Guest Post: Nichole Berg. “Is this really all there is?”
As a teacher in this new political climate of school reform, teacher-bashing, high stakes testing, and arbitrary merit pay, I frequently find myself wondering, “Is this really all there is?
I mean, did I really spend all those years building my professional repertoire and meaningful relationships with kids just to have it all taken away and replaced with pacing guides and a barrage of initiatives and chores that occupy so much of my time that I have nothing left in the way of building a caring community with my students where they feel safe, appreciated and valued?
Did I choose the right field for my talents or would I be more effective elsewhere? For how much longer can I hold
I mean, did I really spend all those years building my professional repertoire and meaningful relationships with kids just to have it all taken away and replaced with pacing guides and a barrage of initiatives and chores that occupy so much of my time that I have nothing left in the way of building a caring community with my students where they feel safe, appreciated and valued?
Did I choose the right field for my talents or would I be more effective elsewhere? For how much longer can I hold
The School-to-Workforce Pipeline: At Least it isn’t Prison
Have you applied for a job online recently? I’m sure that at least some of the 12.3 million unemployed Americans have. Thank goodness for the Internet, right? Instead of “pounding the pavement,” as my mother used to call it, you can just click your way through a dozen job applications online each day. It sounds like a modern miracle. Forget about suiting up and trying to make too many first face-to-face impressions; now you can go on a 400-mile job search in your PJs.
Now, ask those online job seekers how many callbacks they’ve received after 50 applications. How about 100? Why is no one calling?
If you have ever applied for a retail, customer service, food service, or other “entry-level” position–and assuming you passed the pre-screen (age, right to work, high school education, etc)–you have had the experience of sitting through anywhere from 30 to 100 multiple-choice questions before you’re done. The introduction to the assessment tells you that they would like to ask you some questions that will better determine if you are a good
Now, ask those online job seekers how many callbacks they’ve received after 50 applications. How about 100? Why is no one calling?
If you have ever applied for a retail, customer service, food service, or other “entry-level” position–and assuming you passed the pre-screen (age, right to work, high school education, etc)–you have had the experience of sitting through anywhere from 30 to 100 multiple-choice questions before you’re done. The introduction to the assessment tells you that they would like to ask you some questions that will better determine if you are a good