A Stop Gap whilst I gather my thoughts!

I was visiting last night. A young teacher commented on the fact that in her school, the teachers did not make eye contact in the halls.

The matter of the teachers walking in the hallway not making eye contact triggered something in me. One has to be really careful about nostalgia…it creeps in and the realism is lost.

But I think the difference is in modern leadership models there seems to be a fear of sharing! Teachers should acknowledge each other in the hallways. That’s a model for students. As a staff we met often, squabbled often, disagreed often…but we felt valued…and we could laugh as I did last night at the differences.

Because of all the rules and paper work and whatever, administration doesn’t have time for the teachers and teachers have become the bottom feeders…

When I left teaching, I left because I could, because the stuff outside the classroom became too much to handle, because I had to a great extent lost my freedom…and my identity outside the classroom.

The students at John Rennie knew that although we had very different personalities and agendas, the staff knew and supported each other. We made eye contact in the halls no matter what! And we made eye contact with the students even if we didn’t know them…we were a part of the same community.