms.”

(some students go back to their rooms; the majority stay to hear my response)

“Christians believe that Jesus came to save all of us humans from our sins.  The consequence of our sins is…”

Hmm, how do I put this?  ‘Hell’ is something I was pretty sure I shouldn’t be saying in school.

 “…to go somewhere we really don’t want to go after we die.  Everyone understand?” 

(laughter from my students, who are hanging on my every word with rapt attention)

“Now, we all have different beliefs.  However, Christians – and me – believe that Jesus changed places with us and died in a very painful way so we wouldn’t have to experience that sort of pain.  Christians believe that this was His mission on Earth.”

“If you aren’t a Christian, you believe that Jesus was just any human, and all humans are required to follow rules so He’d be the same as the rest of us in that way.  However, if you’re a Christian, you can see that Jesus had to follow rules because before He died, He prayed to God, asking if there was any other way to complete his job here on Earth*.  In other words, he was following directions!”

As I dismissed the students to their respective classrooms, I was no longer worried about my job – God had not only given me the courage to speak, but also put words in my mouth that I am confident do not place my job at risk.  Instead, I found myself hoping that I was able to show that all people – even deity in earthly form – have rules to follow.  And, I hoped I responded in a way that was represented my faith well.  After all, as a Christian, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making an appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:20a)

Thank you, God, for answering my prayer for opportunity - even if it wasn't in a way that I expected.  I hope those that know me see me as a good reflection of You, despite my many imperfections.

*Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch^[d] with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”  ~ Matthew 26: 36-42

Girls (and Boys) Gone Wild!!!

Today’s Haiku:

 

Family Life Metaphysics

FLE Tangent

Far Beyond Reproduction

What would Jesus Do?

Summer is just around the corner, and in elementary schools across America right now, the same thing is happening: the kids have lost their minds.  This is especially true in the 5^th grade at my school, where the students are about the complete their elementary school careers.

Fellow 5^th grade teacher:  “Mr. Lin, are your kids acting crazy also?”

Mr. Lin:  “Whew, I thought it might have been just my kids.  Yeah, they’re insane right now. It’s like they’ve forgotten how to listen to directions.”

Yes, it was time to have a discussion with the kids.  No, not just my kids; all 96 5^th graders at my elementary school needed a talking to.  They needed to understand they had to pass the most important SOL they would ever take: the “Following Directions” SOL.  At lunch on Friday, we made a team decision to gather the students together so we could all make it through the last few days of school while accomplishing all we needed to get done… and, just as importantly, keeping all of our respective sanities intact.

Student A (calling out):  “Why are we here?”

Student B: “Yeah, are we in trouble?”

Student C: “Are we having Family Life?”

Since we had been separating the boys and girls for FLE, a buzz went through the crowd.

Mr. Lin:  “Yup, we’re having Family Life right now.”

Student D: “WHAT?!”

Student E, F, and G (together): “AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”

Mr. Lin (holding up hand to silent the raucous crowd): “We’ve discussed this before; here at our school, we’re a family.  And, we’re doing life together.  So yes, we’re having a Family Life discussion right now.”

We began on to discuss our various roles – teacher, student, adult, and child.  In the end, the teachers broke down the expectations:  as students, they are expected to be able to follow directions that are there to protect them and help them achieve their goals. 

Mr. Lin:  “Following directions is the easiest – and most important – SOL that you will take in your lives.  It’s a skill that you will utilize every day of your lives, no matter who you are.  Take a moment and think; who doesn’t have to follow rules?”

Dozens of hands went up, and with each person they named, the students received a greater understanding that no person is exempt from following directions.  One by one they began to realize that all of us – even the President – had rules to follow.  Then, a clever student brought up a person who caused me to consider how I would answer for a moment.  Not because I didn’t have an answer; rather, it was because I wanted to be careful about how I would answer him without jeopardizing my career in public education:

“Mr. Lin, I know someone who didn’t have to follow any rules.  That person is Jesus Christ.”

