The "Thanks" go to Ms. Marlarkey and Jules of Mildly Melancholy. They are 2 excellent teachers who are questioning if teaching under the DoE is right for them. They are not "cookie cutter" teachers, or what I have been calling the "DoE Stepford Wives".
I'm sorry if it appears I'm characterizing them as such (I'm not), as I respect them both. The "cookie-cutter" teacher is simply a notion that's popular among "reformers," and in trying to create them, they dissuade thoughtful writers like Jules and Ms. Malarkey.
These same people often propose discarding any and all certification procedures. The ideal, for them, is less educated, less qualified, less particular and less paid folks reading from scripts, who would indeed fit the Stepford mold.
I don't think certification necessarily ensures a good teacher, but tests and certification methods can be revised. I'm fairly certain the time-honored NYC practice of hiring those who repeatedly fail basic competency tests is not the answer either.
I should have been clearer. I know you didn't mean that.
I meant there are teachers out there that are cookie cutters, and those teachers rely on the scripts given. I taught with many teachers who had no idea had to expand upon a lesson or be able to alter it to meet the needs of their students. I have seen 5th grade bulletin boards that look like the work of 2nd graders. These teachers do not feel the stress that we feel because we know we can take students to a whole new level of thinking and learning. But, test prep does not allow us to do that.
I think that this point is much neglected and it is definitely a high-priority item to avoid paying pensions now, later, or ever. And any money the city gets for pensions it never pays is gravy. Bloomberg knows what he's doing.
Good and caring teachers are not wanted by the DOE. Don't reach out to the students, don't question the insane directives by the DOE, and don't complain about imposed curriculum. If you do any of this you will find yourself subject to false or fticky-tac charges and be added to the ever increasing teachers population in the "rubber Room".
My friend's daughter teaches 2nd grade in that Kathleen Cashin's region using whatever gimmicky "eduslogan". She was supposed to teach a certain program, but the teachers' manuals never appeared, at least not by the middle of September. She was anxious about teaching without that manual. I'm sorry, but we who had nothing "back then" created reading programs out of dust, creativity, and plain hard work. Many of us had to be resourceful, and we were. This new generation of teachers, whether trained or harvested from other career paths, just doesn't appear to have the spark that inspired us to teach and do what we had to do to achieve what we could with the kids, often in "the ghetto". Thanks to the late great seniority transfer, there was a way out at some point in our careers. All the people I was ever friendly with in any school were always great, creative, effective teachers. A few went on to greener pastures, such as a principalship in Scarsdale or just a teaching job in the suburbs. All of us never really depended on the administration for real supplies. In "the ghetto", senior teachers advised and informally mentored us; I still use some tricks and approaches I learned from those master teachers. We had programs, but they never were enough. There was so much creative energy in those days; it's no longer valued, so being creative is just not part of new teachers' repetoires. In spite of that,I'm hoping there are some new teachers finding some new paths while looking like they're using "the program" correctly. Much of the heart and soul of my profession has been stolen by government control of education.
Ms. T, you said a mouthful. YOu sound like my kind of woman!
Thanks, PO'd. These blogs gives us like-minded people the opportunity to communicate with one another....
On a totally unrelated topic (but thinking you all would know), is there any regulation against mini refrigerators in the classroom? Or is this simply another way to make us miserable?
Some one touches my fridge and I'll end up in the rubber room on assault charges!
Unitymustgo!
Are you really calling for the return of lit anthologies and class sets of novels (that are probably 10 years old)? Are you, with all due respect, seriously claiming that taking these things out of classrooms reduces children's ability to foster a love of reading?
My goodness, how I WISH my school had had reading workshop-- I was an avid reader, but alas my lit anthology had only edited excerpts of works out of context, and our class novels? Blech. How I wish my reading classes had looked like the ones in my current school--every kid is READING a book that he or she chose, during class, sharing recommendations with each other, becoming stronger readers who are able to not just decode but interpret and analyze with sophistication, and they are not just regurgitating what *I've* told them is important to know about this book.
Sorry, but just as some of you feel passionately about wanting things to go back to the "good old days", some of us are passionate that a different way might be even more exciting.
I'd like to suggest that you find a school where reading workshop works to visit. You might see a different perspective.
oh, and by the way, if you want the whole class to share the same book, just do it as a read aloud. Not a big deal.
Hap, I'm not the author of the post, so I'm speaking for myself. But consider this. Sure, a mediocre anthology or novel taught by an uninspired teacher could be deadening. But my fondest high school memories are of the round-table class discussions (that's right, CLASS discussions) of Faulkner, Shakespeare, Milton, and other authors. Do you really think Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying" would work as a read-aloud?
The "bad old days" of "traditional" teaching have been flagrantly misrepresented. Some may have had a dreary time of it during whole-class discussion and required reading; others may have been inspired and ignited for life. It depends on the student, of course, but even more on the quality of the literature and teaching.
I am teaching my English Language Learner students The Old Man and the Sea (unabridged, unadulterated), starting today. I can't wait, and the kids are excited too. I purchased the class set myself, as well as the DVD starring Spencer Tracy, partly on Teacher's Choice funds. I am taking them on a field trip to the aquarium. As we read, we will keep track of the fish in the novel so that we can look for them there. That's only one of many angles we'll take on the novel, of course. I am so excited about the unit, it overcomes some of my other discouragements.
Independent reading is an important part of any reading program. But it should not replace whole-class reading. A teacher cannot read all the books that the students are reading on their own, and is thus not in a position to offer guidance beyond a basic level. In whole-class discussions, the situation is entirely different; the teacher can and should offer knowledge and insights about the book, while drawing ideas out of the students.
Many go into teaching with hopes of doing that sort of thing. When they find out that the schools don't exactly encourage it (to put it mildly), some quit teaching altogether, others move on to private schools or the suburbs, and still others teach literature "on the sly." Sad.
As someone who was trained in Columbia Reading/Writing workshops during their Summer Institutes, I don't believe anyone is saying to remove the workshop model entirely. I try to find ways to incorporate all styles into my lessons because it is impossible for one mode to work for all my students. (And I have seen many different methods over the years.)
Reading workshop for me is impossible to even implement correctly with the amount of test prep. Now the city's practice test is upon us, and from the time we mark them (Election Day) to January, this will be the main focus.
One can incorporate the workshop model when doing even an "old fashioned" basal--especially when trying to teach comprehension of the "bumpy parts". Children still use post its to point out the parts they didn't understand or make connections. It's also an eye-opener for teachers because phrases or words we think students understand, they really don't. It really helps assessing needs when there is no time to spare. It's easier to go back to the individual model after the ELA.
As for using all students reading the same book, you can put them into groups and use Literature Circles.
The bottom line is that initiating a love for reading should be our first concern, but sometimes getting down to the basic instruction is necessary.
Commenting by HaloScan
