I shared this with some colleagues & received this reply - made me think that we still have a long way to go. 8 Things to Look For in Today's Classroom https://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/3586 … via @gcouros I replied saying that while the "words" of support are often given, the "actions" aren't. Here was my friend's response to the blog: I don't think many people would dispute that we need to see more of these attributes demonstrated in classrooms. I have never heard anyone say... • students shouldn't have a voice • students shouldn't have any choice in how or what they learn • students shouldn't be allowed time to think and reflect on their learning • etc... But I wonder... • Do school administrators and upper management REALLY want staff who exemplify, model and teach these qualities? If so, what are they doing to encourage their development? • Do a majority of workplaces and/or secondary institutions REALY want staff/students who exemplify and model these qualities? • Do "compliance" and "doing what you are told" still have a powerful grasp on corporate/education institutions and the people working in them? My response was as follows: I haven’t seen as much “will” as words from upper administration etc. I was chatting with someone today about how the expectation of the new curriculum and the expectations of prior and, likely, current teacher evaluations aren’t coordinated. So, to answer your question, I don’t believe (yet) that upper admin actually show that they want teachers to change how they teach or how classrooms operate. Like the line I once read, “New learning cannot be measured with old measuring tools” implying that if we are asked to measure the old ways, we will teach in a way (an old way) to get those results. I, sadly, still feel that, for the most part, compliance is still the expectation-both from teachers and from students. This won’t change until a radical SYSTEMIC change occurs way up the power ladder. It is important, I believe, for a constant effort by as many teachers and school admins as possible, to implement powerful changes in their classroom and schools so as to make a voice that cannot be ignored (maybe punished but not ignored). *** Here is the image that the original post and discussion revolved around: I think the discussion around employers and higher level educational institutions is also valid ... do they really want the kind of person/learner as described in the above poster? This is worth thinking about.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
CategoriesJames KlassenI am a teacher. I have held various teaching positions, mostly in Abbotsford, BC, Canada, since 1987. I believe that teachers have the opportunity to inspire deep and meaningful learning and that all learners create their knowledge in ways that are connected to their interests and within their social context. I have observed many waves of educational "reform" come and go and remain hopeful that schools will be transformed into places where all learners desire to be creators and consumers of knowledge and that, together, each member of this community will become prepared to face their world in both skills and attitudes. |