We are all familiar with the old adage “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” Who would have ever thought that this innocent colloquialism would have such direct ties with our educational system? Allow me to expand this saying a bit, and then you can draw your own conclusions.
This is not intended to be malicious, to try to tear down, or even be viewed as the lunatic ravings of a frustrated teacher gone over the edge. My intention is just to shine a humorous light onto the challenges we as educators face on a daily basis. It is easy to point out the problems, shift the blame, and make excuses. It is much more difficult to discover the solutions. I do know that we must become proactive. We must stop letting bureaucrats and politicians dictate how our children are taught. We are in the trenches every day, fighting a war we know we must win, with all the odds stacked against us. Still we show up, every day, with a smile on our face and hope in our hearts that today, somehow, we can get through to them, and see that light bulb flash on. Those moments are too few.
I’m not saying we need change for the sake of change, we’re doing that now, and its not working. However, something must be done. And if not now, when?
- I CAN lead a horse to water, that much is simple.
- I can write an elaborate and detailed plan about how I intend to get the horse to drink (lesson plans).
- I can make sure the stream where I wish for the horse to drink is safe and adequate (least restrictive environment).
- I can check to see if the horse knows what water is (pre-testing).
- I can discuss at length the benefits for the horse to drink the water (direct instruction).
- I can drink the water in front of the horse (demonstration).
- I can let the horse choose which water it wants to drink (differentiation).
- I can color the water, flavor the water, splash the water, and let the horse touch the water (modification).
- I can explain to the horse how very important it is that it drinks the water, for fear of major repercussions to all of us (high-stakes testing).
- I can give the horse a cup or straw to help drink the water (manipulative).
- I can show the horse other horses drinking the water (peer tutoring).
- I can stay late and work one-on-one with the horse on how to drink the water (extended school services).
- I can have someone else work with me simultaneously to coax the horse to drink (collaboration).
- Finally, I could hold the horse’s head under the water until it either drinks or drowns (NCLB).
- But I CAN NOT, no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try; no matter how well prepared, how highly educated, how well qualified I am, under any circumstances, MAKE that horse drink.
This is not intended to be malicious, to try to tear down, or even be viewed as the lunatic ravings of a frustrated teacher gone over the edge. My intention is just to shine a humorous light onto the challenges we as educators face on a daily basis. It is easy to point out the problems, shift the blame, and make excuses. It is much more difficult to discover the solutions. I do know that we must become proactive. We must stop letting bureaucrats and politicians dictate how our children are taught. We are in the trenches every day, fighting a war we know we must win, with all the odds stacked against us. Still we show up, every day, with a smile on our face and hope in our hearts that today, somehow, we can get through to them, and see that light bulb flash on. Those moments are too few.
I’m not saying we need change for the sake of change, we’re doing that now, and its not working. However, something must be done. And if not now, when?