I wonder what Eleanor Roosevelt would think of the current state of education in the United States. From 1927 – 1938, she was a co-owner and teacher at the Todhunter School for Girls in New York City, where she taught courses in English and history. (The school later merged with the Dalton School.) From what I read online about her work there, she strived to develop her students’ critical thinking skills. I was not aware that Eleanor Roosevelt had been a teacher and I highly doubt she would have been a fan of standardized testing.
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| Eleanor Roosevelt; source: NARA |
As
a historically feminine occupation in the U.S., it is therefore not
surprising that the profession suffers from low esteem by the public.
What is more surprising, however, is that teachers themselves buy into
that perception. That’s why the quotation above is meaningful to me.
If you believe, actively or subconsciously, that you are not worthy,
then other people will treat you as if you aren’t.
I remember writing a paper in graduate school about something to do with
education. I don’t remember the actual topic but I recall writing
something along the lines of: If I don’t respect myself and I think of myself as “just” a teacher, why should I expect anyone else to give me respect?
The professor, who was nationally known in the field of TESL (Teaching
ESL), specifically noted that comment in his feedback. Ever since then,
I have never referred to myself as “just” a teacher.
Similarly, some ELLs feel they are not good people because they get low
grades and have a hard time understanding what is going on in class. I
have even had students tell me they wish they weren’t bilingual because
then they would do better in school. I tell the kids that grades have
nothing to do with the kind of person they really are and just because
they get a low grade, that doesn’t mean they are unworthy or inferior to
other students. I tell them that ELLs have many strengths that other
people don’t have and that being bilingual is an asset and something to
be proud of, not ashamed. If I were still in the classroom, I would
make a poster of Eleanor Roosevelt’s quotation and hang it at the front
of the room for everyone to see every day!
On a related note, there is a campaign underway to put a woman’s face on
the U.S.$20 bill, replacing that of Andrew Jackson. I don’t know if it
will actually come to pass but Eleanor Roosevelt is one of the four
women under consideration and the public is invited to vote on whom they
would like to see on the note. The other women under consideration are
Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Wilma Mankiller. You can find their
biographies and submit your vote HERE. I don’t know what the deadline is but if you are interested in voting, sooner is probably better than later.
