Real Teaching? Looking Beyond the GAP and Booking.com Ads

Two ads on television need to be discussed because they each send problematic messages to the general public about teaching.

GAP Back to School Ad

The most recent is a back to school ad by GAP. This ad might seem upbeat, but these actions demonstrate student compliance. If you disagree, ask yourself, how many prestigious private schools subscribe to such tactics?

In this ad, we see a Teach for America corps member getting her 3rd grade class to shout a reminder to believe in themselves, and that they can do anything.

The class has been videoed before and they used to have uniforms. Are charters dropping that rule? Or do regular clothes fit better with the GAP ad? The chant is a little less polished here too.

Donald Fischer the founder of GAP was a supporter of KIPP charter schools, Teach for America, and school reform. He attended a public high school. His wife Doris and son John continued to support these reform endeavors after Fischer died.

KIPP is lauded by corporate reformers who think that a strict environment is good for children, especially children from poor urban settings. I’m not sure what charter school this is. Many charter schools emulate KIPP and are “no excuses” schools.

Last year, charter school managers seemed to be reassessing their approach to discipline due to criticism over their strictness. But coordinated group think is apparently still on the table.

Here’s the chant, right out of the mindset, grit playbook.

What if it’s too hard?

I’m gonna push through!

What if it’s too rough?

I’m gonna push through!

What if it’s too tough?

I’m gonna push through!

What if it you’re too young?

That’s not true!

What if you’re not good enough?

That’s not true!

Why? Because….

I can do anything. I put my mind to!

I believe in you.

Chin up!

Believe in yourself.

Head high!

Tell me why.

We push through anything we put our minds to!

I can’t help but wonder about the children who have trouble “pushing through.” Do they get kicked out? How do they feel?

Some might think this is positive, like the Today Show hosts who invited the teacher to be a guest. It is important to remember that compliant children aren’t necessarily learning anything.

Such structure seems extreme, especially in a society that prides itself on freedom. The actions of the class are like soldiers in the military, with the teacher acting as a drill sergeant. Doesn’t this encourage submissive behavior?

If these students come from a low-income neighborhood where they experience trials and tribulations, they are also telling themselves to toughen up and be happy anyway.

I wonder how many of these children have well-prepared, certified counselors to assist them with the difficulties they face in life. Or, are they the children without the difficulties because the troubled children have been removed from the charter school?

In this ad we see no students with physical disabilities. The children are eerily perfect.

Booking.com Ad

The other ad is from Booking.com. The kindergarten teacher looks like a buffoon. She stands in front of her class bemoaning the need for a vacation—the most important thing in her life. Her students apparently aren’t important to her. They run around the room doing as they please. There is no class structure.

The ad is an extreme opposite classroom environment from the GAP ad.

Many teachers were insulted by the Booking.com ad, and there have been calls to end it. Requests have been ignored.

The truth is, neither of these ads portrays teaching realistically.

Real Teaching

Good classrooms involve active children who work with a purpose and whose individualism is valued and supported. Teachers are well-prepared to understand the child’s development and their needs.

They work with all children including those who can’t follow the drill.

Here’s an example.

A teacher friend of mine who prides herself on being positive, told me she did chants with her elementary students. She sent me two videos.

The first showed children beginning the school day, smiling and yelling that they couldn’t wait to do reading and writing. It was obvious they liked those subjects.

One young man was in front and he shouted a little louder than a few of the others. They were not orderly, but they had big smiles on their faces and you could tell they liked their teacher’s attention. Some giggled. A few seemed a little shy.

In the other video, the children were trying to dance to music and keep in step—a good gross motor activity for young children. They were not coordinated. Their teachers were dancing and jumping around with them. You could tell the children were having fun.

The song included a phrase about “being a champion,” and the children chimed in on that part. Many stopped dancing and put their arms in the air. “I’m a champion,” they yelled, few in unison.

These videos reflected real teaching as it should be. Children not perfect, but sweet and loving, learning to socialize and love school with the teachers who cared for them.

Too bad they didn’t make these videos into ads.