Talking with a friend and fellow teacher today, I realize that education needs a fair. I’m not talking Tilt-A-Whirls, cotton candy, and Ring Toss games, but a place where people involved in education get together and talk about our work, perhaps serving as a catalyst for real reform by those people who know directly what needs to change. From sharing concerns about the job to working toward improved curriculum, The Fair is a good excuse to leave that stack of ungraded papers at work and go out to do something for yourself. Are junior high administrative procedures as full of red tape and late notification as high school? Does junior-level English in California cover the same material as junior-level English in Michigan? Do fourth grade teachers have the same expectations of students just arriving in the fourth grade as third grade teachers do for students just leaving the third? The Fair is a place to find out.
Ok, maybe the occasional caramel apple would be allowed into The Fair. And there would definitely be beer.
A police officer, who was also a friend of mine and was not giving me a ticket, once told me that he made a conscious effort in the beginning of his career to avoid befriending other police officers. His fear was about encouraging an “Us vs. Them” mentality, something he easily saw happening if he spent all of his time around other cops. I have the same concern about educators, so The Fair would have certain guidelines.
Kvetching For A Limited Time Only
Your contributions about the idiocy of students, parents, administrators, government officials, and other teachers are priceless! We at The Fair want to provide an environment for fellow educators to join together and face the challenges and embrace the joys involved in academia. Please realize, though, that The Fair is not merely an excuse to get together and complain. Sharing the frustrations of the job, a necessary component to any honest conversation about it, is allowed and we may even find ways to facilitate that sharing. However, to wallow for too long in the complications defeats the very purpose of The Fair. The lows are a necessary part of the conversation, but will be restricted to a certain amount of time, to be determined by those in attendance at the beginning of each session of The Fair. Arrive early to make sure you have a say and can join in the cathartic discussion. We know how important it is to hear that others have encountered similar issues and that you are not the only one.
Different Partners
At The Fair, associating solely with other teachers from your school, district, grade level, or subject area is frowned upon. Fraternizing with those colleagues is permissible; we understand that sometimes those folks are your only means of transportation to The Fair. But that should not be the extent of your experience at The Fair. The purpose of The Fair is to open you up, not only to other people, but other grade levels, other subject areas, other aspects of the education system. To associate only with those people you would otherwise associate regardless seems a waste of time; maybe you and your group should just go to a local pub and socialize there. If you feel that there is a specific reason (see below) for only conversing with those in a similar position to you, feel free to let us know. We at The Fair are a reasonable bunch and are always willing to go easy on the regulations if it may result in better teaching and better teachers.
Find A Usefulness
When you come to The Fair, in addition to your promptness, we ask that you have in mind a reason for attending. This can be as simple as “to meet new friends who share my interests” or as complex as “to discover new paradigms of teaching existentialism.” The more specific your reason, the more you’re likely to get from The Fair. Even though we ask you to have a purpose in mind, do be prepared to flex that purpose a bit so as not to exclude other possible discussion options.
Meaningful Discussion
At The Fair, while we understand that this may be a time to catch up with old friends, we ask that you refrain from focusing conversation on trivial topics, such as any article in the recent People Magazine or Entertainment Weekly, except where such articles might prove an ironic point or cynical observation about life or teaching. Such points and observations often lead to some great discoveries about what happens inside of schools. Though this is a pretty specific request, we feel that if you shift the topic of discussion to more profound discourse as quickly as possible, The Fair will have more of an impact on your teaching by enlightening you, encouraging you, or enriching you. And you run no risk of walking out depleted of more intelligence than when you arrived by following this request.
Your Patience
The Fair is a fairly experimental venture, no pun intended. While this is at the same time a short and exhaustive list, we appreciate your patience when dealing with these issues. As we continue to host The Fair and learn from previous sessions, this list may grow or shrink. Keep in mind that the goal of The Fair is to open you up to other educational experiences, making you become better at your education-related job, be that teacher or superintendent.
While it may sound a bit hackneyed, remember to have fun at The Fair. Talk about lows, but don’t forget the highs of the job. Meet with your friends, but mix around the crowd a bit to find out what’s happening in other segments of education. Come for the general conversation, but bring something to the discussion. Share your silly thoughts about things, but share serious observations and questions, too. We hope you’ll be here the next time. Remember, you can always meet at The Fair.
I’ll start designing the flier. Can we have it at your place?
