Seth Godin’s blog has a recent article about watching the money. And he’s quite right.
But this means that you should also investigate what sort of learning your childrens’ teachers do. Do they buy books about teaching and learning? Are they reading in their subject area? Are they passionate about English literature, or the Beat poets? Do they quote William Shakespeare regularly?
We as teachers have to be learners as well. If we’re not on both sides of the desk, so to speak — if we don’t experience the “aha!” or “got it!” moment from time to time… well, then. What are we in this business for?
Andrew,
Good to see you show up in my comments today! The nomination is well deserved, I assure you. The glimpses you offer into your teaching life have compelled me in turn.
Like today, with regards to parents knowing what teachers are learning. I had a parent compliment and thank me for the class’ blogging, as the view offered of the students’ learning was appreciated, but moreso for a better look at the rationale and teaching philosophy expressed through my part of the blog (most of which centers around the integration of tech in the class).
I teach English and history to grade nines and tens (14 – 15), but this isn’t reflected to a great extent in my blogging (or professional development other than my leisure reading – relegated to holidays – and general consumption of all things (especially: locally) historical), as our province has moved away from an emphasis on the Western Canon’s finer moments toward literal, physical, visual and oral communication (both the viewing and reading of varied material, and diverse representations). My passion – which began with the Beat Poets, Hemingway and Gabriel Garcia Marquez – has become more focused on making students’ communication skills as relevant and empowering as possible. It’s not that we don’t read the classics (our traditional curriculum includes To Kill a Mockingbird, Gatsby, Shakespeare, Lord of the Flies, Homer et al), but I sometimes think that what our students will remember – and utilize – once they’re out in the world won’t be the books (unless by then all books are Kindles and they nostalgically remember the strangeness of them).
And if I were a math teacher I may well feel the same. Curriculums are increasingly merely the ways we teach students the skills required of tomorrow’s citizens. How is literature (and perhaps history lecturing could be included here, too) affected by technology the steady march on your coast?
Look forward to learning with you through the blogs,
Bryan