By Guest Blogger Terese
I woke up today thinking, “How did I get here?”
Just a few short years ago I was teaching fourth graders, working hard to do the best job I could and otherwise minding my own business. On Tuesday I was at the state Capitol, talking with a legislator about an amendment to a bill that had just been proposed.
What happened in between is a long story. But out of my experiences I have developed a belief that is now central to everything I do. I spend my days thinking about it, planning, trying to figure out what to do next. I toss and turn at night, problem solving. I am dedicated to promoting what I believe in every way that I can.
I believe in the power of teachers’ voices.
Now I’ll be honest. Seven years ago I would probably not have just clicked on the “read more” link. When I was in the classroom, I was completely focused on doing the very best job I could for the kids who were with me every day. I’d receive messages suggesting that I invite my legislator in for a day, or that I write a letter, but I just assumed there were other, smarter people who would do that on my behalf. I knew what I knew, and that was teaching and learning. What if they asked a question about something else that I couldn’t answer? I thought it best to just leave that all to the experts.
Those who knew me then will attest that I am the most unlikely person to end up focused on promoting teacher voices. But life has a funny way of unfolding, doesn’t it? Six years ago I took a job that placed me smack in the middle of state policy discussions. Those stories could fill a book! But somewhere along the way I had an epiphany: Teachers are THE experts on teaching and learning. No one knows what kids need better than really excellent teachers. No one. But what teachers know is most often locked inside their own heads, and practiced solo inside the four walls of their own classrooms.
Meanwhile, people who I know have the very best intentions make really important decisions. Most have never been teachers, so they navigate education policy using all the information they can gather to make decisions that they believe are right for kids. I know that better decisions can be made if that information comes directly from excellent teachers, speaking from their vast knowledge and experience, about every aspect of their practice. It only makes sense.
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to stand alongside my NBCT colleague and friend Mindy and talk to a legislator about what I know. I had the chance to speak for myself about what I thought was the best course of action. The legislator listened and then explained her position. It was a respectful conversation; nothing was intimidating or adversarial. We just talked.
Now I’m wondering what that experience can teach me about the power of teachers’ voices. I know that seven years ago I was correct in my thinking that if I didn’t speak, someone would speak for me. Important decisions were made then too, based on what good-intentioned people believed were best for kids. What could present-day-me say to back-then-me to explain that I don’t have to feel like an expert in everything to engage in those discussions myself? Being an expert in teaching and learning is more than enough. Everyone has been in a school, if no other time than as a student, and so everyone has ideas about what schools should do. But only an excellent teacher understands the complexity of teaching and learning. Teaching expertise is held by a relatively small number of people in this world, and those who have it must share it.
I find myself imagining that argument working on a broad scale. What might happen if all the excellent teachers in this state and nation talked to decision makers about what is important? Just respectfully talked about what they know and believe. Just spoke for themselves about their kids, their experiences, and what they know makes sense for schools? I personally believe that doing so will change everything.
And so for this day, and for the tossing and turning I will do tonight and many nights to come, I have one big question for myself: What can I do to help make that happen?
Terese is a National Board Certified Teacher and the Associate Director at the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession.
Hi Terese – I really enjoyed your post. Im currently a student with a dual concentration in education and management studies. I plan to continue my education by pursuing an MPP degree to be able to work on education policy issues. I have been told that I need to teach for a few years to support by decision-making and voice on the matters. Your post supports those notions. Im wondering if you have any tips that you can share as I go forward or if you could possibly help along this journey. Thanks in advance and thanks again for a great post!
A respectful tone can help to show the shared vision. I think the shared vision in education is lost so the tone must be off.
Thanks all, for weighing in on this post. I love lots of things about Stories from School, but right now I’m thinking about how much I appreciate the respectful discourse and tone here, especially when there is disagreement. I think our kids would be better served if this was the norm in all of our small and big conversations around teaching and learning…especially when there is disagreement.
Terese, true, if you do not speak for yourself, someone else will. There will always be someone else who will. Teachers are typically a meek group. I am sure it is not nature or nurture, just the way it is. Or maybe it is because teachers are so focused on the well being of the students in their classes, that anything outside of the realm of how to help Jimmy feel the love of reading, is not on the minds of teachers. It makes sense. Teachers work hard; are expected to solve problems outside the realm of school; and are doing so with fewer and fewer resources. This is not to say that this is a situation that plagues education only. I am well aware that there are economic problems in all areas of America and many professions are hit. I have friends now, for the first time in my life, who are unemployed because of layoffs. Professional jobs. Jobs for which they went to extended school programs.
What is the exact answer? I will not profess to say. However, I will say that everyone should voice their thoughts so that there is a symphony of ideas and everyone can be heard and feel that they have been heard so that we can come up with solutions. We are America after all. Shouldn’t a first rate education system be paramount in our country, or is that just something we hear about in mythical places like the Netherlands?
