Ribbons Don't Work. Knock It Off.

Just ran across my next post, already written!

My thanks to Beehive and Birdsnest for saving me the trouble of writing this next post. This goes out to all the policy analysts out there. Study this:

Red Ribbon Week: An Analysis

'nuff said.

Slap Butt Friday

(You don't even know he's looking. Then you're mad. You people sadden me.)

When I was in school, things were different. We grew up in a very rural part of America and in an area that was not interested in a cosmopolitan lifestyle. Remember happy days of playing “Smear the Queer” on the playground. Good times among us good Christian boys. Then there was that whole “monkey” thing.

It was a simple game, really. You walked up to an unsuspecting 3^rd or 4^th grader. You yelled, “Monkey!” and then smashed him in his genitals with your fist.

I know this.

I was the one who started it.

This became a popular game, and thus, a problem. We were all called down to the elementary school gymnasium. All boys in these two classes. All read the Riot Act. In fact, I learned something about male fertility and the threats that this game posed. The gym teacher was very angry about this problem. I was an innocent at this point, clueless as to what was going on. It was funny to me at the time. Then I was told it wasn’t funny. We stopped.

Fast forward about 40 years or something, now we’re dealing with 5^th graders. Someone suggests “Slap-Butt Friday.” This becomes a major issue. Nobody is making anybody sterile in this plan. But this becomes even more scary to the school.

If somebody slaps a butt, and that slap is unwanted, it becomes sexual harassment. Thus, the phenomenon of pre-teen on pre-teen violence? Seems like somebody slaps a butt, gets slapped in the face, end of game.

Not a chance. There were meetings. Meetings about meetings. Hand-wringing. Then a united front from teachers and staff: ZERO TOLERANCE OF 10 YEAR OLDS SLAPPING OTHER 10 YEAR OLD BUTTS. DO YOU HEAR THAT?

ZERO.

We can all sleep soundly. SBF never materialized, though I cannot imagine this being the incredible detriment that others saw it becoming. Where I guess I just saw a bunch of dopey kids joking around, it became fodder for lawsuits, labeled as potential sexual assault, prison time, and Rick Perry sticking a needle in somebody’s neck.

I’d call it an over-reaction, but I can’t. We live in a world where schools (and the teachers) are placed in the position of defendants-in-waiting. That’s too bad. I don’t know why I’m not in jail sometimes. I mean, 75 to 100 boys beating on each others’ testicles was a problem. SBF? That was just a petty issue that became way too big for no good reason.

Glad I don’t teach these days.

"Who Do You Think You Are?!"--Mom

I know this won't be a major publication on anyone's list, but it bothers me that this was even written, especially in 2011. Three authors are telling the higher education community to talk to each other. Worse. People see this as a new concept of sorts.

Unexpected Conversations

Thoughtful people write these blogs, and I often tell myself that these professors are in different buildings, that communication gets difficult.  Still, this kind of thing brings frustration: why is all of this new to academics? Simple, really. A total lack of respect for the "scholarship of teaching and learning" that comes from those that spend their time thinking about teaching and learning.

Once upon a time, professional development (for K-12) teachers was treated much the same way general instruction was treated for children. Teachers sat in a room. Some “expert,” be they a principal or a professor, told them how to teach better.

Somewhere along the line, a group was formed that saw teachers as professionals. And I'm not talking about the NEA.

It was the National Staff Development Council, now called Learning Forward—whatever that means. Decades of branding...gone. Nobody's perfect.

Their focus was on peer learning. Teachers need time to interact. Teachers need structured ways to learn from each other. This is a tough sell because the world is filled with teachers who think just like I did: PD is a day off if you...just...work...it...right. You do this; I'll do that. Great. Glad we learned something. See you tomorrow. Next time, let's have this 5-minute meeting at a bar.

That's why there needs to be a structure. Most schools get that, now. By schools, I mean the institutions that teach people under the age of 19. Unfortunately, the same research and innovation is not being pushed in the higher education ranks. People can have great ideas on their own, and other caring professors take the time to learn how to reach students. In fact, let's be honest: most do. The caricature of the absent-minded, smug college professor is just that. Nobody wants to be miserable in front of others for hours every week of years upon years. On top of that, most professors were inspired by other professors (or, dare I day it, public school teachers!). People want to bottle that and distribute it.

No, the point is that in a P-16 world, both sides need to learn from each other. If you are an education professor, and you are reading this, please note these three things:

1. You are spending your time wisely reading my blog!


2. You have a lot to learn from practitioners. A lot. I don't care how good you think you are any more than I care how good you really are. Any 3^rd grade teacher worth his weight in Dillo Dirt has a lot to offer you.


3. Anything that is actually new? Well, you will look long and hard to find more willing participants and partners in the discovery process. Oh, and they're smart people, too...generally speaking.

Those in higher education need to look at public schools as more than warehouses of children, sources for voluminous study subjects/data, and places to make a buck as “experts.” The fact is, P-12 has become much more aware of itself, and the lack of respect from colleges and universities...well, it's only hurting those showing the disrespect. It's time to bring "experts" on to the campus.