Drinking the Charter School Kool-Aid

“I like to treat my classroom like it’s a morning show and I am the host.”—Teacher Seth

It’s official, I love my classroom mentors. Tr. Seth is just so enthusiastic and creative in regards to how he plans his lessons. I have learned so much from him in just a month!

I am also really digging the charters school vibe. I went to a panel last week at GSE on charter schools and whether they are helping or hurting urban education and I can see the disadvantages (the biggest one for me is the unequal accessibility) but now that I am student teaching in one, I can see first hand the benefits of working, or attending a charter school. I think the autonomous nature of charter school is vital to its success. The ability for a principal to her/his own staff of teachers (most Philadelphia elementary schools are assigned teachers by the district) can ensure a solid and supportive community. In some urban public schools it seems like the staff is constantly fighting the administration and/or the district which are eternally on different pages. At the charter school I am blessed to be placed, it is the complete opposite. Everyone is working towards the cause, and the driving force, the motivating factor, is the students. I am drinking the charter school kool-aid, for sure.