One big difference with teaching middle school is that the teachers don't seem to be as concerned about standardized testing. At the elementary school, test scores are a frequent topic of discussion with the staff. Where was he last year? Who do we need to bring to standard this year? I wonder if the middle school teachers have more leeway with their instruction. They seem to be able to teach the material that will be on the assessments without having to teach to the test.
One of the middle school teachers I'm working with takes her students for a short walk after giving them their assignment. She feels it's worth the time it takes because they come back focused and ready to work.
William Ayers writes "there are lots of people who write adequate lesson plans, keep order and quiet in their classrooms, deliver competent instruction...and are lousy teachers. Outstanding teachers engage youngsters, intreract with them, draw energy and direction from them, and find ways to give them a reason to follow along. This is the difficult and serious work of teaching."
How interesting that middle school teachers aren't as "concerned" with standardized assessment. Perhaps the fact that their focus is purely on one subject makes them more confident. In other words, less time needs to be spent reviewing specific topics since everything is relevant. Thinking back, I cannot remember any prompts when I was in middle school prior to the WASL.
ReplyDeleteI like your example of your dyad teacher giving her students a short walk. Is this, in your mind an example of an "outstanding" teacher?
When I was volunteering one teacher had her 5th graders go out on the playground and run around the track and come back to the classroom (She had a door directly to the playground.) This was during afternoon math class. The kids really benefited from it!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I really just wanted to use that Ayers passage somewhere. I do think that my dyad teacher is outstanding though, because she is constantly thinking about how she can get the most out of her students when she has them. The walk is a part of that ideal.
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