Quotes from my book, The Hawkins Model©: Education Reimagined, One Success at a Time,
This education model is being offered as a gift to our nation’s teachers.
The professional men and women who preside over our nation’s classrooms perform one of the most important and difficult jobs in all of society and yet are rarely given the respect and appreciation they deserve. As discouraging as that lack of appreciation may be, it is aggravated by the unwillingness of the American people to give them the compensation teaching should command.
Teaching is not easy, and certainly not a job just anyone can do. For those Americans who would dispute that assertion, I encourage citizens to sign up to work as a substitute teacher in their communities’ classrooms. From my own experience, I can assure you within the first week these men and women will have a keen appreciation of the challenges with which these dedicated professionals must deal.
You will also get a sense of the injustice teachers feel when they are blamed for the problems in our schools. The reality is teachers are victims of a flawed education process every bit as much as are their students.
This article will be the first of a series of posts on this blog, sharing quotes from my book; quotes that reflect this author’s respect and appreciation of teachers. On the banner at the top of my landing page, you will find tabs that will also take you to “The first 20 pages” of the book, an author bio, and a synopsis.
I am soliciting volunteers to provide me with a pre-publication review of the book to aid in solicitation of a literary agent.
Thank you in advance for any help you might be able to provide. At the very least, share this message with your colleagues and friends and become an advocate for the implementation of The Hawkins Model© in the K to 2 classrooms of a handful of the tens of thousands of struggling elementary schools in which less than twenty percent of students are meeting academic expectations.
It is only through the positive advocacy for an innovative solution, on the part of teachers, their unions, and associations that will bring about changes that will transform education and restore respect for our teachers.
One last thought to consider. Many educators think “public education” is better than it has ever been. Just because something is better than it has ever been does not mean it is good enough or will work for every student. Both our nation and its children need an education model designed to adapt to a rapidly changing world and to empower teachers to teach and students to learn.
The quotes will appear in the order in which they can be found in the book.
“Our premise is, over the last half century or more, the education process at work in our nation’s classrooms has grown dysfunctional and impedes rather than supports the work of teachers and students.”
“At the outset, I want to make my view of teachers clear. Our nation’s professional teachers are not the reason for the problems in education in the U.S. or why so many of our children struggle to achieve academic success.”
“Teachers are unsung American heroes who deserve our support and admiration for the essential work they do for our children.”
“Our teachers are as victims of our flawed education process as are their students.”
“Let it be known that teachers are the glue that holds a flawed education process together. All the good things that have happened to our students throughout the past several decades are because of the dedicated effort of these professional men and women.”
“The best way to illustrate what we must fix is to examine the challenges teachers face in their classrooms, daily, as this is the most powerful evidence of the inefficacy of the education process with which teachers and their students must deal.”
“In addition to being the most compelling evidence of the inefficacy of the American education process, what teachers see in their classrooms, provides a blueprint for transformation.”
“No one can truly understand what goes on in our nation’s classrooms unless they have done their time—having spent time in one. Those who have not spent time in the classroom do not see the dedication and commitment of teachers, nor do they see the frustration these professionals feel when they are swimming against the currents of 21st Century life.”
“Teachers know the education process is dysfunctional every time they see the cavernous disparity in the levels of academic preparedness and emotional development of students as they arrive for their first day of kindergarten.”
“Teachers know the process is inadequate when there is no meaningful strategy to acclimate their students to what, for many, can be a frightening new world at one of the most vulnerable periods in their young lives.”
“They [teachers] know they have little opportunity to give students the time and attention they need, and that developing nurturing relationships with their students, while at or near the top of their priority list, is one of too many priorities with too many students with more needs with which any one teacher can be expected to deal.”