Delusions of great teaching
By Reed Gillespie |
| photo credit: sfjalar via photopin cc |
Walking into Mr. Golden’s middle school classroom, I immediately noticed the relatively bare walls—the few existing posters probably had been hanging since the school opened. Students, who would only be called by their last names preceded by Mr. or Ms., filed into the class in an orderly manner. They sat, took out their notebooks and prepared for the day’s lecture.
Mr. Golden's lectures were relatively dry and student interaction was minimal. After the lecture, students completed a desk assignment. Only after completion of this individual work would students begin to talk as they moved into their pre-assigned groups to prepare for their weekly quiz.
Every day was the same—lecture, individual work, cooperative learning.
For the first two weeks, I wondered why my college placed me in this class. What was I to learn from this robotic, formulaic teacher? I soon learned the answer.
One day while the students were on a field trip, Mr. Golden got right to the heart of the matter, “You probably think my lessons are pretty boring and lack something.” Before I could even muster an apologetic, “No,” he began to explain. “I haven’t always taught like this. But this is what the students need (nearly 100% were poor, minority students from tough neighborhoods). For many students, this is the only structured and predictable thing in their lives.”
Could this style work?
Over the next couple of weeks, I began to realize he was right.
His classroom procedures brought order to their middle school lives. Although mild-mannered, he established high behavioral and academic expectations. Students were always on task. Most importantly, students learned.
We can all learn from my naiveté. We cannot standardize what a great classroom environment looks like or what an expert teacher does or doesn’t do. Nor can we standardize what great teachers do and force these standards on all teachers. Administrators cannot rely solely on observation checklists.
Teaching is hard work. Teachers should be held accountable, but we cannot impose a one-size-fits-all approach on our teachers. Instead we must honor each teacher’s individual strengths. We must treat them with the respect they deserve and support them and work with them. Doing so will give our students what they deserve: excellent teachers.
Reed Gillespie writes about education for Brilliant or Insane. Learn more about Reed on our Team page. Follow Reed on Twitter here.
Reed, first of all I love the photo and quote. Lewis was one smart man. Knowing our students is probably the most important part of teaching. How else can we respond to their needs and adjust? When I go into a teacher's classroom, that is what I am looking for: where is the evidence of rich tasks that meet student need?
ReplyDeleteHey Sue,
DeleteI, too, love the Lewis quote, and I agree with everything you say. Engagement is the key to success of any classroom. Thanks for weighing in on this.