Leading From The Heart

by Tracy Rosen, teaching & consulting since 1996, blogging about it here since 2007. All views are my own and you should take them with a grain of salt, I do.

Things to think on

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Tracy Rosen

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What am I thinking on tonight?

thinking monkey

image from: http://weblogs.asp.net/blogs/dotjosh/ThinkingMonkey.jpg

Chris Lehmann’s post on students boycotting standardised exams: Reasonable Actions for Unreasonable Times

and Whitney Hoffman‘s reflective question in response to the post:

The real question is why we look at education as a content delivery system whose effectiveness can be tested by standardized six-sigma-esque methods, rather than as long term research and development of new citizens, who need to be informed, knowledge gathers and synthesizers.

and the fact that many teachers I know are right now trying to figure out how to cram a whack of irrelevant data into their students, knowing full well that their students will not recall the info enough to pass the end of year evaluations. And they are stressed as all get out about it. What a way to end a year.

I’ve got lots more to say about this, but right now I just can’t bring myself to say it. I’ve cited him before, but here I go again, KRS One says it well…

You must learn…just like I told you…!

Nothing else to say right now besides… bravo to the students and their Social Studies teacher of IS 318 in the Bronx. You make me happy to be a teacher today.

I’m going to think on this one for a bit.

Comments

3 responses to “Things to think on”

  1. jose Avatar
    jose

    I’m loving the story, especially knowing that these cats are from New York, and the Bronx for that matter, word to KRS.

    Reply
  2. Tracy Avatar
    Tracy

    I really think that most teachers feel the same way, Whitney, and are so overwhelmed that they just don’t know how to get there from here.

    Also, we don’t give teachers enough time to talk, really talk, about what is important to them as teachers.

    I also hope we can talk about this some more. For now, I need to get ready for my classroom. 2nd Friday left…

    Reply
  3. Whitney Hoffman Avatar
    Whitney Hoffman

    I am constantly noodling on this thought as well- how can we spread the word that education and teaching is about teaching kids, not subjects; how we are trying to raise thinkers, not memorizers- and it would seem while being engaging rather than entertaining in the classroom might be harder, it’s infinitely more satisfying for everyone on both sides of the blackboard.

    I hope we can talk about this more.

    Whit

    Reply

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