I have to admit that I am struggling more than usual with school this year. I hope to retire and move on to an adjunct position in the Physics department at the nearby university. So, I’m sort of in reflection mode right now. I’m constantly looking back at the years in public ed. Although through the years, I’ve always critically examined what I’m doing in the classroom to adapt and remain successful. I could easily continue in my current position because of that trait and the fact that my students consistently score above the average on the state science test. This is what makes teaching an incredibly difficult job. Constantly having to examine and compensate for the abrupt changes in culture that we feel first here in the classroom For me it’s been drug epidemics, wars, financial crisis, pandemics, and now phones. My curriculum has gone from paper and pencil to complete digitalization with the ability to go completely remote, and lab activities have gone from stopwatches and meter sticks to motion sensors, accelerometers, interfaces, laptops, and graphing software.
I’m also a parent and both of my kids have passed through my classroom. My son is in law school and my daughter went to work for a survey company immediately after graduating with her bachelors in a GIS environmental field. However, both struggle with issues related to phones and social media. It was a real crisis for our family and nothing like I ever encountered with previous generations.
I’m usually quick to blame phones for the lack of attention in the classroom. But, after backpacking the Haute route from Chamonix to Zermatt this summer I began to feel like our physical environment in the USA might also be to blame for attention problems. Compared to the north american backpacking adventures that I have had there were so many more teenagers out on the extremely tough trails of the alps. Whole gangs of school aged boys and girls hiking at incredible paces up down the trails of France and Switzerland. The food and water we encountered was amazing. Everyday we were powered by wholesome dinners, breakfasts, and glacial water.
We got home days before school started (my wife teaches math) in total culture shock. I’ve never felt less ready for school to start with my perspective on health and society turned upside down. I’ve been trying to make sense of it in my classroom and as a parent of kids here in the USA. Hence, my consultations with Chatgpt.
Politics in the USA can’t be ignored as a major factor affecting children and school. Politics have played a huge role in the state of affairs in science education and education in general. Funding and autonomy have reached a new low. Now, as a result the profession isn’t very attractive and very few students are entering teacher training . We have at least 3 uncertified teachers in positions in math and science in my small school. We also were unable to adopt nation wide science standards because of politics. Climate change, evolution, vaccines, etc. are now all controversial to teach. I still cover these topics carefully, so I don’t get parental complaints.
Climate change is especially personal for me. I’m an avid cross country skier. I moved to the lake Superior region for the abundant snow and long winters. I ski everyday after school and have been dreaming of all day outings when I retire. Alas, climate change has different ideas. We now have marginal snow throughout the winter with much later start dates and earlier melt offs. Many races are cancelled every season.
If I’m having a “get off my lawn” moment it is because my lawn is poking through the snow in December when it should be a foot deep. 
