This post will make some teachers unhappy...even angry.
As a social studies teacher, there are many opinions on the state of American social studies crises. You know what I am referring to. How students cannot identify a current Vice President, or identify a major nation, or choke on very basic American history or civic questions.
Why does this happen?
One reason might be American coaches. Yes, coaches...hear me out.
A few years ago I attended an education job fair. If you have never attended one of these, it's like speed dating for employers and prospective employees. As a candidate, you have only a few seconds to impress the principal in order to move to the next round of the interview stage.
So, I had a plan. Step 1- pull out my resume and hand it to the principal. I quickly went over my qualifications: Masters degree in History, James Madison Fellow, trained teachers in state and district social studies in-services, I was the first in my family to graduate from college, taught online, and I have coached varsity and junior varsity sport.
Then step 2, my plan was to list my professional development...but I never moved passed step one. The item that caught the administrator's attention? My coaching. Did you hear that I was the first to graduate from college in my family, or that I have trained other teachers, or I am a James Madison Fellow? Nope, he focused upon was coaching. To which they would ask, "What sport do you, coach?" And, I would reply with "Boys soccer." The administrator would shake his head and say, "Oh, we've already got a soccer coach. But how about football?"
At this point, my mind races to the inalienable crossroads...Do I tell the truth and say I have no idea what the difference is between a linebacker and a tight end? Or do I fake it and say something like, "Yes, I coached middle school football while a student-teacher", hoping to earn some points...But no, the honest angel won out and I shook my head and say, "Nope, soccer is my sport". To which the administrators replies, "Boy if you coached football we could really use you." To which I walked away...
But here's the thing, he skipped over all the qualifications which I could bring to his students and focused on coaching! What about the students? What about my ability to get kids to love history? What about my student-centered activities and lessons? It is all for not because I was not the "coach" he was looking for.
Now hear me out - I am not saying all coaches are terrible teachers. I know some very good coaches who are also excellent classroom teachers. But instead, I am pointing out how the system is backward. Image if a brain surgeon is hired based upon how well he could play on the hospital's softball team. "Dr. Jones, are you a lefty or a righty batter? What? A righty? Sorry, we are desperately looking for a lefty." Never mind Dr. Jones has a 90 percent passing success rate and 20 years experience. Dr. Jones, the hospital's softball team needs to win districts this year.
This, my friends, is one reason why social studies is on course to a race to the bottom; overqualified coaches teaching in a content area they are not qualified in. Meanwhile, overqualified teachers are panned over because they lack coaching experience.
