Reaction to a Portion of the Haberman Reading

The section of the Haberman reading that I was particularly drawn to dealt with the teacher education programs that prepare teachers. Haberman's main issue seemed to lie within the age group of students that are looking to become teachers. This was particularly disheartening as each of us, myself included, are within this early to mid twenties age bracket. It appears as though Haberman is setting us up for failure. I have to admit that I cringed a little while reading some of this. My frames of reference for wanting to teach stem from my own education and the teachers who taught me along the way. I guess I have hopes to "continue the legacy" and, at some point, I'd like to work in the high school I went to. But, this is not an immediate goal.

When I think about the roadblocks I will meet at the schools I was "schooled" in- I don't imagine that there will be too much difficulty. I grew up in Ramsey, a small, affluent suburb and the teachers all knew that and the occasional issues it could bring to the classroom. A lot of kids there had access to money and were reasonably bored- which led to a few rumors of drug use and drug problems. This wasn't an immediate issue for the teachers, but I'm sure they knew a lot of the "population" of students that they were serving. I remember a lot of these kids being lazy, not wanting to listen, not wanting to be preached too, and a occasionally, even rude. I have a problem with laziness and a problem with bad attitudes and a lack of respect. But it appears that, as an urban teacher, I would have to deal with the above issues and then some. While I always saw myself as giving back to my own community that gave so much to ME, I've never singled out urban communities as places I was unwilling to work in. This portion of Haberman's reading, at first, didn't give me much hope that I would be able to contribute there. It appears that if you're a creative teacher who cares about the population of students you are serving, then you can make an impact. I'm hoping that commitment and drive have something to do with success. Every area and every district, in my experience, seems to produce some sort of problem whether it's the bureaucracy Haberman described or endless paperwork and preparing for state tests.

Early on in my "quest" to teach, I interviewed at NYC Teaching Fellowship. It was an event that lasted from about 4pm to close to 11pm at night that included a model lesson and two interviews. I knew nothing about teaching, did not major in Education, and knew very little about modeling lessons. At the time, I was closer to the post-college age group that Haberman is describing- a twenty something struggling with self-identity and the "Will I"s and "Why"s of life. However, I fancy myself as more grown up than what's described in the reading. I think I've been through enough in my early twenties to set myself apart. Here's hoping. But, in terms of the teaching fellowship, I wasn't ready and my performance and my extreme nervousness at the interview proved that. While I used manipulatives in my lesson and sought the get the other participants posing as "children" involved in the lesson- I figured out that a 5 minute long lesson just isn't enough time to prove that you can serve populations of kids in high-need schools. Now I have a much better idea of what high need means and the type of commitment that those children need. I think that I can offer commitment and compassion, the other parts of the job will need to fall into place. I will have to admit that my parents didn't support my decision to interview for the fellowship. I will also have to admit that the fact that the program would pay for my Master's degree was a huge reason that I considered it. I was at odds with my mother about what the job would involve and whether or not I could do it. Even by eventually working as a paraprofessional/ teacher's aide in one of the most affluent towns in the entire country, I saw my fair share of emotional problems, almost all stemming from divorce and struggling to make ends meet afterwards. Even by living in a perfect town, you will imperfections and plenty of examples of "bad parenting." Teaching is an emotional field no matter where you go- but I wonder about my ability not to overly internalize all of it and still be able to do my job. However, Haberman makes it seem that we're doomed from the get-go by factors that are outside of control like life experience, age, ideals, and strength of character. It appears like the make of a good teacher was given an age bracket in the reading and, if you happen not to fit, you might as well just wait around until you do. This poses a difficulty for me as I want to work with middle school age- high school age children and occasionally wonder if I can hack it.

I found it interesting in the Haberman reading that the majority of students who graduate and are certified to teacher end up not pursuing classroom teaching. I know of a few- most of whom looked at their statuses as Education majors as reason to brag or to hang the fact that "no one knows how much work we have to do" over everyone's heads. Perhaps they are now scared of being unprepared for the work they originally wanted to do- as Haberman expressed. This is disconcerting now that I am in the position of staring down a career in education that I'm not entirely unprepared for, but there will be challenges around the corner. I'm worried about coming out of school with a Master's degree, but very little experience. I'm worried about appearing like a strong "fully qualified" candidate for populations of students that need help, guidance, and an education more than any other. The statistics for success are definitely disturbing and discouraging.

However, in closing, Haberman describes the following, "In our classroom observations of failing teachers we have never found an exception to this condition: if there is a disconnect between the teacher and the students no mentoring, coaching, workshop, or class on discipline and classroom management can provide the teacher with the magic to control children she/he does not genuinely respect and care about." So, perhaps, if a teacher connects with and cares for the students he or she is to teaching, that is one aspect that can cut through all the negative aspects. If you have passion for what you're doing, you can connect with the kids and shape their lives. Excuse my romanticized notion of teaching here, but I think there are people within the ill-prepared, early to mid twenties population that can do this. It's refreshing to read the above excerpt and know that maybe commitment is all it takes. Caring for all populations of children, including disadvantaged diverse children spoken about in the article, is half the battle.