Late night Saturday thoughts

So I posted earlier today about topics the doc gives in his phaedrus readings. But I just got home and had some things going on in my mind I wanted to share. Remember it is very late for me and I'm exhausted.

So I work in a juvenile prison. I could probably type up 20 pages tomorrow about education in the prison I work in, so I'll try to stick to a few thoughts tonight. First, Education as we know it is broken. I guess I've been told this for years from some teachers and people in this masters degree I am currently pursuing. But not until I started working where I work did I see it in full swing. I work with a "fluid" group of kids. Meaning my first bell class may have 15 kids, but 2 weeks later 3 leave and 3 new come in. This happens so much that after about 6 months the class is totally different with a totally different dynamic. My teaching "style" is unable to even form because the state of "fluid" student body. I'm given basically no tools at all to use in the room and even simple things like calculators and pencils are inventoried and accounted for every school bell. The whole system begs for a remedy because it is broken. We can't teach assuming we as teachers know how to teach. The kids can't learn mostly because we can't teach.

Now this problem has to be fixed and lawyers, lawmakers, and people in authority have to find that solution. Of course none of these people have ever taught anything within a prison so they can't truly find solutions. So what can we do. Well the state decided to install computers in every room such that every student will have a computer in every class. Then they installed A+ software that is already dated and boring to let the students do work on the computers. I think this was their idea of bringing education into the 21st century, but honestly most of this could have been done 20+ years ago. It saddens me to see a major problem and no one fixing it. Obtaining an education is the single biggest factor in reducing the return rate of released prisoners. It is taken seriously in some ways because money is thrown at educational needs and services, especially since over 50% of the students are labeled Special Education.

Anyway, where I work is filled with problems, many of which have nothing to do with education. I just feel frustrated when I look at these kids and see them wanting a better life and we can't do anything about it. Lord help me if I wanted to show a Math related Youtube video. There is always some law, rule, or self created standard keeping us from being even slightly creative in the classroom.

I know prison education is less than an ideal situation. Sometimes I even get caught up in negative mentalities. Kids will complain about not being able to learn something or do something and teachers say "well don't come to prison then." I understand totally where this comes from. Both sides are frustrated about how things are being run. Neither side has a say in how things are to be run and so a great deal of frustration and tension builds. Until what. Until there is verbal, emotional, sexual, and physical lashing out. Totally counterproductive, but at least there is some satisfaction or illusion of control from doing that.

To end I will quote and old Coolio song "Why are we so blind to see that the ones we hurt are you and me."