Bev...
Kumbaya....Kumbaya... (holding hands here...) Kumbaya...
LOL
You are absolutely right, of course. No one said any of this is easy. What has
happened up to this point, is that so often we teachers just shut our doors and
do what is right for our kids but we never try to go beyond that point.
We ARE all scared...and angry. It is time to be brave...and that courage will
look different depending on our own personalities. Some of us could mentor a
new teacher. Others could create study groups on Ellin's new book... still
others may aspire to take on an administrative role...Once we reach a critical
mass...teachers leading and taking responsibility for their own profession,
then can you imagine what we could do? We just can't shut our doors and take
care of just our own students anymore. There is too much at risk.
Ellin wants us to teach for depth and for understanding. Kids who grow up with
this kind of teaching will not only be productive, but thoughtful. Isn't this
what democracy...what our country requires of us? Isn't this worth fighting
for...working through and past our own fear and uncertainty to try to make a
real difference? Could we fail? Sure. But, you only miss 100% of the shots you
never take.
I know this is more than we bargained for as teachers. We already fight to see
that our students in our classroom get the learning they need and of course we
love them. We put in hours and hours on lesson plans and paper work. We spend
our own money on classroom materials and that should be enough. But it isn't
anymore.
That is why first and formost, I believe that real change and real leadership
needs to come from US. Leadership has to not only be at the school level or the
district level as I talked about in our earlier post. Some of us, perhaps all
of us, need to learn to talk to policy makers..and advocate on behalf of our
children. I have had the chance to do some of this since I live near Washington
DC...and believe me it is hard. I didn't really know what I was doing and I am
pretty sure that 90 percent of the time I was just "yessed" along. BUT a few
times, a few precious times, I did feel I was listened to. And you know what?
It is our cumulative voice that matters. There have been many voices crying out
against the unfair portions of NCLB...and I think that voice is being heard.
How do I know this???
My principal is on the executive board for the National Association of
Elementary Principals. She has had many opportunities over the past few years
to meet with officials in Washington and she has more experience doing so than
I have. She is sure that change is in the air. Suddenly she is being asked for
her opinion on changes to NCLB. She doesn't have to knock on doors...they are
coming to her. After the election is over...watch and see. I bet we will see
change. We, as educators, need to be at that table...insisting on input on how
that change will look. We must be persistant...step out of our comfort zone and
speak up.There are ways to email our congressmen. We must do so. Our kids
depend on us.
In the meantime, I am convinced that little things like professional learning
communities and coteaching can make a difference. If you help even one
colleague develop better teaching practices, you have doubled the amount of
students whose lives you have improved.
Oh, Bev... I am an optimist. I can't help it. If I didn't believe that things
could change and that we can play a part in making that happen, I couldn't go
to work each day.
Jennifer Palmer
Reading Specialist, National Board Certified Teacher
FLES- Lead the discovery, Live the learning, Love the adventure.
"Children grow into the intellectual life around them."
-Vygotsky
________________________________
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Beverlee Paul
Sent: Thu 9/25/2008 6:36 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Understand] For Lori...way too long
I'm leaving the other posts on in this case because there is no single piece
that I'm responding to. As a lit coach, I do know what you are both talking
about. Believe me. But here's the problem.
I hate reverting to politicism when I know people tire of it and would rather
be forward-looking and visionary and proactive and all the things that I'd
certainly rather be. But...let's look at the case of what you are both talking
about. It's what our teachers face every single day as teachers. It's what we
face every day as the teacher of teachers (okay, some poetic license there) and
that's TEST ANXIETY. And it has nothing to do with us taking tests. It has
everything to do with the testing/standards/accountability/NCLB, etcetera mania
that is choking the lives out of us.
I have a feeling none of us (represented in this post) would be impatient and
stressed about change and where different teachers are in the process if we
weren't half crazed over test scores. We're not hyperactive-guinea-pig-acting
naturally. We would remember that things take time and that Rome wasn't built
in a day and things bloom in their own time and we're just here to support you
and just take baby steps and.... But, in the schools I know, things are at
such a frantic, frenetic pace to make everyone above average!!
I teach in a school where 70% of our children receive free and reduced lunch
and there are many other factors that might discourage us. I don't mind at all
what child walks in our doors, as long as he can get himself in or we can help
her get in. They're all welcome. But then we're told that they have to
___________ and to _________ and to __________ and they have to do it tomorrow
or "the state will take over the school."
Do you think that makes me patient and accepting of our less-developed teachers
when I know there's a better mousetrap out there that would help them catch
more mice--more humanely--and they just don't want to know about it yet? Even
though I know that "change is thrilling and exhilerating if you're doing it
yourself, but terrifying if it's being done to you"? Even if I know it's
better to go slower, think deeper, and take it one step at a time?
And then let's pass that on down. Do you think those very teachers are ready
to experiment with doing something new or take a risk or change a leaf when all
they hear is AYP threats? And then how accepting are they of their little ones
which are doing the best they can, but that's not better than 70% of the kids
across America so their progress is marginalized?
Now...Jennifer's response is the thoughtful response that belongs here and that
Lori needs and wants. And I can justify all this rant only by saying it's not
fun walking in any of our Birkenstocks these days, whether they're tiny pink
ones or well-worn brown. But here's why I'm writing it:
We are in the position where if it's to be, it's up to...us. And while we need
to do all the things Jennifer recommended, maybe what we need at the core is to
understand that NOONE LEARNS IN FEAR--including soccer teachers in mini-vans.
There's only so long that warm fuzzies are appropriate, but I think it helps my
impatience when I can put myself in others' shoes, which I certainly can in
this Blame Game we live in in education today.
Our teachers are sometimes just scared to take chances.
Okay, that's enough for me today. Sometimes we do have to just hold hands and
sing Kumbaya.
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