Gladly Would I Teach

We are always looking for solutions to many of our school problems.

Who should we blame for the poor test scores?

Why aren’t students prepared adequately for college or jobs?

Why are today’s students so irresponsible?

Maybe this little story about sinks reveals part of the problem.

I teach in a beautiful school that opened in 2000. We have nice classrooms with big windows, wide hallways, large commons areas, two gyms, multiple computer labs as well as Computers on Wheels, and a beautiful theater. The building surrounds a huge open courtyard. When the school opened, teachers, students, and parents were thrilled that the building was not only efficient but aesthetically pleasing.

From the standpoint of most teachers and students, the brand new school had only one problem: sinks, or, more specifically, the faucets.

Almost immediately, the shiny white sinks and faucets proved virtually useless because they had two annoying flaws:

1. As a water-saving measure, the water only flowed if the individual continued to push the top of the faucet. Thus, it was impossible to run water over both hands simultaneously since the user had to continue to push the button on top of the faucet. Have you ever tried to wash one hand at a time?
2. While the water valve was a problem, the placement of the faucets inside the sinks proved to be even more frustrating. The faucets were too short for the sinks and failed to extend far enough into the sinks to be useful. As a result, users who held their hands under the faucet, automatically touched the back of the sink.

Who wants to wash one hand at a time, particularly when you can’t get your full hands under the faucet.

In the beginning, teachers complained,

Students complained.

Parents complained.

The sinks and faucets, however, had been inspected and approved by authorities who did not have to use the faucets, and nothing was done.

For years.

Throughout all of the warnings to students to wash their hands during Mersa scares and flu and cold scares, the defective faucets remained.

Teachers complained.

Students complained.

Parents complained.

Nothing was done.

For years.

After long periods of inactivity, people stopped complaining and just accepted that the sinks and faucets would remain ineffective.

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This morning after a week-long Thanksgiving break, we returned to school. Unexpectedly, we discovered new faucets in the bathrooms on the English hall. For the first time in 9 years, it was possible to turn on the faucet and wash our hands – both hands simultaneously. What a thrill!

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How many of today’s school procedures, materials, and methods are virtually useless or greatly flawed, but we continue to use them because complaints are ignored, overlooked, or disputed by authorities who have little, if any, contact with the procedures, materials, and methods? How many teachers, students, and parents launch reform efforts only to give up when they receive little support for change?

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It may have taken 9 years to replace the defective faucets, but at least we finally have efficient faucets attached to our pretty white sinks.

Well, at least 4 of them.

I discovered this afternoon that only the faucets in the bathrooms on the English hall were changed.

I guess the next faucets should arrive around 2018!