Carol Were you on the list at the beginning when Peter posted "Good is the enemy of great?" I think that is what you are fighting here and once again there are no easy answers at all. It has been said so often that "Change is hard" that it sounds trite, but it is really very true. I think, once again, we are tackling leadership issues. I am no expert and maybe you have already tried this, but my first thought is to find the 'go-ers'---the ones most likely to be interested in trying something new. Approach them by giving them a chance to help YOU. Maybe you could tell them you are playing with the ideas you've been reading about and ask to borrow their class to try some things out rather than offer to model a lesson. That way, they aren't being put on the defensive. They are helping you and that is flattering to them. It is likely to be very powerful learning for a teacher if students respond to you with some great thinking that they normally don't give their teacher. And remember---TTT (Things Take Time!) I also wonder, after reading your post, what your school-board believes rigor to be. Often it is just defined as higher level books or more homework rather than more thinking. Jennifer In a message dated 4/19/2008 5:41:47 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
On page 57, "We must do what is hardest of all--rethink what we believe is already working" really resonated with me. I am so fortunate to be in a district that embraces best practices and allows teachers to implement exactly what Ellin speaks of in this book. But, and here is the sad part, teachers are very unwilling to take a critical look at what they already do. The students score quite well on state tests, yet our board of education has challenged us by saying to the junior high teachers that our curriculum is not rigorous enough. When I have given teachers some reflection time, they become very defensive because for so long they have been told they are excellent teachers. And they are VERY GOOD teachers. But I was also a very good teacher, and I never stopped searching for how to improve my teaching to help my students understand. Have any of the rest of you solved this problem? If so how? **************Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp00300000002851) _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
