Shift in Thinking

My title is Secondary Science Instructional Coach.  Sounds pretty official, right?  I like it.  I also like what I do.  In a nutshell, I get to be the ultimate resource for teachers in my department, mostly for the science department, but really I would help anyone who wanted it.  I took this position mainly because I felt I could help more students be successful in school than I can with just the students I am given in my own "little" classes.  (Little means I average about 35 students per class and that is in a good, non-budget cutting year.)

I have learned a lot in my new position and I have had a shift in my educational thinking.  I totally don't buy into the whole maybe it's not the fish, it's the water bullshit, but I do believe that there may be things that we are adding to the water that is making it difficult for our little guppies to swim.

The biggest complaint I hear from teachers is "I don't have enough time to get through my curriculum."  Then I walk by a classroom and the students are watching a movie.  Well, they aren't really watching.  I guess they're supposed to take notes or answer some questions on a worksheet, but they're not really watching it.  On other days I walk by and I see students doing anything and everything but their work and the teacher is at their desk doing God knows what on their computers.  I have even seen some teachers read the paper in class.  So when I hear "I don't have time" I say are you "teaching" from bell-to-bell.

I hear teachers complain that students these days, for the most part, are broken.  They come from broken homes, they are apathetic, they are addicted to drugs, they are disrespectful, etc, etc.  (BTW, teachers complain A LOT.)  Then I read research on the single most important factor to a child's education: Teachers.  Now, if the teacher is busy complaining about the student instead of educating them, who is the broken one?  I'm not saying that all those factors aren't obstacles for teachers, and I'm also not saying they don't have valid issues.  Teachers are, in my opinion, the single most important factor in a child's education.  This is definitely not saying that those other factors are not important, but teachers play a huge role. 

Teachers complain that they have no home support, therefore the student is doomed to failure.  I say what have you done to get the parent involved in the student's education?  Have you called home?  If that was unsuccessful, did you try to find another adult that does support that student's education?  Maybe there is a role model program that you can recommend for that student.  Maybe you could be that student's support.

Teachers complain that students don't come to school.  (Well, they do come to school for the most part, they are just skipping your class.)  I say what have you done to make your class inviting and engaging to students?  You don't have to throw a party or entertain them, you are not a party planner or circus clown, but you do have to make your subject matter interesting.  So many times I observe a class where the students are sitting at their desks, texting, doodling, daydreaming, poking their eyes out with their pencils (ok, maybe that's just me) and the teacher is at the front of they class lecturing.  Who the hell wants to sit through 45 minutes of someone else talk about cell theory?  You have to get the students doing other things.  There are so many strategies out there that move away from the lecture/note model of teaching that the kids actually do.  My kids LOVED doing foldable.  It got them using their hands and they had to put some thought into what they were doing.  They could also use it to *gasp* study from.  I never had a student refuse to do a foldable.  Even if they copied someone other student's foldable, they are still learning something.

There are a plethora of other complaints that I hear from teachers but I'm blogging, nor and I writing a novel.  I am also guilty of complaining about these very same and REAL issues.  Yes, there are hurdles that the DOE and government throw at us because a group of legislators or people who have not seen a classroom in years thinks that they know what is best for out students.  But if we are truly doing our best and using best practices and learning strategies in our classrooms, then maybe we wouldn't have so much to complain about and we can get back to doing what we do best: educating our children.