Perspectives

Last Tuesday I had such a good time. For my birthday a good friend of mine got me tickets to see RENT. This is the third time that I have seen the show on stage. Generally when I get tickets for any Broadway show, I get orchestra seats as early as the tickets go on sale so that I can get the ones closest to the front as possible. I've seen many shows from as close as the second row (although, I wouldn't recommend the second row). Sitting close allows me to see the actors expressions and catch nuances that you can't see from farther back. When I saw RENT last week, I sat on the front row of the mezzanine section. I couldn't believe how much I had missed by always getting close seats! There was some good choreography that I had missed before, and with this particular touring group it was better to be farther away so as to not see how much chemistry they lacked. (I saw this particular group perform RENT just last October, and it really seemed a lot better this time.)

I'm home for Spring Break this week visiting my family. Last night my mom and I were talking about education and I was telling her that this year I don't have many worries about the state test that my students have to take since the score they have to receive on it is comparably lower than what I require in my classroom. She remarked that standards are just being lowered and lowered even more. I had to argue this. My students must take three years of math in high school at an Algebra 1 level or higher. When my mom was in school, she only needed one math credit. How is this a lowering of standards? What is the media and government feeding citizens to get them to believe that standards are being lowered? Starting next year all of my students are going to have to pass an Algebra test at the end of the year just to qualify for a high school diploma. How many Americans can say that they have done this? Maybe my perspective as a high school teacher, one who works with the average-joe student, is different than that of one from the outside looking into the world of public education. America, be assured that not all teachers are lowering standards. America's students are capable of learning and they do learn.

People, including myself, are so self-focused and closed-minded. It's easy to view life through your own eyes; maturity helps you to look at life from a different perspective. We only have one life to live. Living with understanding of other people's thoughts, opinions, and actions will give each of us more satisfaction. When you know someone struggling with their health, it makes you appreciate each breath you take and every mundane task you perform as a true gift from God.