Vicki, great article!! I agree that there are a lot of things wrong in the educational system that make kids unhappy. Sometimes the things that we are instructed to do as teachers just sucks the joy out of teaching and learning. I was reminded of that this year when a student commented that he had looked forward to my class for years, and now he found out it was "boring." As an experienced teacher, I did not take offense, but explained that I know how hard it is. I could make it easier, and more interactive (a lot less boring), but that takes more time, and we would not have gotten through the material. We would all have had more joy in learning--until the "F" came on the grade cards. Our district has common assessment, and the kids have to pass them. Because I pushed on in my boring way, they all earned a grade of "A" this semester.
On another front, I seldom yell at kids, but my master teacher thought that was the way to go. In some settings, it is the norm, and no amount of telling them it could be done differently is accepted. Also, sometimes taking a stand, gets you written up for insubordination. Then, what happens to your kids? They get a different teacher--one who is more willing to toe the line.
