Is there one?
I am not suggesting that teachers are not smart people, but I know that teaching can be extraordinarily dull, intellectually speaking. There's an irony here, as many people go into teaching because they love a certain subject and want to share it with others.
This blog post from Social Issues ostensibly talks about why teachers would want to contribute to an open access curriculum wiki when they have so much else to do. I think the argument Waks gives, however, says a lot about the intellectual life of teachers.
What do you guys think?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Throughout my career as a student I can vividly remember both teachers who seemed very passionate about what they taught and really impacted their students and those who seemed to either dislike what they taught or who perhaps were "disheartened" as suggested by the blog post. For those who truly have zeal for a subject I can definitely see how they could feel trapped if they felt they could only cover topics relevant to testing. If teachers feel they must only cover a narrow range of curriculum that they have little control over then they will likely begin to feel as if their personal contributions and passions are of little value. So the fact that teachers would want to contribute to an open access curriculum wiki suggests perhaps that they do feel undermined in their classrooms and are looking for an outlet to be appreciated. The blog mentions the Rescher Principle, which talks about humans and teachers being motivated by the desire to be good and see themselves as good. It suggests that by creating or adding to wikis teachers feel they are doing good in a "concrete, visible way", seeming to propose that perhaps teachers do not feel that they are achieving that goal in their classroom and so instead are pouring their energies into something which seems tangible. The fact that teachers are contributing to these wiki-type sites does seem to imply that many teachers feel restrained by school hierarchies and are looking for outlets where they can feel intellectually stimulated.
I completely agree with Rachel. I had attended public school my whole life up until high school. I transferred out to a college preparatory boarding school in Boston in which my curriculum was turned upside-down. There were no standardized tests, not rebric from which teachers were required to generate their material from. I was exposed to my favorite historian and activist Howard Zinn who wrote "A People's History of the United States" (great read for those of you who haven't read it yet). This book had not been allowed to be a part of the public school curriculum due to its libral nature and questioning of American practices, ideals and authority.
Attending private school allowed my teachers to branch out and bring in things in the classroom that would otherwise have not been allowed in a public school classroom. Much of what is taught is right from the standards and coincides directly with the standardized tests children are given throughout their academic careers. I agree with Rachel that many teachers are looking for outlets in which to express themselves, since they are so censored in their own classrooms.
In our technology class we are learning about all the different types of Wikis and ED 2.0 available out there for teachers and are assigned to play around with the material to see which would be beneficial to us.
I believe most people become teachers to make a difference, we all know it certainly isn't for the money. I too believe many people become teachers for the way of life. Teaching allows us to have the same schedules as our children, to be guarenteed to have weekends, nights, holidays and vacations off to be with our families. Teaching is one of the only professions that is extremely family-oriented thus creating a great appeal towards many, but especially females who historically have been the primary cartakers of children.
Teachers do want to make a difference. They want to inspire and create, and despite the fact that they don't necessarily see results right away, good teachers know when they have positively affected a student and have created a difference in the world.
Teachers may contribute to an open access curriculum or wiki because they want their thoughts or "voice" to be heard on a particular issue, an issue perhaps that is censored in their own classroom, but one in which they are passionate about.
And maybe Rachel is right that they may feel undermined in their own classroom by all of the standards and testing that they have to conform too and this is a way for them to express themselves in a way, that is different than "sticking to the script" per se.
Well said, Rachel – I agree with you, too.
When I left Clemson, some of my fellow English friends/lecturers were reluctant to pursue certification. I knew from the start I wanted to work with children as I taught Children’s Literature and helped coordinate community literacy outreach programs (ages 3-10). Some of my colleagues (since working as a lecturer is only a temporary position) were hesitant to pursue their certification for several reasons: feeling stifled by the curriculum (and testing) and not having the freedom to study more controversial works of literature. This is truly sad to me because we need strong teachers passionate about their field of study – a passion that inspires their students. So, I do agree this open access curriculum wiki gives educators the forum to let their voices be heard and to express their creative inquiry while seeking fresh ideas from others.
I agree with everyone, the only thing that I would like to say is that in our career choice, obtaining a certification is not a hard task so many people do it. I completely agree that sometimes a teacher should be able to go beyond the curriculum but many districts are afraid of the aftermath, how will the students react to the lesson? What will the teacher actually teach? I kind of see both sides of the coin because there has to be some kind of standard for what all students learn in order to progress in their education. Just imagine what school would be like if everyone taught something different.
I feel the same as Rachel. I can ONLY remember those teachers that I knew had a passion for their job, not just because it was putting food on the table. And looking back I remember more from their classes than any other. I think teachers to some degree should be given some freedom so they can relax and do what they originally wanted to do in the first place, change a life. All these standards and do it this way not that way holds many teachers back from really getting through to a lot of kids. I know personally that I am a very creative person but I am afraid that when I start teaching, a lot of my creativity will be taken away from me because I will be pressured to meet the state standards through testing. Give teachers and break and let them express themselves (in an appropriate manner) you just never know the advantage this may have on our educational system in the US.
Post a Comment