What’s Really New? I really wish I could go one month of the academic year without Morehead State doing something to undermine my job satisfaction, but that is not going to happen. I wish I could be allowed to just do my job without all the petty mind games and distractions. My students need me to be at the top of my game and for some reason my administration sees me (and my peers) as a problem rather than a solution. Actually, I know the reason. I’ve worked here too long. Never mind that my education and experience is drastically undervalued and allows me to better serve our students, all they apparently care about is hiring someone cheaper because we are all just cogs in the machine. Here’s hoping this cog can hold on for at least one more year.
What’s New? I am in my 23rd year of teaching at Morehead State and I have never felt less seen or less appreciated and considering the state of education and higher education in specific (as well as the roller coaster ride of working at this institution) that is saying a lot. The prevailing conditions prior to the start of this semester led me to think this might be my last year teaching, but after a good start to the semester with my students I started to think I could teach longer. While that is still true because I love teaching developing writers, I have never felt less seen or appreciated by my administration. I am an excellent teacher who works hard every week of the semester to support the success of my students as humans, critical thinkers, and writers. I build community with my students as we engage in authentic writing. I teach my students how to use their rhetorical skills to communicate effectively and craft writing projects that solve real problems in their world. Every semester I make writers out of students who feared/dreaded taking a required class and many of those writers find joy in that work, but because this essential work is not valued by my administration and/or because I am on the wrong team and/or I don’t practice enough self-censorship (apparently we will never know, which is all part of the insidious plan to destroy our morale) my outstanding contributions are overlooked. Once again I am given the same status as a clock watcher. Morehead State had one last chance to recognize me and couldn’t be bothered. I have never understood the quiet-quitting trend more. But as this blog is not about my personal journey but rather my journey as an educator I want to reflect on what this experience has taught me about teaching. First, the simple focus on each student as an individual that is only possible through reflection and ungrading is essential to student success. I have spent a career carefully crafting a reflective feedback loop that helps my students grow and helps me shape an effective learning experience for them. That experience is full of joy and positive experiences. But most important of all the goals of our work together are clear and meaningful. Our entire community engages in a discussion of the larger goals established by our institution and by me (the instructor) but individuals are expected to set their own goals within that context because I believe in centering the humanity of the individual students in my classroom. My teaching methods make it difficult to be a clock watcher in my classroom and I think that is the secret to my success, but I guess my administration will never know.
Original: This week I got a letter from my employer congratulating me on my 15 years of service and urging me to attend the public recognition ceremony. This letter angered me on several levels. First, there is the continual use of the “Ms” honorific rather than the “Dr” that I have earned. I don’t insist on the “Dr” from my church or my son’s school, but sheesh shouldn’t my employer recognize it? Second, I teach in Kentucky where the constant messaging that education and teachers are not valued is just a drain on my soul. A handshake, a photograph, and a gift card are not going to make up for this painful erosion of my self-worth. Third, and perhaps more important, while the letter gives a nod to my service and contributions to my employer I am equally sure that the goldbricks and clock watchers hired the same year received the same nod of approval which makes it devoid of all meaning. Never mind that I have brought in grant money that benefits university students, regional students, and regional teachers. No recognition of the many programs I started and continue to run that also benefit those same constituent groups. No awareness of the ways I continue to grow as a classroom teacher. No acknowledgement of the fact that I am grossly underpaid for both my education and the work that I do. {Deep breathing to lower blood pressure}
My response to this “recognition” served as an important reminder as we near the end of our school years and semesters. Empty recognition of “time served” can be harmful to morale for the reasons mentioned above even though many managers and administrators believe it can be a boost to morale. While this idea can have negative consequences for employee morale, it can be equally problematic in the classroom. We hope our students develop intrinsic motivation, but let’s be honest – humans also need extrinsic motivation. My reasons for developing programs and writing grants (as well as my ongoing quest to be the best teacher I can be) are because I care about this work and believe it is important – but that does not lessen my desire to see it recognized and or feel less resentful when it is ignored. I know I have often made the mistake of rewarding clock watching and task completion in my classes, but this experience has brought home to me why I need to do better in the future. I want to reward the journey and growth more than the final product, but it can be a tricky balance that can run aground on the same rocks as my employers service recognition program.
We need to think more about the ways we celebrate and recognize students who do more than punch the clock in our classroom – and in the process hopefully inspire the clock watchers to be more like these contributors. So much of our education system fosters the belief that seat time is all that matters. So what do you do in your class to foster student engagement and support intrinsic motivation and how do you avoid rewarding clock watching and task completion? One of my favorite ways to make sure the student efforts are rewarded is my use of merit badges awarded by their classmates. Quite simply: Badges help me, help us, celebrate what is going right in our classroom.
As I contemplate whether or not to RSVP to my service award ceremony, I will definitely put far more time and effort into thinking about the ways this experience can inspire me to be a better teacher. How do you foster student engagement and support intrinsic motivation? How do you avoid rewarding clock watching and task completion?
Photo by Denys Mikhalevych: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-with-clock-instead-of-head-and-measuring-tape-12534201/
