What's in a word?

The new buzz word in education is “bell ringer.”  That is a euphemism for the activity at the beginning of class which engages the student and makes him eager to dive into the lesson.  That’s the denotation.

The connotation is quite different.  “Bell ringer” conjures the image of the Salvation Army Kettle Drive every holiday season.  The Salvation Army does amazing work with the Kettle Drive, employing workers and using the contributions in worthwhile ways.  They are to be applauded.  However, their work depends solely on donations from shoppers on their way somewhere else.

Education is not a matter of “donations.”  True, education is often augmented by the donations of teachers above their salaries, as any teacher who has opened his or her pocketbook knows.   There is also the donation of time, energy and ingenuity.  But that comes from love for the student and for the concept of teaching.  Donation does not come from the student.  Students must be challenged.  They need to see the reward of discovering something they didn’t know or hadn’t thought of in quite that way.   

This is not a matter of putting a nickel in the kettle of learning.  It is much more.  This phrase is demeaning to educators and students alike.

Find another term.  Please!