Don’t focus on “marks”, but give a final exam on a specific day.
De-emphasis grades, but organize awards day.
Make assessment a meaningful conversation, but email marks home on a regular basis.
Make exams that are meaningful and relevant, but have final marks ready 24 hours after the exam is given.
Don’t worry about data, but have the data ready when a parent questions your professional opinion.
Don’t make learning worksheet driven, but give worksheets when a student needs to get caught up.
Do what is right for each child, but have an airtight classroom policy.
Grow passion in students for a subject, but make sure to quantify it.
Teach students how to self regulate their technology, but forbid computers at staff meetings.
Personalize learning, but don’t choose what you learn about.
Teach collaboration, but exist in four closed walls.
Tagged: contradiction
Carolyn
Another fine reflection. Within the “hypocrisy of change” you write about exist a certain creative tension. I often think that it is within the force of this tension that change eventually emerges. I suppose the fist step is name some of hypocrisy so as to bring awareness – well done! I do see many assumptions being challenged and isolated pockets of innovation emerging. Have we reached a tipping point? That remains to be seen.
Johnny, thanks for your comment and readership. I see the tension that you speak of. I imagine it like a very enthusiastic tug of war between status quo and change; eventually change will always win. I am going to pull really hard for the change side, but boy oh boy, status quo is so strong. I hope the isolated pockets become larger unified groups and we can pull over the tipping point of which you speak. Sometimes though I get impatient waiting! But definitely have seen shifts happening, here’s to keep tugging as hard as we can!
I think you just said out loud what a lot of other teachers are thinking!
Great post
Thanks Quinn, it is the final exam blues, when I see students have anxiety attacks, melt downs, and cheat to get the marks they feel they “have” to get. I think i get a case of them every exam season. Over soon I hope!
Carolyn This post really resonates. Reminds me of why twitter, blog connections and reading are so important. It is difficult and isolating to make change within the bigger picture that is a whole school. The will and want to change needs to come through discussion/debate/reflection and we need a community to experience this within. When it doesn’t exist in the building where we teach, it can at least be explored and shared in this broader community of educators asking the same questions. I really appreciated your post.
Hi Carrie, glad it resonated with you. In the classroom it is exciting and invigorating to instigate change but sometimes disheartening when you run into the walls of “the system”. However you are right, without Twitter,blogs and sharing outside the walls of my school I would continue to feel very isolated as I did in the past. A sense of community of change goes a long way when you are feeling confused by the mixed messages we sometimes get in education.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Oh Carolyn,
Could we have fun with this? It might be worth launching a wiki call something like “Righteous Hypocrisy in Education”. I don’t think there’s a teacher on this planet who wouldn’t have a “nugget” or two to contribute such as:
“A Ministry of Education that encourages learners to take responsibility for their own learning yet wants to mandate teacher pro’d”
“Provide meaningful, relevant learning but do it in a 5X8 time table.
Great article.
I know I could have gone one a bit, but thought it best to stop before I ranted too much. But yes, we could have lots of fun and am sure lots of teachers would have some to add. I guess it is part of the whole package of public education and as we transition between old and new, the contrast is striking.
Thanks for the comment.
This totally resonates with me too! Glad to know I’m not alone.
Good to hear Jensen I am not alone as well! Cheers for your comment Jensen, it is always great to get feedback.
Teachers have more autonomy than we think we do. Admin can set up a four day exam structure if they wish; we can choose when and how we summatively evaluate our students.