First Impressions

My cooperating school is a typical inner city comprehensive high school.When someone mentions “inner city,” it is usually followed up by stereotypes of gangs, drugs and weapons. This is a terrible misconception as most inner city high schools are fairly tame but exist under the threat of drugs and violence. Because of these threats, many schools must implement drastic security measures to protect students and faculty. You should not judge a school based on what type of security measures students must be subject to as they enter the school. Being a typical inner city school, my school must suffer through other hardships that might not be comparable to drugs and violence but can be extremely detrimental to the learning environment. Lack of funds, a dearth of willing young teachers, seemingly jaded administration and a large population of poor under educated students. I am confident that these problems all have a solution but politics inhibit any real reform (more on that later).

The last two days were a series of unfortunate events that reinforced my initial presumptions of what this experience was going to be like. Thursday was supposed to be my first official day of student teaching; however because of miscommunication between student teaching coordinators at Temple and administration at the school, I was unable to start. The school did not receive my background clearances that I submitted to Temple because Temple was a little behind on their paperwork. This may be a boring entry to read but I write it because it shows the significance of the bureaucratic nightmare public education seems to be. This not only happened on Thursday but also Monday as well. I would wake up at 5:30 AM, drive thirty minutes, and arrive at the school at 7:30 AM only to be promptly turned away at around 8:00 AM. Who's to blame?

Here are the different perspectives:

The assistant principle, in a very matter of fact manner (I am being nice), said that she could not allow me to be in the classroom with students if she did not see my clearances. These clearances are for criminal backgrounds and child abuse histories. She said that she doesn’t feel comfortable with me interacting with students.

The Temple coordinator said that he spoke with the assistant principal and assumed that everything was set. After I described my second attempt at entering the school, he informed me, with a profound Machiavellian style, that people with power tend to enjoy enforcing said power. It was weird.

The math coordinator at the school said that the assistant principal was “very anal.” The way I see it is that the AP likes to follow protocol. There were many students whose paperwork was being processed during the first few days. I am assuming at other schools the powers that be used a little reasoning and decided that if Temple considers these student teachers to be worth of placement then they probably do not have any problems with their clearances. You might think that being annoyed with the AP is justified by I have other…issues with her.

A question: What would your demeanor be like towards a student teacher coming to your school? One would think that one would be very open and adopt a very helpful or welcoming demeanor. One would think. However, this assistant principal was just a little bit intimidating and dare I say, cold. Not only did I feel awkward being in a new place, not knowing what the heck I was doing but my initial exchanges with this person left me with such apprehension for my placement. At no point was I welcomed or greeted in a congenial manner. Her first statement was that I was not allowed to be in a classroom with students. As other staff arrived that held some interest in my being there she continued to make me feel less and less comfortable. As I turned to leave, she beckoned to me with a warm “Oh and by the way…” Hopeful, I turned and faced this cuddly person as she finished her goodbye, “…welcome to (hope rises) the Philadelphia school system.” It’s a good sign when people are that forthright with their bitterness.

That was the first day. On Monday, I actually was able to speak at some length with the math coordinator at the school and get some idea of what I will be doing. My first impression of her was fairly easy to establish. I could tell that she was passionate about her job (at least some aspects) and that she was probably pretty good at it. But she did not try to hide any bitterness she has for the administration or any other teachers. In fact, she held no qualms for speaking negatively to me about other teachers.

While we were walking down the hallway after we first met, she asked me why I wanted to be a teacher. Her tone was not of curiosity but of sarcasm because of a discussion we were having about school bureaucracy and other nuisances teachers must endure. I am on a positivity kick lately so I tried to turn the negative conversation around. I responded with, “There is nothing I would rather be doing.” Now, in her defense, I want to make clear that she is very well meaning and one of the good guys in education but her immediate response was a bit disconcerting. I was bombarded with a loud bellowing laugh like I was the headliner for some twisted educational comedy show. Not knowing how to respond and being somewhat speechless, I looked down and waited for her to change the subject, however, she continued her laugh concurrently repeating, “Just wait.”

I wish I could say that that was the last of what seems to me to be incredibly inappropriate outbursts, but it was not. While we were in her office, we were exchanging some background information about ourselves. I shared with her that I was a former computer engineer graduating from Drexel in 2005. Her look of surprise wasn’t unlike the usual responses from people when I tell them about my academic transition. So she asked, “Why would you ever want to get out of computer engineering?” I am assuming that her question was in regard to the assumption that the technology field is relatively lucrative to education. I answered honestly, “We don’t need more engineers; we need teachers.” People sometimes mistake me for Robin Williams. That’s how funny I am. All that I can say is that she enjoyed that answer.

I believe that she really didn’t intend to mock me in any way. She probably thinks I am a typical “idealistic teacher” that once in a classroom, I am going to get run over by a truck. I am not saying she is wrong but one thing I constantly try to do is envision myself in the classroom while simultaneously remembering how I felt in the classroom as a student, when I felt my worst. I think this gives me a good benchmark on what to expect from myself and from the students. I would agree with her that I am very idealistic about education but my approach is about pragmatism. She did reminded of a goal I used to have: “Never lose your idealism because it is what made you into what you are.”