In a moment that seemed like eternity in my head, I considered how to answer this question, or even if I should.  Should meet this head on, or should I run from this divine appointment?  

“The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” – Proverbs 28:1

To be continued…

Sex is a Pair of Ducks

Paradox: any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature

The Question

“If two babies have sex, will they make a mini-baby?”

Fact: This was an actual question I received when teaching Family Life yesterday. 
Fact: Teachers across America probably have thought this same thought at one time or another:

“Whoa, these kids know WAYYY too much about sex.”

But is this really true?

The Future

According to the older generations in any generation, our country’s moral fiber has been going down the tubes since the beginning of time.  It’s as if pre-marital sex, drugs, and STDs didn’t exist in each previous generation.  Clearly this isn’t true… and it’s not as if these things are far more rampant in this day and age.  What IS true is the greater acceptance of sex.  Also, it’s far easier for us – children and adults alike – to access media containing sexual content and images.  I mean, turn on a TV and most likely you’ll see an advertisement or situation in a show that contains sexual innuendo or clothing that reveals more than what you would be acceptable in a professional work environment.

The Paradox

Since kids are exposed to sex so early, most know far too much about sex.  However, any teacher that has taught Sex Ed will tell you that these same children really know very little.  As much as adults constantly think that our future generation is in trouble because of what the media deems to be morally acceptable, we are letting our children get the vast majority of their information about sex through this very source.  Parents don’t teach their kids about sex, and for the small minority that do, it probably isn’t talked about in the detail that it should.  As a result, kids see sex through the media, and for a few hours per week they only learn about the joys and glamour of sex, not about the responsibilities and the dangers.  In other words, they know too much, yet far too little.  As a teacher, I see this with ease through their questions.  Questions like,

 

 "Why do people make noise during sex?  Does it hurt?"

“How long do you have to have sex for to get a girl pregnant?”

and,

“How do condoms work?”

                         

The Haikus

Today’s entries all reflect the knowledge that kids actually have on the subject of sex.  Thanks to those that submitted – even the ones that I didn’t publish.  Keep ‘em coming!

Paradox

Paradoxical

Kids today know far too much

Yet know too little

Perfectly Imperfect

How do condoms work?

Like Mutumbo blocking shots:

Great, not perfect D

Version 2.0

What about the stork?

I liked that version better.

It’s way less messy

If and when I become a parent, I hope I will have the courage to talk to my kids openly about sex. Hopefully these conversations will happen regularly, because 15 minutes of discussion cannot possibly protect them from hours upon hours of the world’s influence.

When Sex and Poetry Mix

The time of the year after SOL testing is a fantastic time of year.  Kids are free to be kids, and teachers and students alike can turn their attention to more interesting matters, such as poetry and everyone’s favorite subject… Family Life Education!  In the spirit of cross-curricular learning, perhaps some poetry ABOUT F.L.E. is in order.  Today’s style is the Haiku:

Sex Ed. 101

Penis, Vagina

Together makes a baby

Sex Ed lesson, done.

 Questions

F.L.E. Question:

Can a vagina clog up?

Just the iceberg's tip

Hear and Repeat

What does a child hear?

“Testes produce semen,” yet

Mom, I learned 'bout balls

Submit your own entries at johnnyteacherblog.gmail.com!  I’ll post as many as I can as long as they are (mostly) appropriate. 

News Flash: Students S.O.L. in Virginia

Isn't it Ironic (non-Alanis Morrissette version)

Irony – the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning.

I was sitting in my small group (a group of guys from church) last week and I asked my buddies to pray for my students because they would be taking the S.O.L. tests in the upcoming days. While I was going over specifics of what to pray for, my buddy stopped me in the middle of a sentence.

“SOLs? That’s a pretty interesting name for the test. What exactly does that stand for?”

