“Are
we doing what is best for our students or are we doing what is most convenient
for us?”
To
answer this question, I think you need to look at individual teachers. There
are definitely teachers who teach for convenience and are just trying to take
the easy road and teach what is required of them. However, there are also
teachers who not only teach the curriculum provided to them, but also go above
and beyond, trying to give their students an enriching learning experience.
Let’s
look at the first option. Education is based highly on standardized testing
these days. It is not uncommon to hear teachers 3rd grade and above
talking about preparing their students for the FCAT and how everything they are
teaching is for that purpose. I believe that we can easily get lost in teaching
to the test. There are also teachers who are simply teaching out of the
textbook, making sure to hit the required standards, but not engaging their
students. I am not saying that teaching to the standards is bad, just that
there is so much more to expand on. They are teaching for convenience.
Looking
at the other side, there are teachers who truly are doing what is best for
their students. I work part time with a Kindergarten teacher, helping out the
struggling students in her class. It is amazing to see the experiences that she
gives these students. Her classroom is so busy (in a good way) with new,
exciting activities every day. Technology can play a significant part in
creating these experiences for our 21st century students. We have a
Promethean board in our classroom and it is enlightening to see the students’
faces light up when they are called to come up to the board and interact with
it. Although, there are so many technological resources out there for teachers
that are not being used. Think about how much our kids these days crave the use
of technology. Whether it is playing video games, posting on Facebook, texting
on smart phones, playing music on iPods, etc., they associate these items with something
fun. Therefore when we bring technology into the classroom and give our
students the opportunity to use it in an educational setting, it is easily
going to enhance their learning. Unfortunately technology is expensive and not
everybody can afford it. However, there are inexpensive ways to get started and
integrate some technology into your classroom.
So
overall, it is up to teachers as to whether they teach for convenience or do
what is best for their students. Teaching is a demanding job. As a first year
teacher last year, I completely understand how easy it could be to do the bare
minimum. It is not easy getting up at the crack of dawn to go in and prepare
things for the day and then go home and have a mile high stack of papers to grade.
The work is never-ending. The feeling you get, however, when you see the
delight in your students’ eyes and see the light bulb go off, over and over
again, makes it all worth it. Stop teaching for your convenience and give your
students your best! They deserve it!
Hi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. As one of those teachers being required to teach to a test I can totally relate. I like you have found that the more I can move away from the textbook the more the students learn and stay engaged. It's become just a supplemental item in my lessons.
Though I do agree that teaching strictly to standards and following curriculum only can look on the surface as looking for the convenient way to teach, it runs a bit deeper than that. As you mentioned many 3rd grade and up teachers are teaching to tests. At my school I am required to only teach to the standards and to follow a curriculum map. Any majors outside of that must have a really good explanation attached to them. I do squeeze in small highlights here and there that are connected to what I am required to teach. These real life topics outside of test standards really cause my students to perk up and become inquisitive which proves the point that you were trying to make.
I also have noticed as you have that my students crave technology. Some of the most engaging lessons are ones where I move from CPS clickers to work in a document camera. I then move to internet streamed to my projector through a laptop, and then add in a splash of traditional with work on the chalkboard. All of this in a single lesson holds at least 95% of my students' attention.
I too know demands of teaching, but feel if you aren't ready to put your students first you need to choose another career. It sounds like you do this with a lot of heart and determination.
Thanks again for the blog,
Lydia
Hello Tiffany!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that some teachers just do what is expected of them while others go above and beyond. I have seen the teachers that don't care and it is actually sad because they even admit that they hate their job and they are just there because they feel there is nothing else they can do. I have also seen the teachers that go the extra mile and it impressive how different the children in those classrooms react to learning and going to school. They are much more positive and eager to learn.
We also have some promethean boards at my school. Unfortunately I don't have one in my classroom because I teach second grade. (The school only got them for grades 3 and above because they said they were more important because of FCAT) I see the same thing you mentioned in your blog. Some of these teachers that have the prometheans don't even use them and are actually annoyed to have them because they have no interest in learning how to use them. I know there are some of us in the primary grades that would do anything to have one in our classrooms!
Like you said, these children are playing with all kinds of gadgets at home. They are so stimulated by all this technology that when they come to school and they don't get that, they become bored.
I also agree with you in the rewarding aspect of this profession. In spite of everything we go through, just seeing that child that others thought would never make learning gains be successful in your class is payment in itself!
Larisa Kivett
Hi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteYour blog was well written. You make a good point about teachers who teach third grade and above having frustration about limited curriculum dictated by standards. This can only be exacerbated by pressures not only from administrators, but from parents who expect high results as well. Sadly, my friends who are graduating from education programs are desperately seeking positions in second grade and below.
Also, I would be interested to hear about teachers in the lower grades and how they build curriculum to support the future standards their students must meet. Those foundational years can be as demanding if not more so just by nature of the developmental age of the child.
It must be very rewarding working with the classroom teacher you support. And the Promethean Board is a terrific tool. Do you have learner response systems as well? We use Mimio at our school which is good but our budget was very limited.
Thanks,
Cyndi Cunningham.
Hi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI like your thinking and agree with you so much, it is completely and individualized answer. I am a new teacher and I see so many teachers that teach what is convenient for them and teach the bare minimum and never go outside the box.
It is very sad when so many students could really be interested if you just sparks their curiosity and made things appealing. I work with what I can and what is available. I only want to see students being given the best, you are right the do deserve it, they are our future.