Good post. Thank you for making me think aloud. I will take this to coffee with my colleagues tomorrow.
ps…readers should now go check out Tom’s So What Now? post if you really want to continue to get your nerve up to share your thoughts, https://www.storiesfromschool.org/2009/04/so-now-what.html
Great piece, Terese. Even teachers who have demonstrated their excellence via National Board Certification or other awards and measures have to push themselves to speak out on the practice and issues they know best.
There’s something about the word “efficiency,” applied to teaching, that grates on my thinking. There are lots of things in life we ought to do with all due efficiency–from balancing tires to delivering the mail. But when it comes to teaching, we have let our fear of being seen as soft-headed or non-rigorous keep us from telling the truth: in life, raising and teaching children are not activities where our highest goals are quantitatively measurable, in terms of speed, standardization or cost.
There was an article in the Sacramento Bee today, about a HS where the principal is holding several test prep assemblies, dividing the students by race, since varying races have different scoring profiles. His argument is that he’s targeting the “correct” incentives and preparation techniques to maximize score gains. It’s all very…efficient. And horrifying.
It really is an issue of wanting to hit the “read more” button. I did. more on that later.
You’re fortunate to have such an experienced, insightful dad, Mark. I wish him well, also. And, yes, I remember the admonition, begin with the end in mind. I’ve found that advice useful in more ways than teaching.
That makes more sense, Bob–you’re saying in essence that the analysis/planning of teaching begins with attention to how learning happens. Of course. I take for granted that some teachers don’t plan that way. I remember my dad (a great teacher, 35 years) saying what was likely a 20th century buzz phrase: “begin with the end in mind,” always have in mind where you want the students to go. However, what was implicit in his mind (and in mine, since I’ve learned much about teaching from him) is that you begin with the end in mind, but also with the learners in mind, otherwise it doesn’t matter where you’re going because you don’t know from where you are beginning.
I suspect that teachers understand how to give priority to learning, but thanks for asking Mark.
Distinguish between how people learn, the processes and facts of the lesson, and instructal processes. Planning and conducting lessons in that sequence gives priority to learning. Most of the instructors’ time and effort occurs in the planning. That yields a more productive classroom lesson for all.
By learning efficiency, Tom, I’m referring to the technical calculation/estimation of ratios of teacher and venue input to learning results. Teachers and students can, and some do, measure them routinely.
Yes, I agree that I have used the circular reasoning that my good teachers taught me more than others.
It took me much consternation to realize that I really learned more from those that were the most direct with how I should show what I learned, more in the Stand and Deliver mode than waiting for results of a test or concert performance.
Yes?
And, thank you, Teachers, for your guidance.
I am very confused about how to give priority to student learning over teaching. (I get the schooling rhetoric angle). How do you give priority to learning without attending to quality teaching? I don’t understand how gathering data will increase student learning if there is no attention paid to the teaching which produces that data/result? I think the two must be always examined in concert, never separately, with the critical question being a combo in itself: What are my students learning and what did I do that resulted in that learning? This way, if the learning targets are not met, we can analyze why. If the learning targets are met, we can analyze why. Taking just one half of that question, regardless of which half, will simply leave us spinning in circles.
Excellent post, Terese. I agree; there’s no substitute for the voice of excellent teachers as important decision are being made about this state’s education system. And I know full well that you and Mindy made this state a better place to learn by your work last week in Olympia.
I have to take exception with your comment, Bob, concerning teaching and learning. I don’t know what kind of teachers you had growing up, but I know that in my experience, the teachers who taught the best helped me learn the most. And in 25 years of teaching, I’ve seen the direct connection between good teaching and good learning. And vice versa.
You’re absolutely right, though, in your point about efficiency. If anybody knows about efficiency it’s a classroom teacher. These yogurt-cup saving, used-book buying, scrap-paper using people have been making do with less for far longer than your 100 years of documentation. If they only had the time (and the voice) they could probably turn this state’s economy right-side up in no time.
A good post. Thanks for sharing. You offer a reasonable question, “What can I do?”
Please consider this: Education’s a messy political business.
Some of us, including public policy makers and philanthropists, look for hints of these actions from educators (certified and not):
1. Give priority to student learning over teaching and schooling rhetoric. Schooled people know that learning, teaching, and schooling are not necessarily related and professional expertise is relative to whatever political end is sought.
2. Increase learning efficiency. Document and share specific superior ways that policy makers can support in order for students to obtain higher academic performance rates with fewer resources. Over 100 years of such documents exist in professional literature, a politically neutral source.
Respectfully, make complicated issues you describe simple in order for policy makers to do what they do: strike political compromises that offer you part of what you want even as others want something else. Decide which part of your wish list you want first.
Yes, politicans will likely make compromises with or without teacher voices as inputs #1 – 3?