For those of you that don’t know, the SOLs are Virginia’s Standards of Learning. They are the state’s version of standardized testing for students from 3^rd grade until 12^thgrade. It is meant to give us a tangible and effective way of evaluating students, teachers and schools so that Virginia – and, as an extension, our nation – makes adequate progress. I'd say it's pretty ironic we named these tests "S.O.L."

I believe in standardized testing like I believe in Satan –it’s the cause of everything evil. As humans, we are S.O.L. with the existence of evil, and as teachers we are S.O.L.with the existence of standardized tests. OK, maybe I’m exaggerating just a bit. I don’t argue that standardized tests have a place in our educational system. They give us a quantitative means to look at students and monitor them. They can help us understand deficiencies and strengths as well as individual areas to work on with individual students. However, where I am not in agreement is the extent to which we rely on testing to determine the success of a school, the abilities of a teacher, or the comprehension of a child. In today’s educational world, pass rates are the be all and end all. Students look at year-end testing as the most important day of the year. Parents look at testing data to determine if a school is good or not. Teachers pray for high scores to ensure job security. Administrators look at scores to determine the effectiveness of a teacher. Superintendents look at pass rates to see if a school is making enough progress each year.

Uniquely and Wonderfully Made

Children – like all of us – are each intricately woven beings who are uniquely and wonderfully made. Shouldn’t they be assessed as a sum product of the parts, not just a snapshot of what they know? Any teacher worth their weight will tell you that standardized tests only give you only a small glimpse of what a student knows. In other words, standardized tests don’t accurately measure the progress of a child, nor does it show us their reasoning skills and thought process – the very aspect of humanity that sets us apart from the rest of the living world. Only individual teachers – those who work day in and day out with these precious children – can measure these things with any level of accuracy. Besides, test data never accounts for test anxiety, good days and bad days, or for good and bad testing environments. Personally, I’ve had students who have barely passed – or even failed – the math SOL who I know have a far superior understanding of math concepts and can apply these skills in new ways than students who have passed with flying colors. This begs the question,

“If working with a child regularly is the best way to understand and gauge their development, why is our judgment of students, teachers, and schools based almost exclusively on standardized test data?”

The optimistic answer is,

“Testing data is the one constant that all schools have.”

The pessimistic answer is,

“Those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach.”

This infers that teachers are barely capable people; therefore they can’t be trusted to assess children. Whichever camp you are in, all of our opinions are based on data which gives us a picture that is blurry at best. Shouldn’t we be relying on multiple sources of data when it comes to our children?

An Unlikely Source

Entertainment, competition, excitement… there is a lot to like about professional sports. Perhaps one additional thing we can admire about sports teams is the way they evaluate players when they are looking to graduate from the ranks of amateur athletics to being paid professionals. Perhaps it’s because there is so much money at stake when it comes to the industry, but pro sports take every measure possible not to make mistakes when deciding what players they should pick to be on their teams. Multiple people go and watch them perform live to get as many different opinions as possible. Then, separate people watch these same performances on film. They pause, rewind, and fast forward so they can see – frame by frame –every aspect of the subject’s performance. Throw in a battery of intellectual, physical, and psychological tests and you’re still missing a crucial element: what family, friends, and coaches say about the player.

The organizations that spend the most time and effort evaluating human beings include the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and FIFA. They have the evaluation of human beings down to a science because they are multi-billion dollar industries and there is a lot riding on their ability to judge people. When there is a lot at stake, many forms of evaluation are utilized, and the subjective opinions of experts are taken into account in order to form an opinion on a person that is as accurate as possible. I applaud these organizations for the effort they make to truly gauge an individual.

There is much more at stake when it comes to education than entertainment, excitement, and wealth. Not only is the future of our children at stake, but in their hands is also the future of our country, our world. But, because we can’t quantify the importance and value of education with dollars, instead we have turned to standardized testing as the be all and end all and minimize the importance of all other aspects of assessing children, teachers and schools. In the end, not only are the students S.O.L., but all of us are also – children, adults, teachers, parents, and Americans alike.