In the past few weeks, I’ve experienced the entire gambit of emotional endurance; often within the span of a few minutes while discussing only one issue. Concerns with many issues have had multiple levels and perspectives and my thoughts have been polarized.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, …”
Charles Dickens
While my quandaries pale in comparison to the turmoil Dickens wrote of between England and France during the year 1775, the month of May has left me with a somewhat deeper understanding of this age. In that setting, there was social upheaval and turmoil which eventually led to the French Revolution. I feel this fervent passion of revolution building now, not between social classes, but rather within our own individual senses and sensibilities.
This internal controversy, for me, is most prominently displayed with my impression of standardized assessments. State exams hold the promise of accountability and ensuring an equitable education for all, but conversely we have been experiencing the negative ramifications of this obsession with standardized tests, such as, stress, fatigue, burn-out, anxiety, etc. Included in my polarized version of today’s educational landscape is the anticipated rebirth of APPR. I’m excited about the potential but terrified of the effects if not properly done. To continue my dissection, Common Core standards are coming and they hold tremendous power to bring an equal education to all children, rich or poor, but are we taking state autonomy away by endorsing this? And, is this necessarily bad? My conflicted feelings aren’t diminished as I move towards more trivial pursuits. Has spring really been worth the wait? The sunshine that we have received only serves to bring light onto the destructive nature of floods. It’s certainly warmer out, finally, so now the black-flies are able to take flight. These, Tale of Two Perspectives, or conflicts, has also been in my mind as school districts look to dismiss many experienced teachers while recent graduates look to compete for nonexistent jobs. Will we lose valuable resources as teachers move away from education?
Recently, while attending an awards ceremony at SUNY Potsdam, which saw many of the newest members to the teaching profession receive recognition, our own Mr. Vroman delivered a stunning oration. One of his many jobs, most of which he volunteers for, is as the Vice-President of the Alumni Association at SUNY. In this capacity, he was to simply hand out the award for this semester’s outstanding student teacher. He completed this task, but not before conveying to the audience his version of these conflicting feelings. He spoke with sensitivity regarding the current job prospects. He affirmed many of these young teachers’ concerns. Then, he brought the ultimate message of what it means to be a teacher and why this noblest of professions is worth the endeavor. He spoke to the internal conflict these bright, new teachers were feeling and he pressed the message of what it truly means to be a teacher. I was awe-struck.
Pondering writings from notable authors holds much curiosity and interest to me. I’m fascinated with the perceptions of other people. I also enjoy reading quotes, famous speeches, and literary pieces; I always find relevance and comfort in their words. The words spoken by Mr. Vroman ranks among the highest-caliber of speeches penned. I found his presentation of the conflict all teachers experience extremely profound. His message touched everyone in the room and we were all better because of it.
A commentary on Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, stated this concerning the conflict experienced in 1775, “…turmoil leads to an awakening. Flowers bloom where before nothing could grow…” I suspect that my inner turmoil will continue to focus toward resolution through the crystal clear lens provided by Mr. Vroman.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, …”
Charles Dickens
While my quandaries pale in comparison to the turmoil Dickens wrote of between England and France during the year 1775, the month of May has left me with a somewhat deeper understanding of this age. In that setting, there was social upheaval and turmoil which eventually led to the French Revolution. I feel this fervent passion of revolution building now, not between social classes, but rather within our own individual senses and sensibilities.
This internal controversy, for me, is most prominently displayed with my impression of standardized assessments. State exams hold the promise of accountability and ensuring an equitable education for all, but conversely we have been experiencing the negative ramifications of this obsession with standardized tests, such as, stress, fatigue, burn-out, anxiety, etc. Included in my polarized version of today’s educational landscape is the anticipated rebirth of APPR. I’m excited about the potential but terrified of the effects if not properly done. To continue my dissection, Common Core standards are coming and they hold tremendous power to bring an equal education to all children, rich or poor, but are we taking state autonomy away by endorsing this? And, is this necessarily bad? My conflicted feelings aren’t diminished as I move towards more trivial pursuits. Has spring really been worth the wait? The sunshine that we have received only serves to bring light onto the destructive nature of floods. It’s certainly warmer out, finally, so now the black-flies are able to take flight. These, Tale of Two Perspectives, or conflicts, has also been in my mind as school districts look to dismiss many experienced teachers while recent graduates look to compete for nonexistent jobs. Will we lose valuable resources as teachers move away from education?
Recently, while attending an awards ceremony at SUNY Potsdam, which saw many of the newest members to the teaching profession receive recognition, our own Mr. Vroman delivered a stunning oration. One of his many jobs, most of which he volunteers for, is as the Vice-President of the Alumni Association at SUNY. In this capacity, he was to simply hand out the award for this semester’s outstanding student teacher. He completed this task, but not before conveying to the audience his version of these conflicting feelings. He spoke with sensitivity regarding the current job prospects. He affirmed many of these young teachers’ concerns. Then, he brought the ultimate message of what it means to be a teacher and why this noblest of professions is worth the endeavor. He spoke to the internal conflict these bright, new teachers were feeling and he pressed the message of what it truly means to be a teacher. I was awe-struck.
Pondering writings from notable authors holds much curiosity and interest to me. I’m fascinated with the perceptions of other people. I also enjoy reading quotes, famous speeches, and literary pieces; I always find relevance and comfort in their words. The words spoken by Mr. Vroman ranks among the highest-caliber of speeches penned. I found his presentation of the conflict all teachers experience extremely profound. His message touched everyone in the room and we were all better because of it.
A commentary on Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, stated this concerning the conflict experienced in 1775, “…turmoil leads to an awakening. Flowers bloom where before nothing could grow…” I suspect that my inner turmoil will continue to focus toward resolution through the crystal clear lens provided by Mr. Vroman.
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