Classroom Teachers and Allies
I want to acknowledge my wonderful classroom teacher colleagues and remind them what a big difference they make in the world. As classroom teachers we do our best to think well about our students and their families and provide what they need. We make our struggling society more human.
With the collapse of capitalism, the climate crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers more often support families in ways other than teaching their children. Those of us whose students are studying at home are in weekly or often daily phone contact with their families—listening to them, building connection, and advocating for their needs.
As teachers we play a middle-class role. We teach students to be quiet, follow instructions, and compete. Our job is to produce compliant workers who feel powerless to change things or speak out, who put their own thinking aside for the values of the dominant society. We are also passionate allies to our students and their families. We constantly stand up to [confront and oppose] their oppression. We work hard in the face of our feelings of discouragement and powerlessness. We value our students’ brilliant minds and learn from them every day. And we work together to resist the pull to do it all on our own [alone]. We are amazing humans!
It is increasingly clear how essential teachers’ work is. There is not enough community support for parents and children in this harshly oppressive society, and we teachers are vital allies to parents and children, despite our role in perpetuating the oppressive society. I’m a single mom. I’ve gathered support from friends and family, but having people whose job is to think about my son has made an enormous difference (despite the contradictions and inadequacies of the institution).
Parents and teachers are important allies for each other. But teachers also need more allies. The allies in RC often struggle to stay in close with us and give us good attention as we discharge on our restimulations from work. They need to discharge on their own school experiences (as does everyone who has been to school). Many of the oppressions in society are installed and reinforced in schools. The resulting patterns hamper our rational thought. For example, we question our own good thinking and hold back from sharing it because we are afraid of making mistakes.
I challenge us all to do this work together. Classroom teachers, I encourage you to ask a close Co-Counsellor to be your ally.
Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of educational change
(Present Time 205, October 2021)