hello everyone,
here is an article that John forwarded along to us to read..many of the same authors from the last Good Seeds article that we looked at earlier this year. 3 Strands Form Strong School Leadership
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Suggested Reading from John D'Auria2 comments to Suggested Reading from John D’AuriaYou must be logged in to post a comment. |
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Hello,
As I look at this article and read the various drill downs, I am increasingly struck by how the ‘teacher’s role’ as we’re asked to define it, relies on the school setting. It is a partnership between administration, students and teachers (sorry for restating the obvious). If a school does not have scheduled collaborative time, it may be difficult for a new teacher to find a place in this niche. Perhaps we should talk about a teacher’s willingness to seek out peers for opportunities to collaborate where no opportunities exist.
This article makes the presumption that whether effective or not, there are meetings happening in the schools.
As I sat in the January meeting I wondered frequently if there is room in our document to discuss the ideal setting. Even as we define what teachers do, it is easier to do in a high functioning environment. I have worked in environments where teachers did their job, and were rewarded for keeping their heads down and mouths shut. Needless to say this system collapsed. For several years the school experienced teacher turn over at a rate of 80% a year. But in the midst of this dysfunction, teacher leaders made certain students met benchmarks, graduated, and applied to and were accepted to top-notch colleges. Teachers who kept to certain standards (not disparaging peers, especially in front of students—not taking advantage of sick time—meeting professional responsibilities) fared the best. Teachers who worked outside of these standards became bitter, and some left the profession all together.
I wonder if there is room to talk about what a teacher does in an ideal setting, and what a teacher does to foster improvement in a transitional or poorly functioning environment. There is some underlying commitment teachers have that allow them to work for years in a school that is experiencing problems. I think it is important to unpack this.
The three elements outlined in this article are an interesting focal point and do seem to be the cornerstone of our work.
Academic collaboration (usually set by state and district_
Shared Beliefs and Values (more challenging)
Productive Professional Relationships (potentially the most challenging)
–Kimberly
Kimberly: As a teacher I couldn’t agree more with you. As a matter of fact I have brought this issue up often, especially in the steering committee when they charge us with keeping solely to the idea of teacher to teacher standards. I have a VERY hard time doing this because so much of the professional culture has to do with the atmosphere or climate created by the administrator at the helm. As you say if there is no time for collaboration built in it is left to the teachers to collaborate on their own time or on the fly which is less than optimal and I am not sure can be an expectation for a teacher. Can teachers agree to read a professional article or book together on their own? Of course, but it should not be what we would “expect” to see. I fear that more is being piled on the teacher’s plate (or should I say buffet table) without the time to get it done. Further how can you measure values and beliefs? Most teachers when asked would say they believe that “all children can learn but can it be measured?