>Rene: I have gone one further and changed the topic line a bit. I am one who > does not think it is really off topic, although it is a bit of a > meander in the reading comprehension stream.
"Meaner in the reading comprehension stream" is a great line. I love the new subject title--works for me:) > Some questions for thought: > > If you are the only teacher at your school (or in your district) > teaching reading using the strategies, and your principal wants you to > do what everyone else is doing, are you a bad teacher? What if your > principal writes you up for insubordination? Exactly--this is one of the reasons I support tenure and unions. Tenure, because I have been around both teachers (and administrators) who would love to "rid" the school of ideas that challenge the textbook and besides, they like going page by page each day. Unions, because even though I have experienced union abuse (in regards to some teachers wielding their union power for personal gain), I still believe they play an important role in keeping our profession protected. > If you are doing most of your reading of student work and other prep > work at home, as well as reading as many books on teaching the > strategies as you can on your own time, so you come to school a bit > early and leave with the students, are you a bad teacher? Nope. And I have another point to add: do not assume from teacher talk you know the teacher. I remember a teacher from the staff room that horrified me with negative talk my first year of teaching. She was so bitter and negative about children. My students were sent to her the next year and one day I had to go into her room to observe--it was a wonderful place. She was entirely different with the children present. My ex-students would come back in my room after school and share stories. She made them work hard but with a very loving touch. Go figure. I learned after that never to judge a teacher by the staff room talk or the hours they "seem" to keep. > I don't remember who said it..... perhaps it was Paulo Friere...... > that ALL teaching is a political act. This is so true from my head > space that I can't really separate the two. Haha, somehow we readers KNOW that about you, Renee. And I would add that if we try to pretend we can separate the two we are not noticing what happens in the classroom as a result of politics. I would so LOVE to remove education from the push-pull of political opinions, but given that public education was born from the need for literate "citizens," I do not think it can ever be separated. As a result, I think teachers need to find a megaphone that works. Unions are great, but they serve a dual purpose because they must protect our jobs and our livelihood. I like that the teachers of the year have formed a political group that intends to go public and lobby with ideas about what is needed in districts, schools, and classrooms. I think they will be difficult for politicians to demonize the way they have the unions. > But also, maybe it's because in the current climate.... do you know > that they are right now arguing about what to do with No Child Left > Behind? In Washington?...... those who want to teach the whole child > are not only a decided minority, but also are being raked over the > coals by people with very loud voices and very deep pockets. Yes. And some of the deep pockets are the companies that sell us professional development, textbooks, and tests. They have a more powerful voice than teachers at present. More of folks from these industries serve on education committees than teachers. We are left out of the discussion more often than not. > That's why it's not off-topic. :-) I stand corrected, but still think it wise to preface with "OT" since it "meanders in the reading comprehension stream." :)Bonita _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
