Shaking 56,695 hands

This has been a difficult week at Wasilla High School. Students, staff and the WHS community are heartbroken.

I have been waffling back and forth on whether or not I should address recent events in this week’s Chalk Talk. I wouldn’t feel authentic if I neglected Don Young’s comments and of course the tragic loss of a student to suicide. I wish I had comforting words that could do more than just express my condolences to the family, friends and community.

The recent somber mood in the hallways of Wasilla High is not the norm. Usually, students are laughing and chatting with their friends. The halls get so crowded that teachers have to play Frogger to cross from one side of the hall to the other. This past week there were fewer students chatting, laughing and hanging out between classes. Students and staff are emotionally drained and physically tired.

Many students work part-time, although part-time may mean working up to 20 or more hours a week. They carry a full load of academic classes and are active in a variety of sports and activities. They are emotionally drained and physically tired.

Teachers are expected to integrate new programs and curriculum. We are professionals and it’s a part of the job. But this year is different. I’ve talked with teachers at elementary schools, charter schools and other high schools. We are emotionally drained and physically tired.

As one friend mentioned, “… we are overwhelmed with newness here. We have a new math program, a new testing system, new schedules, new students, etc… It’s just a lot to throw at us… All of this, shadowed by the new teacher evaluation system and no contract. It’s overwhelming. I’m playing catch up more this year — my 17th year in the district — than ever before. That doesn’t seem right to me. Not in the least.” We are emotionally drained and physically tired.

Because we are emotionally drained strep, influenza and other viruses have been running rampant throughout the entire school community. They have been spreading like wildfire, circling from one school to another and back around again. We are learning new programs, new evaluation systems and working without a contract. We are emotionally drained and physically tired.

The new teacher evaluation system includes promoting the EXCEL Model by greeting and shaking hands with students as they enter the classroom. (EXCEL stands for Engage, X-plore, Communicate, Empower and Launch and was developed by The Flippen Group, the people who created Capturing Kids’ Hearts.)

I teach 146 students throughout the week. In the average week I shake approximately 667 hands. If every staff member at Wasilla High School had about the same class load, then we shake about 56,695 hands every week. (This includes administrators, secretaries, counselors and all other certified staff.) No wonder we are emotionally drained and physically tired. And no wonder many of the students and staff members have been ill recently.

This week I will choose to not share my germs with students. We can show compassion without shaking hands. And I hope the district administration will show compassion to teachers as well both in terms of evaluations and contracts. It’s time to settle negotiations so that we all can help continue capturing our students’ hearts.

Jill Showman is an English teacher at Wasilla High School. This is her 18th year teaching.