Practical Theory Comments

Matt Skurnick: Sustaining the Teaching Life

mskurnic@u.rochester.edu (Matt Skurnick) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:05:42 -0700

Jon Goldman was both my English Teacher in 9th grade and Advisory Mentor for my four years at Beacon. He was an amazing teacher and wonderful man who cared for his students beyond the education we received. Class with Mr. Goldman was about more than reading Hamlet or Being There, he applied information to real life and taught life lessons. It was extremely sad to hear about his passing on, but those who had class with him were greatly influenced and I know several of them are using those skills, much like I am, to go into education. His legacy will definitely live on through those he influenced.

Karen Greenberg: Saving Lives v. Changing Lives

karengreenberg@Hotmail.com (Karen Greenberg) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:13:38 -0700

Perhaps a more apt term would be "altering trajectories". Think physics - two objects in motion strike each other, the path of each object is affected. One may be more profoundly affected than the other, but neither is a passive participant and both are capable of experiencing positive change.

Amethyst: Saving Lives v. Changing Lives

chris@practicaltheory.org (Amethyst) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:51:52 -0700

I really appreciate this blog entry. Our roles as teachers require, at our best, a deep appreciation for possibility, for us as well as our students. They require hope, caring, love, hard work... but I like how you point out that if we are "saving lives" there is no end to that task. It burdens us awfully much. That's not to say that for some individuals we may have that impact one day, but when we accept that as a mission, it undervalues our lives outside of school, and maybe even our relationships with the students whose lives don't need saving, but who simply need a good education in a caring, safe environment. Please read my blog entry at http://www.storiesfromschoolaz.org/2012/08/who-are-we-protecting.html, which is somewhat related. Your post gave me a little tidbit of insight to layer onto the story told there.

Mark Ahlness: The Long Haul

mahlness@comcast.net (Mark Ahlness) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:33:36 -0700

Chris, thanks. Pete is my hero, and has been for a while, but now that I'm retired, after 31 years as a teacher, he's even more out there for me, 'cause I'm playing the banjo

Tell you one thing Pete would not be happy about - the "Teachers Rock" concert. My goodness, what a bad joke, with unwitting musical and film superstars pimping "Won't Back Down".

Gonna go play my banjo and observe the master for guidance. He'll make it ok. Hang in there - Mark

Gary Stager: Saving Lives v. Changing Lives

gary@stager.org (Gary Stager) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:15:12 -0700

Chris,

No need to worry about semantic arguments. Others all around us are debasing our "professional" language. Words matter.

Although I too have been in situations where I may have literally saved a kid's life by dispensing a bit of kindness, I am weary of the phrases "changing lives" and "transforming lives."

Both statements connote a treatment model where you do something to someone else and produce a desired result. I do not believe this is the nature of education. Also, "saving" lives sounds like an emergency action that remediates a situation instantly. Education is not CPR.

Chris Lehmann: Educational Colonialism

chris@practicaltheory.org (Chris Lehmann) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:00:16 -0700

Yup. I think there are always possible problems with everything. It's why we always try to remember to ask ourselves, "What is the worst consequence of your best idea?" because no idea is perfect, and often times, it is in the seeds of the best thing we are about that we find the most harm. It's why it is always important to listen, to evolve, to invite examination, and to grow.

Delpit's work shook me hard when I first read it in grad school, and I have found something new for me every time I've re-read it since then. For me, especially in a system of choice like Philadelphia, it reminds me to be as transparent as I can about what I believe - about the philosophical and pedagogical underpinnings of our school - to prospective students and families so that they can make as informed a choice as possible. To me, empowering students and families to make that kind of informed choice honors the agency of all families, especially those who come from different backgrounds than mine.

Gary Stager: The Long Haul

gary@stager.org (Gary Stager) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:31:28 -0700

Indeed,

If you haven't read "The Long Haul" by Myles Horton and Herb Kohl, I strongly urge you to do so. Perhaps your students can read it too.

Here is a link: http://amzn.to/MVUQBU

Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

Mariz Krasteka: Amazing English Teacher Blog

marizkrasteka@gmail.com (Mariz Krasteka) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 02:38:46 -0700

Hi Chris,

Thank you for sharing the blog, as an English Teacher myself having more resources means a lot.

