Sometimes, when you are a classroom teacher, your administration comes up with an idea that you cannot support. It isn't a bad idea- but it goes against everything you believe about how students learn. So, when that happens, lots of your colleagues will say they agree with you, but they will still go along with what the administrator wants to do. They aren't bad either, and many have some very valid reasons why they won't speak out. But when you are the only one to stand up and say, "I can't support this because..." it is really fucking lonely.
That's it. That's the blog post. Standing up for what you believe in in education can be very lonely.
Lonely as you walk back to your room and sometimes say, "Is it just me? What the hell? Do they forget about what it feels like to be a child? But then I have to remember . . . they do have their reasons, their whys. Going agains the grain or petting the hide backwards, you just feel and see where things don't match up. I wish I could get clearer at expressing my views in real time. Reflection helps me but I need to speak up more.
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