Redefining Teachers

When I first began to read the article by Thom Markham I thought of the backlash from conservative groups over the revamping of the AP United States History.  As a history teacher, I welcomed the change.  Don't get me wrong, I love my country, but I have always believed that it is important to talk about some of our more, we'll call them, unintelligent moments.  The basis of the argument against the "new" APUSH was the fear that if students begin to question and learn about our darker moments as a country, then their patriotism would be diminished.  I believe that if you ask any teacher, they would completely disagree with that notion.  Students can safely learn about our past, contextualize it, and then see how it has shaped who we are today.

Unfortunately the sentiment of teachers being caught in a wilderness of resignation, cynicism, and learned helplessness is true for many educators.  Houston, Texas has a good understanding of this, and they seem to know where teachers are most lost in the wilderness.  For the past few years Houston School District has set up recruiting fairs in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina.  NC teachers are among the lowest paid with the worst benefits, and toughest job standards in the US.

Luckily for us, there are paths out of the wilderness.  One such path is to "appriciate the power, beauty, and challenge of the present moment. (2015, Markham)"  It is impossible to fully prepare for the variables that come in the daily practice of education.  However by focusing on the passion that brought us into this profession in the first place, will help us keep our energy up and give our students the 110% they deserve every day.  It is no suprise that Koreans call teachers, "Nation Builders."  I have always liked that, it reminds me that every day we get to shape the future.

Another remedy that I particularly agree with is to live the collaborative reality.  I have taught with teachers who don't share, and I've taught in truly collaborative schools.  The day to day workload of the collaborative schools was much more manageable.  Plus it was fun for both the teachers and students.  If they didn't have me for class, but had Mr. Cunningham, they could still talk about what they were doing in class, and form their own collaborative groups.  Working with others is much more fun than working autonomously, I mean, there is a reason we chose to pursue our Masters via a cohort.

Markham, T. (2015, February 11). Redefining Teachers with a 21st Century Education 'Story'. Retrieved June 22, 2015 from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/02/11/redefining-teachers-with-a-21st-century-education-story/.

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