Term Paper: “Teachers Are Not Babysitters: Why Education Should End at the 9th Grade” (2022) by Stephanie Wynne (Assessment of CSLOs 1 & 2)

Contents

1. Introduction 
2. The Education System is Overwhelmed 
3. Parents Subconsciously See Teachers as Babysitters 
4. Teachers are Not Babysitters 
5. Awarding Students with Free Time 
6. Teachers, Take Your Power Back! 
7. Rethinking Teaching 
8. Don’t Forget About Physical Books
9. The Curriculum Plan 
10. Curriculum Benefits for the Student and Teacher
11. Get Rid of the Degree Structure
12. L.O.Y.O.T. Learn On Your Own Time: No more post-education unless you want to.
13. Not Needed: Administrators and Board Members

Introduction

This paper is for parents, teachers, and students that think outside the box of traditional educational thinking.  Thinking that can be liberating, next level, creative while making a difference in the world. Per the 80/20 (Kruse) rule only so many people will be able to join the workforce or create a business. The current educational model shows the children cannot argue with the teacher and are not satisfied because the teacher doesn’t have all the answers. 

Then the student graduates with only enough skills to work at a local mom-and-pop pizza spot.  The more elaborate jobs like McDonald’s and Olive Garden will require master’s degrees to be considered for employment.  Most of the younger generation (Schwab) are looking to lead the future, but because they don’t have the leadership and communication skills we have only the existing education model and as the saying goes “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” (Einstein)

Communication and critical thinking. will be the keys to opening the gates of the future. Students and their parents need to be able to convey their thoughts and opinions in a way that makes others think or are inspired. Some students talk like their under-educated parents with “hood talk” but when the students enter the business world individuals have to learn the language of business or else be dancing in the mailroom preparing to deliver packages in carts for the executives.

So what’s the purpose of the education system then? To get students prepared for adult life? To prepare the students for life outside the parent’s home? So students can function in society? Well, I’m not so sure about that anymore. What if the student can function in society without education so then what?

The education system is antiquated and needs to be overhauled I propose getting the children in and out of school as quickly as possible. I propose that children only be educated thru the 9th grade or eleven years of school versus the normal eighteen years of school (preschool through four years of college). 

Technically in our new digital age teachers can become obsolete. Many teachers are babysitters who tolerate students that don’t pay attention because they are hungry, poor, or have a lack of interest. However, there are still plenty of hungry children who manage to get through school. I was one of them. The teacher does what they can with what they got. How can they deviate from a curriculum that the state put in place? The student is in class about 6.24 hours per day using California as an example. With each class being about 45 to 50 minutes using a jr. and high school as an example.

What can a teacher realistically teach students, especially if the students have a lot of questions, are preoccupied with their cell phones and video games? The teacher teaches what they can. The current curriculum is limited by what the teacher can talk about, seasoned with a few personal comments so the teacher has no choice but to regurgitate what they already know so that each class they teach is the same and within the time constraints.

Freire is pouncing on the teachers using elaborate words he was taught. He talk about the “banking system of operation.” (Freire) which I don’t agree with. Freire must look in the mirror because obviously he was educated by the way he wrote. Freire was enrolled in law school at the University of Recife in 1943. He also studied philosophy, more specifically phenomenology, and the psychology of language and was an astronomer (Wikipedia). For him to lash out at teachers with fancy words is hypocritical. How did he learn? Did he not graduate from high school, college, graduate college? Apparently, the deposits paid off.

The Educational System is Overwhelmed

The education system still uses the old technology of the teacher talking to the student and the student listening or not. No worries because one day there will only be teachers overlooking the work the students turned in while sitting at home drinking coffee. From my perspective, the parents have to be involved and now since many are working from home remotely, it means they can study with their children and learn as well.  The average reading level of an adult in the United States is at the 7th- to 8th-grade level.  

If the educational system keeps the teacher in front of the student with the likes of Google’s 1.5 billion websites available to check and research information, the teacher will not be able to keep up with an average of 24.5   students @ five classes per day in a California high school. Not including homework.

Here’s why:

• The average American reads at a 7th- to 8th-grade level. 
• High School students read at a 5th-grade level.
• High School dropout 8.9% (2019-20)
• College Graduate with no job 5.4% 
• Students aren’t interested in school

Parents Subconsciously See Teachers as Babysitters

Some parents subconsciously see teachers as babysitters, but the parents have a responsibility to learn what the kids are being taught. If the kids have any questions about what they’ve learned for the day, they need to be able to speak with the parent(s) about it. But the parents don’t have time to bother with homework because they gotta go to work to pay some bills! The parent has to be a part of the educational system.

