Sunday, April 16, 2006
The Grass is Greener
I see my blog got a mention on The DC Education Blog (4/4/06) and realized I hadn't posted in nearly a year.
First off, it's quite ironic--a teacher blog. Like I have time to ever write ANYTHING that's not directly school related. As I mentioned, I left DCPS for an independent school 9 months ago. I can honestly say they're as different as night and day. In public school, I was advised by veteran teachers (and college professors) to smile and nod my head whenever an administrator or higher-up from "headquarters" gave out mandates about instruction. Then I was to close my door and teach in the manner that I knew was best for my students--whether it accomodated the "mandates" or not. That is not to say that standards or research are to be ignored, but that intelligent, educated professionals really have to take a stand and present instruction that is appropriate and reasonable for their students. So much of what passes for instruction by school districts, Superintendents and Boards is utter hogwash. Unless a teacher makes the time and effort to know each of her students as individuals, then no hodge-podge of standards or curriculum is going to help. If instruction needs to be authentic and have meaning for the students, then the art of teaching must be authentic and have meaning for the teachers. The most useful advice I ever received was from a educational speaker who hammered home the notion "teach what you know."
And that's what I do now. I teach what I know; I actively seek new knowledge; I listen to my students and tailor lessons, units, texts, and literature specifically to their needs. I do this freely with full knowledge of my administrators who encourage me to teach my passions and teach what I know. I can't say that I'd willfully teach in a public school again. There are many great things about public schools, but being a teacher in those schools is not one of them. There are great public schools, with caring teachers and administrators who care more for the children than their own performance evaluation (with a focus on test scores) or the next pay-raise. There are just not many of them.
I'm somewhat disappointed to learn all of this first hand, and am surprised to discover it's really as bad as could be imagined. In addition to having taught in DCPS, I also have a child in a DC school. Thankfully, he's lucked out with terrific teachers who have rightfully ignored the midiocrity of "the system's way" and play the game of CLOSING THEIR DOORS AND TEACHING WHAT THEY KNOW. I only wish they didn't have to hide. Not everyone's the same and I know that many people make peace with playing along, or otherwise learn how to handle the beast that is a centralized school system. I'm just glad to have found my own greener pasture--where children are free to learn in their own way and teachers are free to teach in their own way.
First off, it's quite ironic--a teacher blog. Like I have time to ever write ANYTHING that's not directly school related. As I mentioned, I left DCPS for an independent school 9 months ago. I can honestly say they're as different as night and day. In public school, I was advised by veteran teachers (and college professors) to smile and nod my head whenever an administrator or higher-up from "headquarters" gave out mandates about instruction. Then I was to close my door and teach in the manner that I knew was best for my students--whether it accomodated the "mandates" or not. That is not to say that standards or research are to be ignored, but that intelligent, educated professionals really have to take a stand and present instruction that is appropriate and reasonable for their students. So much of what passes for instruction by school districts, Superintendents and Boards is utter hogwash. Unless a teacher makes the time and effort to know each of her students as individuals, then no hodge-podge of standards or curriculum is going to help. If instruction needs to be authentic and have meaning for the students, then the art of teaching must be authentic and have meaning for the teachers. The most useful advice I ever received was from a educational speaker who hammered home the notion "teach what you know."
And that's what I do now. I teach what I know; I actively seek new knowledge; I listen to my students and tailor lessons, units, texts, and literature specifically to their needs. I do this freely with full knowledge of my administrators who encourage me to teach my passions and teach what I know. I can't say that I'd willfully teach in a public school again. There are many great things about public schools, but being a teacher in those schools is not one of them. There are great public schools, with caring teachers and administrators who care more for the children than their own performance evaluation (with a focus on test scores) or the next pay-raise. There are just not many of them.
I'm somewhat disappointed to learn all of this first hand, and am surprised to discover it's really as bad as could be imagined. In addition to having taught in DCPS, I also have a child in a DC school. Thankfully, he's lucked out with terrific teachers who have rightfully ignored the midiocrity of "the system's way" and play the game of CLOSING THEIR DOORS AND TEACHING WHAT THEY KNOW. I only wish they didn't have to hide. Not everyone's the same and I know that many people make peace with playing along, or otherwise learn how to handle the beast that is a centralized school system. I'm just glad to have found my own greener pasture--where children are free to learn in their own way and teachers are free to teach in their own way.
