“This I
Believe”
(educator's version, as of 2-9-14)
I believe that everything
that matters is rooted in authenticity:
being true to your spirit—in this case, your teaching spirit--consistently approaching
your work with integrity and intelligence.
When I am able to do this, I celebrate.
I intentionally align my teaching practices with my beliefs
(after all, failing to do so means that beliefs are just opinions[1]). Of course, this starts with defining the
teaching philosophies that have become part of the fiber of my being as a
teacher. I believe that I must continuously
learn, honoring the complexities of teaching and the diverse learning needs of my students.
When I first started teaching, I thought that I would have
“this teaching thing” down pat in about 10 years. I figured that a day would come when I might
yearn for a more challenging career. (I
was naïve to the point of being funny, wasn’t I?) Now I believe that learning to teach well IS the challenge of a lifetime—boredom in this line of work is unimaginable; I think
it could only happen I were scripted and disallowed to work wholeheartedly. I have had to learn continuously, sometimes at a
frantic pace, in order to calibrate my teaching day-by-day, even
moment-by-moment... at least as a valiant attempt to meet the needs of students.
Are your core
beliefs the standard by which all of your instructional practices are measured?
In 2009, our state’s department of education “invited” staff
members from “certain” schools to attend a workshop (for several days, three
hours away, while on our summer vacation) that would strengthen our teaching.
A well-known state politician entered the venue to deliver his keynote with his bodyguards in tow. (Is it just me, or is it strange that an "educational leader" needed bodyguards?)
We were all expected to sit like good soldiers while he chastised us for our test scores, which he translated into lack of effort. This politician, like so many, had the audacity to pretend to know more than living, breathing teachers--teachers who were, for the most part, teaching in some of state's most challenging schools, particularly as a result of poverty.
Perhaps the most inflammatory remark (among many that day) was when he told us that our work, “…isn’t rocket science, so just go do it.[2]” These abominations were followed by locking us out of meeting rooms in order to severely limit the number of teachers who could see the few reputable speakers that were present. (When we tried to save seats during lunch, our belongings were thrown away--never to be seen again!) Teachers were told (by the workers) that we were not allowed to wait in line to see the reputable speakers in upcoming sessions. Finally, these same minions (I mean workers) tried to corral us into sales presentations by companies selling scripts that could “fix” us, or by charter schools declaring that they had a magical formula guaranteed to “cure” the ails of every public educator and student (the cure was privatizing).
We were all expected to sit like good soldiers while he chastised us for our test scores, which he translated into lack of effort. This politician, like so many, had the audacity to pretend to know more than living, breathing teachers--teachers who were, for the most part, teaching in some of state's most challenging schools, particularly as a result of poverty.
Perhaps the most inflammatory remark (among many that day) was when he told us that our work, “…isn’t rocket science, so just go do it.[2]” These abominations were followed by locking us out of meeting rooms in order to severely limit the number of teachers who could see the few reputable speakers that were present. (When we tried to save seats during lunch, our belongings were thrown away--never to be seen again!) Teachers were told (by the workers) that we were not allowed to wait in line to see the reputable speakers in upcoming sessions. Finally, these same minions (I mean workers) tried to corral us into sales presentations by companies selling scripts that could “fix” us, or by charter schools declaring that they had a magical formula guaranteed to “cure” the ails of every public educator and student (the cure was privatizing).
As a self-respecting teacher (and human being) who cherishes my education and teaching experiences and stands strong in my beliefs, I recognized
this whole “state workshop” as a blatant attempt to assassinate my honor as a teacher as well as my hard-earned reputation... my right to innovate, willingness to think for myself, and
confidence to make professional decisions that advance my teaching
prowess. Since then, laws have been passed that dismiss
or even defy empirical research and known pedagogy. I recognize that they are
designed to perpetuate inconsistency and fear; serving to extinguish my
creativity, joy, and advancement as a teacher.
This is why now, more than ever, my teaching beliefs are well-defined; I know WHY I believe what I do and HOW I might
align my practices to those beliefs. I
can competently explain the research that supports my thinking to anyone who
asks. I believe this is essential in resisting the pressure from politicians to conform to their opinions instead of leading ourselves in our strong knowledge base and beliefs of what matters in education.
While the HOW evolves along with educational theory and
research, the WHY has withstood the test of time—which is how I know that my
work has merit even when (or perhaps
especially when) I risk exposing my own vulnerabilities. I dare greatly to innovate and have learned
to recognize and accept failure as a necessary—albeit temporary--part of the
learning process. My lifelong quest is
to deepen and advance my teaching knowledge and understandings—all so that I may create the
best learning experiences possible for my students.
I believe that I am “enough,” and that no one can diminish
who I am or the complex work I do as a teacher.
Over the years, I have become increasingly confident in my teaching
beliefs, though I have come to expect (and thrive on) the fact that they are often reshaped by new thinking or
experiences.
I am not easily swayed or manipulated by politicians, fads, or
companies that clamor to sell their brands of education. It is a dear wish that all teachers could
find this inside themselves so that we might provide unwavering support to each
other and to our honorable profession.
So, I ask, “What do
you believe , and how will
you enact it
in order to live
and teach with
authenticity?”
