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...
Here is what I wrote to Holy Cross Magazine in reaction to the article. The magazine printed parts of the letter as well this summer.
ReplyDeleteWe have just started the newest affinity group at Holy Cross, Holy Cross Educators. This group was started just this past February after a panel discussion at Holy Cross Winter Homecoming. The panel inspired a lot of conversation, and we clearly saw that there needed to be more. There are hundreds of Holy Cross Alumni in education related careers, and there is a huge desire to share ideas and opinions.
Upon reading the recent article, Is There One Right Way To Teach?, I am inspired to put in my two cents. I am a huge admirer of the Holy Cross Teacher Education Program (TEP). As a high school principal, I have the opportunity to recruit and hire teachers every year. The students who come out of TEP are among the very best candidates I interview, and I have been fortunate enough to be able to hire several Holy Cross teachers over the years. They have been outstanding in the classroom. Some have become strong administrators. All have remained in education for the long term. If you are looking for a core of teachers to help the long term success of your school, you absolutely need to engage graduates of TEP and similar programs. They get it. They are committed. They know their stuff. They can flat out teach.
However, I also have great admiration for those recent graduates who go into Teach for America. While there are snide remarks about them being “five week wonders” and short term solutions, the passion and the energy they bring to their roles is impressive and important. Of the students I have known who went into TFA after college, most taught where they were for a few years and then moved on to others things. A few found their true calling and are still teaching where they started. However, in all cases, TFA was able to provide schools with teachers who were there to give it their all for however long they would be in teaching. They brought it to their classrooms. They ran extra-curricular activities. They coached. And, they mentored young people. This is hugely important and valuable.
As a high school educator, I know that the “lifespan” of most students at my schools is four years. If a student is lucky, they might have the same, inspirational teacher two or three times over that four years. They might have that teacher as their coach, advisor or mentor for four years. If I can get good teachers who can give me everything they have for four years, I am very happy with that. Then I know that a generation of high school students got the best I could provide them. It is my job to get the next great teacher after that. It is ok if a young teacher recognizes that they have done all they can and need to move on to something else.
I am always looking for two types of teachers. I want the graduate of a solid teacher prep program who will be one of the rocks of my faculty for a long time, an inspiration to students and a mentor to young teachers. I also want those individuals who are willing to give everything they have for four years and then move on. In this way, I can regularly bring in new energy and ideas into my school and keep my students on their toes.
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. 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.
If you are an educator of some sort and have not yet joined the Holy Cross Education group. Look for us on Linkedin. We are waiting for you.