Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Valuing Summer Vacation, However Students Spend It

September 10, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

In his online Commentary “What Did You Do This Summer?” (Aug. 20, 2007), David Polochanin says that he is intrigued by the answers students give for the back-to-school question of the essay’s title. He also claims to wonder why some say they were bored. Yet what he writes does not reveal curiosity or wonder about the students’ experiences. It reveals judgment and dismissal of their activities, apparently because they do not match his as a kid.

Mr. Polochanin in fact validates the perception many of his students have that they “did nothing.” This is curious, because if they watched television and played video games all summer, that is far from nothing. They had many encounters with elements of story, of genre and format. It seems an arrogant perspective to deem his students’ experiences, of which they have limited understanding, as unworthy.

Much of modern society functions on symbolism and indirect experience—knowledge similar to that gained from reading. Wouldn’t it be more reinforcing in developing young people to help them make sense of the experiences they have had? As a teacher, why doesn’t Mr. Polochanin help them navigate the world of symbols, images, and narrative, rather than assume their activities were worth nothing because they weren’t like his? His students will know how he feels about their pursuits whether he is explicit about them or not; they will sense his attitude. How does this attract them to education and school?

Mr. Polochanin’s childhood appears to have had great meaning for him. What about assisting students, all students, in making their childhood meaningful, whatever it is? This judgmental way of seeing students’ lives hinders truly effective education. I am surprised to see it in your publication.

Keith Orr

Teacher

Monroe High School

Monroe, Wash.

A version of this article appeared in the September 12, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 13, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read