“…the babysitter can watch Jr.” “What babysitter?” her boyfriend Max asks. “The teacher silly,” said Pam. “Oh right,” agrees Mac while puffing on a fat blunt. “They give the kids free lunch and an evening snack, but I pack a little something extra because Jr. will be there until five o’clock if he gets a little hungry. He leaves when the teacher leaves so he doesn’t need anyone watching him,” says Pam, stuffing Jr.’s backpack. “So you gonna be able to pick him up on time?” asked Pam with her hands on her hips. “Cool no problem,” says Max exhaling with a little cough. “Let’s go Jr.!” said Pam ushering Jr. out the door. “By Max!” Yells Jr. as Pam shuts the door and blows Max a kiss. “Got it,” said Max, grabbing the kiss from the air and stuffing it into his mouth while coughing.

Teachers are Not Babysitters

Parents, can you imagine teaching a room of twenty to thirty students? Many of them are distracted with their cellphones and many teachers are irritated because the students aren’t listening. The teachers are not frickin babysitters! Parents, can you imagine being a substitute teacher for one day in 2022? 

“Everybody take your seats please,” the parent says dryly. Are you f-ing kidding me? They want me to teach these goofloofs?” The parent thinks as three overweight students walk out of the class talking loudly on their cell phones and smacking on gum. Why am I here? They don’t want to learn the stupid oafs, she smiles to herself as she pulls her laptop out of her leather briefcase, plugged it in, and switches on the digital chalkboard.

“Ok everyone, let’s settle down. Settle down,” she said, staring blank-eyed at the students. The class clown fat Albert was popping his gum loudly when he said, “Look at her granny shoes!” The class roars with laughter. The parent felt her face get red hot and walked briskly out of the class, almost tripping over her granny shoes. The classroom screaming laughter echoed in her ears.

What the students didn’t know is that she didn’t get any sleep last night because her son had an asthma attack. Then she overslept and dodged in and out of traffic that took almost two hours to get there. They didn’t know she barely had a moment to breathe and half a cup of coffee before she had to put on her fake face. They didn’t know she will be at the school all day with five, no six classes and will have to grade over a hundred of incomplete, sloppily written papers after work. Not worth it the parent thinks! 

So the parent has to tolerate the morons for a one-day paycheck. I don’t need this shit, the parent thinks as she looks down the hall for the nosey security guard and then pulls a tiny vodka bottle out of her bosom. The size you see on domestic airplane flights. She chugs it down, her second of the morning, and then slips it into a nearby trash container. She smiles at the granny shoes joke and walks confidently back into the class ready to take on anything. Not really giving a damn if anyone smells the vodka on her breath or not. Ok, maybe that’s a little extreme or not. However, I propose…

… Awarding Students with Free Time

• School eight months per year
• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday only
• Hours 8 am to 5 pm (just like a job) 
• No homework. Ever. (although they will be encouraged to prep for the frequent test)

So what are the students going to do with all their free time? Whatever they want to. Play games, shop, work a part-time job, watch their little brother or sister, teach the parents what they’ve learned, watch whatever on the Internet. No worries about them running the streets because they are happy in their room on their cell phones or their virtual video games. 

The point is to give them a little bit more freedom than making them feel like prisoners of an all-day educational system. The old system required them to be at school all day so the parents could work, but with remote work and loss of jobs, let the kids out of school early. Let the students have some creative time. Students that have since passed long ago will cringe in their graves with jealousy from the freedom the student of 2025 will have.

But in return for the extra “freedom,” the students must shut up, turn off their cell phones and listen to whatever the teacher is saying. If they have questions, write them down and email them to the teacher or make an appointment to speak to the teacher when he or she is available. The students should not be allowed to argue with the teacher because their parents pay a few pennies in district taxes. So what. The school babysits for them. I’m not saying students should have no rights, but respect the teacher and the time allocated for the class.

Teachers Take Your Power Back!

