Time Is Ticking

August 8, 2017

Time Is Ticking...

Well, it's less than two weeks until school starts and (like many of my fellow educators all over America and many parts of the world), I'm both excited and nervous (not unlike going up the steepest incline of a roller coaster ride right before it goes over the top).  I want everything to be right...right for my students...right for their parents/legal guardians...right for my Administrators...right for my fellow teachers and right for myself.

I want this to be the year of "student empowerment"  I want to be able to take my State's Standards (the Texas TEKS) and reword it for student understanding.  I than want to give each reworded standard to the students and have them figure out a way to learn/understand it.  Crazy?  Maybe, but I keep reading of outstanding educators (like George Couros) who have done this very thing and have seen their students take OWNERSHIP of the their learning. Would this not be the truest example of "student centered" education you could think of?  That is what I want...but how to do it?  How to get from "point A to point B?"  Already other educators (not in my school district, but on social media) have accused me of losing my mind to suggest such a thing.  I've had accusation like "using outlaw curriculum" thrown at me or was told; "your Administrators won't like that and you'll get bad evaluations!"  I would come back with; "you know it's possible to be BOTH innovative AND stick with the standards!"  I despise the attitude of conformity I see grip most in public education with a spirit of fear.  I often think of the story of the "Emperor's Clothes."  You know, the one where everyone is so fearful of what the Emperor and their fellow citizens think that they pretend (with everyone else) the (naked) Emperor has the most beautiful set of clothes they have ever seen (when in reality he does not).  Much of Public Education is like that; many times we convince ourselves and each other something is "working," when in reality it is not.

Comments

  1. Joy KirrSeptember 13, 2017 at 3:29 AM

    William, i want so much out of this year, as well! I think once we figure it all out, we'll be ready to retire. That's what keeps us going back for more - the challenge, and the drive! Keep wanting, and keep striving, and keep WRITING to share your thoughts! :D Cheers to the 2017-2018 school year - the best one yet!

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