Why I Left

A Simple Answer

The simple answer is that 32 years is a long time in the teaching business.  But the complete answer is much more complex than that.  I know that if things had been otherwise I would have stayed at least another 4 years.  Now, as to what that "otherwise" is - well that's the complicated part.

The Pasta Story

When I got married, mant, many years ago - my wife and I received a Pasta Maker as one of our wedding gifts.  After putting it off, one day I decided to give it a go and make some fresh pasta.  I put the ingredients in the maker, extracted the pasta and put it in a pot to boil.  Not knowing any better, I cooked it the same amount of time that I would have boiled dried pasta.  Needlesstosay, what came out was way over-cooked and soft.  And then (I am a terrible cook btw) I thought - well hey, the more you cook something, the more "done" it becomes - so I gave it a few more minutes.  It became a horrible gooey mess.   

 I think what is happening in education right now is that we are "overboiling the pasta" - hoping our actions will fix something, when in fact we are making it worse.  Much worse.  By trying to make things easier - we are in fact, in the long run, making them harder (and much worse).  For instance, when teachers stopped assigining reading at home - and started reading the books aloud to students in the classroom, we made it harder for them when it comes time for them to read (in college, in life, at work).  The pasta just becomes gooier. 

NOT the Reasons that I Left

I did not leave because of the Pandemic.  I did not leave because of the students.  I did not leave because of the parents.  I did not leave because of the public.  I did not leave because of the administration.  I did not leave because of the building conditions.  I did not leave because of media.  I did not leave because of the pressure. 

Links in the Media

These links are, I believe, indicative of what is happening to education.  One thing most of them miss, I again believe, is that the Pandemic did not define or create what was happening - it may have accelerated it though.

At N.Y.U., Students Were Failing Organic Chemistry. Who Was to Blame?