Restoring Meaning to Teaching
Pulling it Together
After participating in the group for a year, the study group teachers are reflecting on changes they have made in their practice.
Beth: As we talked about being more thoughtful, I found it became easier to explain what I was doing in class to other people, I can say that this is what is important for these kids, instead of relying on what the book says.
Lisa: There are so many ways of teaching, so many books, so much involved. . . . It is good to get together to talk about what we do, to learn to be thoughtful. I have thought deeply about the choices I make, about the big concepts my students need to learn. I have gained confidence that I can make good decisions about what I should be teaching and what the kids should be learning. I cover fewer topics, but I do it so that the students learn how to really use the math concepts--to really understand them.
Sue: It is quality not quantity. . . . I gave up a lot of structure and the students struggled with it, but the whole atmosphere in the classroom is better. Building a trust-based relationship with these students has taken from August to now. I know how hard I have worked, and I think they realize it.
Maureen: I have been thinking about what kids are going through in school, how they are thinking. I have really changed the way I do things in the classroom. I have changed my whole approach to teaching--I am giving choices, letting go of the control.
Jill: I have incorporated Montessori methods into my reading and my kids seem more enthusiastic. . . . I am looking at them in a new way, looking to see when they understand. If you had been in my classroom last year and then come in this year, you would see that I have changed everything I do. The kids want to come to my room. . . . Karen said I would be able to feel it when kids are concentrating, everyone learning, and I had that experience the other day. I had people observing in my room when it happened, and I wanted to say, "Did you feel it? Did you feel it?" And they did. I didn't really ask them, but they told me.
The teachers in the project questioned their decisions and evaluated their choices in terms of the needs of their students. Remember the dilemma mentioned earlier--of serving the many masters on the one hand while remaining true to personal beliefs about being a teacher on the other. With a clear focus on student learning, the teachers found it easier to deal with the problems created by this dilemma. By standing back, evaluating the problems, and asking, "What does this have to do with learning?" teachers were empowered to make choices that were good for kids. Maureen is less driven by the "test monster," Beth selects the important topics for her special education students to learn, and Lisa focuses on helping her students learn to use math concepts.
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