The Relativity of Time

It has always amazed me how quickly my middle school students can ride an emotional roller coaster from high to low and back again.

--Best friends, worst enemies, and back to friends in the span of a few days.
--They're in love, out of love, and back again within weeks.
--You're their favorite teacher, you're the worst because you called them out on their poor behavior/choices, and by the end of the week, you're once again the best.

This strikes me as a very tiring way to live, but...
Over the last few years, I think I have come up with a explanation for this seemingly odd behavior, and it has helped me to be more understanding of the students in my room.

Basically, I believe, that students and adults experience time differently. Shocking, right?! Seriously though... I haven't run the math, but think about it. One week of time is a higher percentage of a 12 year-old's life than it is for a 30 year-old. Just as a week for that same 30 year-old is larger chunk of his/her life when compared to a 70 year-old. This has led me to construct a (very) rough conversion chart for how my students (12-13 year-old's) experience time compared to me (31 year-old).

The way I see it, one day for my students is equivalent to one week for me, and if they have to wait one week for something to arrive, it is similar to me waiting a month. This view has cleared up a lot of misconceptions that I have had in years past.

For example, I used to get frustrated when I gave an assignment weeks in advance and then watch them wait until the last few days to get it done. I now see that two weeks down the road is in the far distant future from their points-of-view. I also realized that I do the same in my life! While I don't necessarily wait until the deadline if I am given two months (teenage equivalent of two weeks) to get something done, I will usually gather information and then relax a few weeks before getting down to business.

Let that sink in for a bit, and you might come to understand that a kid's use of time, while sometimes confusing to someone older, is not them trying to be defiant or irritating on purpose, but just how they experience time during that stage of life.

Attack of the Tech!!!

It seems computer technology in the classroom has been the BIG push over the last few years around here. On the face of it, this idea sounds fine, but something about spending large amounts of money to snatch up the latest in technology has not sat well with me.

Don't get me wrong... I have seen some awesome things done with SmartBoards, iPads, and computers in many small remediation and special education clasrroms around the district, but the reality is that a majority of teachers have a 25+ to 1 teacher/student ratio.

For me, all these technological devices are tools that best used when applied to the situations that call for them. For example, hammers are great tools for putting nails into place, but they do not work so well when dealing with screws. Sure... it is possible to get that screw into the board, but wouldn't it have been easier to just grab a screwdriver? I think this is part of the problem with computers (laptops, desktops, and/or tablets) in the classroom. Too many times we throw out the traditional form of educating our kids (teacher/student relationship) in favor of a new way that depends heavily on technology (computer/student relationship). We have elevated computer technology from the status of mere tools to something almost human in intelligence.

We give extra value to computer technology because of this warped view, but I believe this shift is not beneficial in the long run and just adds to the cycle of American schools jumping from fad to fad. Let me try and explain.

--Computer technology is NO replacement for the work of a good teacher, especially in the K-3rd grade levels. No amount of computers can make up for a kid missing out on the basics of reading, writing, and math at such an early age. Instead of spending money on computers, shouldn't we FIRST focus on getting those basics taught and understood by our students? I think we could best accomplish this by hiring more K-3 grade teachers to get the teacher/student ratio down. As it is, ONE teacher successfully teaching 25+ lower elementary students to read, write, and do math is nothing short of a miracle! If you don't believe me, just try teaching anything to a room full of 7 year-old kids by yourself and see how it turns out. :)

--Speaking of large amounts of students... I have found that all this computer technology usually leads schools deeper into a money pit. As school districts struggle toward the goal of "a computer for each student," they usually rack up a hefty bill along the way. (Again, if computers were viewed as tools meant to be applied to the correct situation and NOT all of them, we wouldn't be fighting to buy so many.) Even when districts do reach this lofty goal, it is usually years down the road, and means that it is time to start buying replacements for the original, aging equipment. All of these purchases add up to big bucks that I cannot help but think could be better spent on hiring more teachers, especially at the elementary level.

--There has also been a lot said lately about preparing students for technology in the workplace. I think this idea has been a big reason behind the push for computer technology, but let's think about it for a second. How much computer technology is REALLY needed in most jobs? If you think it through honestly, you'll find that most jobs do not require much more than skills in word processing, internet navigation/research, and cable connections. For everything else, this is what the company's technology department is hired to accomplish. What about the jobs that DO require a high level of computing expertise? That training, more often than not, comes from post-high school classes or on the job training after being hired.

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That being said, I love computer technology and all the fancy devices that make my life easier and more entertaining, but when do we sit back and think hard about how these devices impact our students and if that is money well spent?
So you want to give my school money for an additional teacher OR computers for everyone?
I know which one I would choose every time!