It’s time the teachers take their power back and stop acting like squirrels.  In my proposed new educational system you won’t be railroaded by a student who tries to blackmail or threaten you for imagined misconduct because there will be a camera system in the class. If the students act up like the good ole days then they are digitally blocked from entering the class. Take your power back and don’t settle for less than your students learning the same basic curriculum that will make them productive citizens of the world.

Re-thinking Teaching

I propose teachers are unable to do it because they do not have the skills. However, there are thousands of authors that do. If the skill I suggest to teach like leadership and the teacher or instructor does not have that skill, they should be required to read several books on leadership (Munro) before they can teach it. Should teachers have to prove they have the skill in the real world? Can someone who is not a leader teach it? Dale Carnegie taught leadership. What about communications? Jim Rohn was the man. So maybe the system should rethink what a teacher is.

Teddy said, “I think I’d first just assemble all the children together and show them how to meditate.” (Teddy)

I like the thought of children meditating and I missed this when I first read the story. I also picked it up form (T. Maxwell’s post). Mediation can be a key to critical thinking and should be mandatory for each level of education.

“Some students don’t know what they want. The critical thinking theory about what the student needs is antiquated.” -Steph Wynne

Don’t Forget About Physical Books
In my curriculum, students will still get books. Holding a book feels nice. Not one of those four-pound desk weights, but slim no more than a fifty-page book. Something a student can read quickly. It feels good to complete a book as there’s a sense of accomplishment. But some tree huggers will say, “Printing books kill trees! We need trees for the planet. We need them for our air,” (Turner, Bennet) they’ll chant. Trees aren’t going anywhere. As long as we have seeds, we can always plant them. I also think the authors of the slim school books should change yearly. Giving multiple authors a chance to write and publish a book. No publisher should have a monopoly on school book publishing.

Also with my proposed curriculum kids will learn English and Spanish and so will their parents indirectly. The children who can’t speak Spanish will learn English and Spanish from a Spanish teacher. There would be two teachers and they will switch languages while teaching in the same room.

Get Rid of the Degree Structure

Degrees are no longer required thus post-education is optional. I proposed getting rid of the “degree” structure and monetizing and stimulating the student to venture into the world to create a business or some other creative endeavors to keep capitalism thriving.

Not Needed: Administrators and Board Members

If school board members, (Eisenstein) administrators are needed then they should also teach classes before they can become board members or administrators. They should have annual teaching hours that can be regulated. All they need to do to teach is read books about communication and leadership or whatever skill they would like to teach within the curriculum so they can teach in front of the class and not just be a talker in the boardroom.  

Curriculum benefits for the student and teacher

• Less burnout
• More interest to attend class
• No pressure of homework
• Students have more time to focus
• Can assist with raising the family (saving mom and dad money a couple of days a week)

General Education Sessions

• February through May (Spring Session)
• July thru October (Winter Session)
• Six to 8 hours per day, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
• Off days – Tuesday and Thursday are personal days
  (Fishing, farming (yes farming), park, gym, skating, sports, parent time whatever)
• Students provided with IPADS or equivalent, classroom lockers for cells, jackets, etc.

L.O.Y.O.T. Learn on Your Own Time

No more post-education unless you want to. 

Post Education is optional. If the parents want the students in school they should pay for it based on the parent’s income. Fees won’t be too much and then the student can choose what’s available in the next level of learning. Teach the students how to contribute to the economy so that their educational experience is transformative and they become critical thinkers.

• Math – Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus
• Astronomy 
• Science
• Music
• World History
• Job training
• Taxes
• Parent not required to be involved

No history or Science classes are required. If a person wants to know about those subjects then they can take a course. Yes, we should know about our existence but do it on your own time. The parents should be required to spend two to three hours a week with the classwork.

The parents should be involved in the student’s education or be placed in a higher tax bracket. If parents don’t want to educate their kids so that they can make the world a better place then they should be penalized because teachers are not babysitters.

Teachers can’t be the babysitters forever, the parents must be a part of the students’ education.

 

Works Cited

1. Quote at least twice from each of these sources:
   • “Teddy” (1953) by Jerome David Salinger
   • Chapter 2 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire’s landmark 1968 treatise about what’s wrong with the traditional education system.  (Annotated!)
   • “Teachers Are Not Babysitters: Why Education Should End at the 9th Grade” (2022) by Stephanie Wynne 
2. Quote twice from other credible sources; if you wish, you can use the sources listed below in “Additional Resources” at the end of the assignment directions.
3. Use correct MLA format.