Ever since I started teaching in 1990, I have been a student voice advocate. Whether it was as a media/English teacher, student leadership advisor or a site leader. I have always believed that students not only have good ideas, but that they may just have new, unique or even better ones. In an effort to find their own voice and place in the world, they may see things that we don’t see or have long been paralyzed to do anything about. In 1999, I saw students address a school’s racial divide and cultural issues by creating a school-wide learning experience (see Harmony at Buchanan High School in this article from USC Rossier's online masters in teaching program). Ever since then, I have believed that projects with real-world outcomes hold some of the greatest potential for helping students become driven, empathetic and engaged citizens. The outpouring of student voice in the wake of the recent tragedy in Parkland, Florida, is a great example. ...
In my 25 years as a teacher, I have met so many of these people you label as #eduhaters. I often wonder how they got that way in the first place and if they could be turned around somehow. They must have gotten into teaching originally for some of the same positive reasons I did, so there must be something buried in there beyond all the negativity. It cannot be fun to be that person. How could someone come to a job every day hating the work they do or the people they work with? If I was an #eduhater, I would find another career, just for the selfish reason that I would want to love my job.
ReplyDelete