Well here's that other thing...

So, I am pleased to say that teaching has become somewhat of a quest for me, politically and intellectually. I am the students' advocate. I am mad about NCLB, the ardent focus of teaching for the test booklet, and Jeb Bush slamming down efforts to decrease class sizes, claiming that it doesn't help student achievement. Tell me, Jeb,  how on earth am I supposed to effectively teach 45 kids while only equipped with 33 computers because of tanking resource budgets, while helping out the learning-disabled students with IEPs, catering to individual learning styles, accommodating English Language Learners, helping people who have never used a computer before because they've never have one at home, all while cramming in all 90 billion mandated standards for that bubble sheet test?* How does all of that NOT hinder student achievement? I must be confused... Either you don't think these problems exist, or you think I'm superwoman. Tell me, please. Reality check: not everyone's sitting pretty at school or at home. Let's not forget that.

On a non-political note, I am also an advocate of creativity. One thing that drives me crazy is when students don't do their work because they claim to have no creativity. That is the greatest of all lies. Everyone is creative, no matter how strongly they might deny it. Creativity doesn’t just mean art. It’s a mental process. Creativity is problem solving. Problems aren’t always bad things, for example: What’s for dinner? How do I get from point A to point B? How do I approach this equation? How do I lead this group of people? Creativity is inventing. Creativity is imagining the unheard of, and doing it. As a future educator, I want every student in my classroom to find their personal flavor of creativity, and get them excited about expressing it. Creativity keeps this world moving forward. To deny creativity is to miss out on innovation. In leadership, in science, in art, and even in raising a family, creativity and innovation are needed. A future with stifled or unexplored creativity is a future that scares me. (Indulge me for a moment-- these standardized tests and NCLB mandates are killing creativity in academics, which incidentally, totally kills me.) Anyways, one day while feeling a little down about my future career, I stumbled across this Mormon Message on YouTube given by President Ucthdorf, or, the General Authority with the coolest hair I've ever seen:


I just love that. The message totally blew me away.

Well, I'm done stirring things up for a little while, maybe next time I'll blog about making cookies or something.

[RACHEL]

*Yes, this is for real, I am not being dramatic... OK, so maybe there aren't quite 90 billion standards... but the rest is legit. I get out of bed every morning at 5am so I can conquer that beast... and I love it.