The beginning of this chapter really resonates with me, as I'm sure it does with many teachers. As Gallagher writes, "we should be looking for ways to give students more exposure to a curriculum that, when taught with rigor, provides them richer opportunities to think critically" (p.168). Georgia is planning to adopt merit based pay for teachers. It's a great idea, in theory, but I question its implementation. What will be the criteria used to determine teacher and student success? Will it be student performance on standardized tests? This will encourage more teachers to step away from practical curriculum and to embrace test taking strategies. Will it be a subjective observation of class? That is rife with problems, also.
I'm glad that he brought up George Carlin. I've read Brain Droppings, too, and the man was a genius. Ever since my college days, I've recognized Carlin to be a true linguist at heart. His observations about language and culture were clever and right on.
This chapter was full of useful real world skills and good activities. At the end of the chapter, Gallagher writes about how many teachers will question if there is time for these real world practices, when there is so much other canonical literature to be taught. I share this concern. I really don't know how this Gallagher guy manages to get so much done in his classroom. Perhaps his methods are so overwhelming to me because they are the product of fifteen years in public education. He's had plenty of time to think, to teach, and to think again. These methods have become integrated. Maybe, if I work hard and always strive for excellence, I'll have reached a similar stage of enlightenment 13 years from now.
Many of the idea presented in this chapter, and in the book to this point, are things I've considered using and have occasionally tried. For example, towards the end of last semester, I taught a class on regional variances in the English language. We examined African American English and its rules, and compared it to Standard American English. AAE is actually formally recognized as a variation on SAE, with its own rules. For example, in AAE, it is acceptable to drop the "to be" verb in some sentences, such as "We are good friends." We did a couple activities where students would have to "translate" from one version of English to the next, and then we examined MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. We looked at the speech for AAE elements as well as its poetic and rhetorical strategies. The students were very involved and enjoyed the lesson.
It is tough, however, to include these varied activities when were are under mounting pressures from so many different sources. Politicians, administrators, and parents want us to teach to SATs, ACTs, EOCTs, graduation tests, and departmental requirements. I sometimes feel as I have measured out my life with these bloated and unwieldy contrivances. I don't know when I can do things like these activities.
Gallagher's point, I know, is that these activities do fit into our standards and requirements. When we teach our classes his suggested activities, the students are practicing deep thinking and reading skills. However, in the real world, we educators will not be trusted to use our content as a scaffold to deep thinking and reading skills. It's much more likely, as in the example Gallagher gave, that an administrator would ask us to "suspend the normal curriculum" and teach to the test for a specified period of time. In this way, there would be definitive proof of teaching critical thinking skills, so that the administrator could defend his or her position by saying, "Look, we teach 'X' for a designated fifteen minutes every Tuesday and Thursday" instead of having to explain how the teachers incorporate those skills in the everyday activities (or trust educators to incorporate those activities). Oftentimes, I think the behavior of people in power is really dictated by fear or lack of faith in the ability of teachers. Ridiculous rules and micro-management is thrust upon us so that the higher ups can cover themselves from litigation and responsibility. Such is the environment created by the totalitarian NCLB.
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NCLB does create a "teaching the test" phenomena. Fortunately, I believe that the backlash will soon result in the reversal of many NCLB policies. I think one of the most crucial points of your post is that Gallagher's work is the product of years of service. Although I am aware of the contributions new teachers bring to education, they are not able to manufacture time. Time allows a teacher to build, implement and revisit lessons. I do not think a teacher reaches a point of enlightenment or has an ephiphany, yet, I think teachers reach a point in which they could have a well stocked shelf of resources. Teachers, like other professions, must throw out, organize and update materials. Learning communities are important because they allow new teachers to gain some of these tools that a veteran teacher has already worked the kinks out of during their years of service. In return, new teachers can provide valuable new insight from evidence based research to veteran teachers. Therefore, I do not think you have to wait years to obtain the skills Gallagher. Instead.
ReplyDeleteI agree that young teachers have much to learn from the verterans in our field. However, I also feel that the veteran teachers are the ones that are more adverse to change.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, Zach. I think Amy addressed that by saying that all teachers need to "organize and update materials."
ReplyDeleteBefore becoming a teacher, I had some dream that I would be able to plan out all my lessons and materials in my first year. After I had all my materials prepared, I would be able to just go through the motions for another 30 years.
It doesn't work that way, does it? Each year presents new challenges. The students, the content, and the world around us all change. A few months ago, I was thinking about the topic of code shifting, and I was able to bring in a short video clip of Rep. Alan Grayson telling Dick Cheney to "STFU." The reason this event got so much attention is because a politician--a person normally expected to act in a more reserved fashion-- was going off on another politician using very blunt internet slang.
So, in a way, it's very important for us to branch out to the real world in as many ways as possible. Mrs. Barrett told me the other day how she was able to connect with a struggling reader by talking to him about welding. Any connection helps.