Read Will's post AND the comments because reading it all made me realize this about myself: I suck!
I must be a fraud. I'm not who you think I am!
People in the edublogger community who once thought I was a great teacher would be appalled if they came into my room! Why?
- I also have rules about sharpening pencils. Have you ever had 6 students get up to sharpen their pencils while they should be working on something else. While they are sharpening they are horsing around? All the while you are trying to read with a small group of students? Truly, there HAS to be some organization in a classroom. My rule? Sharpen pencils in the morning and afternoon. Otherwise, take one of my golf pencils (you know the short ones with no erasers?)
- I also thank parents for sending in white board markers and copy paper because I've already spent $800. of my own money this school year alone. Every little bit helps. By the way, I still need sticky notes, if you'd like to send me some. I'll thank you too.
- I often use the textbook as a guide or [GASP] teach from it, because I HAVE to teach to standards and I have to teach 5 subjects every single day and I don't have time to create a project-based activity for every single lesson.
- If I had a parent send me "helpful" emails and copy the principal on them, I would find myself watching my words with such a parent more carefully than I would ordinarily like.
- If I had a parent who told their child he/she can ignore my homework because the parent felt it was unnecessary.... the child will still be held responsible for the homework.
- My students have assigned seats. They are allowed to talk when the talk is meaningful and productive. They are not allowed to talk when someone else is speaking to the group. My students are sitting where "I," THE TEACHER, determine each student can do their best work.
And there's lots more rules! Yes, I have rules in my room. Sometimes I even have to invent more based on some things that occur repeatedly. Often times, I can let rules go because I see the students have adapted beautifully.
And you know what? Despite all these terrible things I do, practically every day I hear from one or more parent that their child is so happy to be in my class. I also hear from former students and parents and administrators and others, but then again, what do they know?
They're not edubloggers.
73 comments:
Nice post, Lee. I have a draft post sitting in my Edublog account right now about the backlash against teaching "compliance" in school. Guess what? Everyone in a while, we all have to comply with rules. Kids need to learn that. If it's the ONLY thing I'm teaching, then I'm doing it wrong. But it is a lifeskill to be taught in certain circumstances.
As a teacher starting her 2nd year back in the classroom after more than a decade in other tech positions, I feel the same pull and push from both sides that you feel.
Oops, sorry. That should be "Every once in a while...". Passion and rushed typing leads to typo's. ;-)
Well, if having rules and consequences makes you suck, I am right there with you. I also have assigned seats when they are warranted, which is often. GOOD teachers do all of these things your said in response to the students they have in their rooms. From what I read in Alec's tweets, he seemed more concerned about what the teacher said than the order of the chairs.
I had a recent rant on my blog about the people 'in' edtech who don't actually work with students who seem to have all the answers. I know in my heart that YOU have a good share of the answers for YOUR kids in YOUR classroom. The people who rant about the way it 'should' be typically aren't DOING it in a classroom. I am not intending to implicate anyone in the conversation last night, but there is a huge dark movement of 'experts' who know so very little about my sweet children in my room.
Sure, everyone should TRY new things to reach the kids and I do more than most. But, sometimes, the textbook is the way for some kids to get a grasp on information that YOU will be judged on via high-stakes tests. That is a simple fact that everyone who spends 8-20 hours a day in classroom knows.
Keep inspiring us with the unique spirit you bring to education....because if you are like me, you will take the reality of love and respect of those parents and, more importantly, students to heart and leave the pontificating experts to hash out what could have been.
For the record, while my initial reaction was to the desks, it was what was said afterwards (and throughout the night) that made my fears deepen. I've kept most of these things to myself because I don't feel it is fair to the teacher to specify any further, out of context, from one-side of the story.
I know rules and a sense of order are important in teaching & learning, and any judgment based on *only* the classroom seating arrangement or say 'pencil sharpening' rules wouldn't be just or fair.
And my story, and my approach in all of this, is from the parent perspective - a parent in this case who has had the privilege to have seen literally hundreds of classrooms, and the best and worst of practice possible. For my children, I just want to do what is best for the them - and I'll do that as a vocal and active parent with full knowledge of the options available to us.
Great post, Lee. I like you "suck". Without rules and expectations that are clearly known, the high school classroom is CHAOS! Keep on keepin' on! @mikespeaksout