What does it mean to be "in education"?

If you are "In Education", what is it you do? Coming out of Holy Cross, I always saw myself as a teacher and a coach, and I did those things for a long time. I came to see myself as an administrator, and I have been doing that for a while.

However, there is so much more to what American education involves than merely those positions. Many of you are well aware of that because you work with state boards of education. You are involved in testing corporations. You coordinate Teach for America candidates. You fund raise. You represent higher education. You represent text book and on-line learning corporations. And so much more.

For the sake of helping us all learn more, please take some time in comments to tell what is is you do, what it involves, and how you came to that position. This is for all of you, even those of us inside schools. I will add a comment later myself.

My hope is that we can all get a sense of what is out there, and we can also share with current students the notion that they can be involved in education even if teaching is not a great fit for them. 

Most Likely to Succeed

I have added a link to the site for the educational film, Most Likely to Succeed, to my link list on the right. If you have not read the book, or watched the movie, start with that site. Amazing way to continue thinking about change in education.

Hey. First Discussion Question: Read and Respond in Comments.

Hey Alumni in Education. Thank you for joining, and thank you for your patience as we start moving forward. We are planning to have a live gathering in the fall at Holy Cross for the Alumni in Education. Part of this event will be networking - Part will be meeting students in the Teacher Education Program -  Part will be sharing ideas. The shape of this event is still in flux, but it will not be a panel or a long speech or anything along those lines. Much of what goes on this summer will shape the event, so your participation now via this conversation or emailing us directly will help ensure that the meeting in the fall meets your needs and expectations.

Anyway, Holy Cross Magazine ran an interesting article called, Is There One Right Way to Teach? If you could, please read it over so that we can start on the same page. Then, add to this forum so that we can start discussion on-line about teachers, teacher training, teaching, education, and educational support.

Here is part of what I wrote to Holy Cross Magazine in response to the article (with some revisions).

There is no one right way to teach. We remember those teachers who go above and beyond and share their passion for learning and living with us. We do not remember that great geometry quiz from sophomore year, or that worksheet that changed our lives forever. We remember the favorite poem, or the “aha” moment when Pythagoras finally made sense, or the realization that Physics can involve the coolest labs in school like catapult building. It is the things we take with us forever that matter, and there is room at the table for TEP, TFA, career changers, and late bloomers. Just bring it when you come. Someone who brings it is welcome no matter their background.

There are pockets of excellence in American education which are staggeringly good. There are support providers in place who work with schools to raise their bars higher. There are programs which prepare students for exactly what employers and post-secondary programs are looking for, and there are others which teach students to sit still, take tests and move on. How do we fix the system so that every child can get the education they need as an individual, and so that excellence is a reasonable expectation?

To do this, what help do you need as an educator or in your position in education?

What help can you offer others?

What are your hopes?

We look forward to your responses...