Teaching and Football

 

I am an NFL fan. I grew up pulling for the Washington Redskins, and I still do. Except, they are now the Washington Football Team. 

However, when I was a high school senior, the Carolina Panthers arrived in town. They were an expansion team and played about an hour from my home. 

I am now a fan of both, but I pull more for Washington than Carolina! #httr #httwft

A couple of weeks ago, Carolina invited Cam Newton back as quarterback. He's a great athlete and an intelligent player. However, if the plays given to him do not work, why do we blame him? 

The play callers are sitting in boxes above the field (or on the sidelines) and telling him what to do. Is it his fault if a play doesn't go like it is supposed to? 

It got me to thinking. 

Teaching and Football are very similar. 

  

I have been in the education field for more than a decade. I am not currently teaching, but I haven't been out so long that I have forgotten what it's like. 

I have been a Sign Language interpreter, a substitute teacher, and a regular classroom teacher for high school English. I have also been a parent and an Auntie in the public school system. 

Let's look at this. 

In both, teaching and football, you have someone who decides who the players will be. 

In teaching, this is the School Board and Superintendent. They get to make final decisions on who is hired. This is why they go into "Closed Session" before or after the public meeting to discuss personnel and staffing concerns. 

In football, this is the owners and General Managers. They choose the coaches and have a final say in the team members. 

Both have coaches. 

In teaching these are the local administrators--principals, assistant principals. They make suggestions on who should be hired, but it is not always approved. 

In football, it's the actual coaches. 

Then you have the players.

Teachers are the players. They are told what to do by people who are no longer (or have never been) in the classroom. Some of the people, like school board members or Superintendents (in some places), are elected and have never been teachers. 

Teachers are told when to show up. What they can/cannot wear. When to update grades. When to give tests. They are told when/if they are allowed to have a day off. Teachers are even told things they should do in their own classrooms--like specific lessons or methods. 

Teachers have great ideas, but they aren't always heard. Or, they don't feel like they can speak out. 

Football players are told when and where to be by owners who may have never played football. They like the team, and they have money, so they bought it. Money can buy you a team, but not the brains to run it. 

Players are told what to wear. Make sure you wear the same thing as everyone else. Sometimes, they are fined if they wear different gloves or cleats, unless they get approval or pay to do it. 

I'm sure that players have great ideas for the team, but I don't know if they are allowed to share them. They may have to keep their mouths closed and do what they are told. 

I don't know why I thought this was something I had to write. I just knew I needed to get it out there. 

I hope it makes sense to anyone who reads it. 

Leave me a comment if this made sense.