Laura Krystal Porterfield: Educational Colonialism

chris@practicaltheory.org (Laura Krystal Porterfield) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:28:07 -0700

Agreed. But may I push you to think about the ways in which new forms of educational colonialism make their way into narratives like these, especially regarding 'other people's children'? (see Lisa Delpit's book by the same name if you haven't already).

As an educational leader, thinker, and Principal, what might be the possible consequences of creating a schooling vision for your kids (who, I'd venture to say, don't have the same social, cultural or economic trajectories) on working class and students of color? In other words, are there possible problems creating such a vision 'from without' so to speak, especially in a school system full of youth who have vastly different life experiences than you and yours?

Jami: Guest Post - Response to "If I Were a Poor Black Child"

joan82@web.de (Jami) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 07:51:44 -0700

Thank you, Rashaun, for writing this articulate and insightful response; and thank you, Mr. Lehmann, for sharing it!

Carolyn Foote: Deep Knowing and Knowing About

cfoote@eanesisd.net (Carolyn Foote) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 07:05:17 -0700

Well-said Chris.

Maybe the "depth" is ultimately helping our students "learn how to learn" what they want to know and care about deeply--supporting them in developing the habits of mind to teach themselves in the future?

I agree w/you and see the same thing happen with student research-- do we ask them to "survey" what's available and get breadth or do we ask them to research something deeply--get the "depth" of an issue? Too often it is the former.

Bill-- so true. It is sad that so many educators know that what the system is asking them to do is wrong, but they do it anyway, because these imperfect circumstances are where they can reach students and teach. How to break out of that--how to impact the system--?
Time for an uprising?

Time for more teacher run schools?

thought provoking....

Carolyn Foote: Educational Colonialism

cfoote@eanesisd.net (Carolyn Foote) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 07:00:43 -0700

Brilliantly said, Chris. What is too often called reform is really tinkering around the edges most of the time, and the tinkering mainly involves accountability and testing.

And although some leaders would say this is about having low expectations for certain groups of students, the so -called solutions show equally low expectations.

Thanks for highlighting this issue.

Bill Ferriter: Deep Knowing and Knowing About

wferriter@hotmail.com (Bill Ferriter) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 04:01:47 -0700

I dig it, Pal.

In the PLC world, this is the answer to the most important question any educator can ask -- What DO we want students to know and be able to do?

The hitch is that in our high stakes world, the answer to that question is all-too-often, "Memorize a heaping cheese-load of relatively unimportant content that will be tested and forgotten."

Schools and teachers -- including me -- know that answer isn't sufficient or responsible but we do it anyway because we aren't quite brave enough to take a stand against what we know is irresponsible.

#nuts

Thanks for making me think this morning,
Bill

Stephanie Sandifer: Educational Colonialism

sscajun@gmail.com (Stephanie Sandifer) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 19:24:31 -0700

I've been letting my response to this post marinate in my brain for the past 24 hours but my gut reaction is "Amen!"

Back in May I wrote a very similar post on my blog -- http://ed421.com/?p=2140

One of the statements that I made in that blog post is this:

"I am involved in a project right now that, hopefully, will result in the development of a school from scratch. As I participate in the research and planning on this project, I have one thought that continues to come up in my mind on every single aspect of the work: Would I want this for my own children?..."

In May I wasn't thinking of the term "colonialism" but as I read your post and re-read my own post -- the term fits completely.

As far as I am concerned, no one is really serious about really improving or reforming schools unless they are thinking in terms of "our kids" rather than "those kids."

Lynn: Deep Knowing and Knowing About

lynnrambo81@gmail.com (Lynn) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:47:31 -0700

Chris,

I SO enjoy your public cogitation - you verbalize and give focus to the big questions that lie just under the surface for most of us as educators.

This one hit the mark for me today, as I just returned from a lunch meeting with some folks about scaling up our blended learning model to reach more kids without losing that ability we have in our non-traditional setting to personalize learning and foster true "knowing."

Those time and place constraints that are on us - even in the best of scenarios - drive us to "cover" content, frequently to the exclusion of providing windows into and opportunities for deeper exploration.

Still seeking the magic bullet... or at least working within and around the system toward a better way to meet both needs