-By Jaime Willis
Arne Duncan sparked a lot of interest in the education sector with his remarks at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. I'd like to excerpt just a few of the suggestions and thoughts he had about teaching today.
When I think of our current model of teaching, I see almost all Level 1 and Level 2 energy -- teachers are the "victims" of poor pay, draconian administration, and lack support and encouragement; teachers are angry and blame the curriculum, imperfect testing standards, laws that stymie innovation, and lack of funding.
The teachers who find a way to make a difference have truly learned to step into Level 4 and Level 5 energy -- they want to help others and they are willing to look at *everything* as an opportunity for them to teach their students and build academic success in their classrooms.
I would love to see school districts, administrators, and especially unions really spend their time and energy figuring out how to build schools and faculty that operate consistently on Level 4 and 5.
Steven Brill of the New Yorker recently published an expose of New York City's "rubber room" where teachers spend years earning full pay while their union fights their termination for drunkenness and other negligent behavior. How cool would it be to see the teacher's unions spending that money instead on providing their own mentoring and professional development program to ensure that new teachers feel supported and encouraged as they build their skills in the classroom?
The part of Arne's speech that was quoted most often in the news yesterday was "Teacher pay should start at $60,000 and grow to $150,000" to draw the best and brightest to the profession. Money is usually the "easy" solution to any problem, and paying teachers more money would definitely help raise the bar. However, I believe there is opportunity for teachers to improve their energy as a whole without throwing money at the problem.
What would it look like at your school to feel more supported and encouraged? When I asked this question of a public charter school faculty last year, they organized themselves into committees and did things throughout the day and week to encourage each other. One faculty member put notes in each of her colleague's mailbox each morning. One teacher chose to greet every single person -- administration, faculty, and students, while a smile and a hearty "Good Morning" to start her day. Teachers worked together to create lesson plans, to brainstorm ways to appropriately handle a challenging student who'd fallen behind, and to have more enjoyment while at work.
If you are a teacher today, you don't have to wait for Congress to enact reform legislation. You don't have to wait for your administrator to get on board. You don't have to wait to see a pay raise. You just have to show up for work (and life) each day treating yourself and others the way you'd like to see the world treated. Operating from a higher energy level will truly improve your outlook on your career and your life!
Arne Duncan sparked a lot of interest in the education sector with his remarks at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. I'd like to excerpt just a few of the suggestions and thoughts he had about teaching today.
We can no longer pretend that all teachers or all principals are from Lake Wobegon where everyone is above average. It is time to recognize and reward our best teachers, support those in the middle, and also acknowledge that teaching may not be the best career choice for a small minority of teachers who continue to struggle despite support and mentorship.
Fully half of the people who go into teaching leave within five years. Lack of support, lack of quality mentoring and meaningful professional development, inadequate respect and compensation -- we know the reasons. (Click here for full text.)Teachers are bombarded with negativity on a daily basis -- attitudes from students in their classes, issues with parents, demands from administration, and in-fighting with their peers. It's no wonder over half the people who enter teaching leave in five years -- no one wants to live like that!
When I think of our current model of teaching, I see almost all Level 1 and Level 2 energy -- teachers are the "victims" of poor pay, draconian administration, and lack support and encouragement; teachers are angry and blame the curriculum, imperfect testing standards, laws that stymie innovation, and lack of funding.
The teachers who find a way to make a difference have truly learned to step into Level 4 and Level 5 energy -- they want to help others and they are willing to look at *everything* as an opportunity for them to teach their students and build academic success in their classrooms.
I would love to see school districts, administrators, and especially unions really spend their time and energy figuring out how to build schools and faculty that operate consistently on Level 4 and 5.
Steven Brill of the New Yorker recently published an expose of New York City's "rubber room" where teachers spend years earning full pay while their union fights their termination for drunkenness and other negligent behavior. How cool would it be to see the teacher's unions spending that money instead on providing their own mentoring and professional development program to ensure that new teachers feel supported and encouraged as they build their skills in the classroom?
The part of Arne's speech that was quoted most often in the news yesterday was "Teacher pay should start at $60,000 and grow to $150,000" to draw the best and brightest to the profession. Money is usually the "easy" solution to any problem, and paying teachers more money would definitely help raise the bar. However, I believe there is opportunity for teachers to improve their energy as a whole without throwing money at the problem.
What would it look like at your school to feel more supported and encouraged? When I asked this question of a public charter school faculty last year, they organized themselves into committees and did things throughout the day and week to encourage each other. One faculty member put notes in each of her colleague's mailbox each morning. One teacher chose to greet every single person -- administration, faculty, and students, while a smile and a hearty "Good Morning" to start her day. Teachers worked together to create lesson plans, to brainstorm ways to appropriately handle a challenging student who'd fallen behind, and to have more enjoyment while at work.
If you are a teacher today, you don't have to wait for Congress to enact reform legislation. You don't have to wait for your administrator to get on board. You don't have to wait to see a pay raise. You just have to show up for work (and life) each day treating yourself and others the way you'd like to see the world treated. Operating from a higher energy level will truly improve your outlook on your career and your life!
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