This week a colleague remarked that he enjoyed his job because he had the opportunity to work with creativity. I must say I was a bit envious as I heard him speak because while this teacher does have standards to follow, he does not have the weight of standardized tests or countless managers, coaches, specialists, and others to report to. In a sense, that teacher's accountability arena is much less strict and scripted than mine.
For me, the scripts and strict mandates are many. The standards are deep and specific, and the administrators' and managers' numbers are steep too. There are many assessments and tests as well. In some ways, the curriculum presents as a strait jacket rather than the creative learning/teaching field my colleague experiences.
In every school community accountability levels differ. There are many teachers whose work is rated, in part, by standardized tests. These teachers, like me, typically answer to a large number of decision makers. And there are others who do not have to give standardized tests, and have much less accountability with regard to strict scripts and structures.
I'm not opposed to accountability. In fact, in many ways, I find the standards to be a good challenge to meet as I believe a solid set of standards can set the stage for teaching/learning excellence. I am also a big fan of teacher-directed decisions and leadership. I believe that educators in the field should have significant say and leadership over the work they do. I find that when decisions are mostly made by those who are distanced from the daily work of teaching and learning, those decisions are often problematic, less relevant, and cumbersome creating a lot of work for less gain in terms of student/teacher happiness, capacity, and result. Yet there is room for the research and effort of curriculum leaders and researchers too.
I believe that systems should look carefully at roles, structure, routines, and accountability. I believe that systems should distribute leadership in ways that give educators creativity and control over the the work they do. I also believe that collaboration is important too.
I've been speaking about this for a long time, and there's been some change, but not enough. Many educators like me near and far are discouraged by their lack of autonomy, respect, and inclusion with regard to important decisions, decisions that affect the good work we do, and decisions that impact our ability to meet accountability measures.
As I think about the teaching/learning days ahead, I'll follow the dictates made, continue to advocate for more modern, brain-friendly, and responsive teaching/learning efforts, and work to the best of my ability to keep the joy and enthusiasm alive in the classroom. Onward.
