Teacher voice

This quote gives me courage when it's difficult to speak up and advocate for what I believe to be better for children and schools.

Throughout my career, I've been warned about conversing via email. That has left me with a dilemma since there is little to no time for deeper conversation during the school day. During school time, I am mostly on task with students all day with little to no time for deep thinking or sharing my thoughts. The time we do have for prep and planning during the school day is usually spent on needed lesson prep and student response rather than deeper work with administrators and others who influence and lead our work. Those who make decisions for us typically use their school day time to make those decisions. If I have any thoughts about those decisions or questions, my only real avenue of discussion is email since I'm on task with students during the working day. This is a dilemma many teachers face, and teachers make all kinds of decisions related to this.

Many teachers, due to little to no time for real voice or choice, simply choose to be followers--they do what they're told even if they don't agree. Others do what they want and just stay quiet about it. Some may make appointments to meet with leadership and patiently wait until that can happen. Those educators don't feel the same urgency I typically do with issues, and in some cases, I think this is better, and in other situations, I think this may be problematic. I wish educators had more leadership over their roles as educators, and I wish that decisions with regard to what happens in schools were generally made with greater lead time, inclusion, and good communication--to make decisions with good process, communication, and inclusion generally results in better decision making.

But what am I to do in the face of this situation related to voice? I don't have time during the school day to deal with these issues, and I'm told not to email so much related to important issues. What's a teacher to do?

Ideally, a teacher would email with concise, pointed, and respectful emails that convey the problem clearly. That's easier said than done since many issues that I give attention to on my own time are not that simple--the issues are complex with many layers of consideration. Further these issues are difficult to write about because it's difficult to advocate for new or different ways when administrators have already made decisions, decisions you may not believe to be in the best interests of your students or the teaching/learning program. It's tough to speak up when your words and ideas go against what others believe is best.

I will continue to work at communicating as well as I can. I won't stay silent when I see room for promising change since I know that silence is the root of greater problems, but I will work for greater clarity, respect, and brevity in my advocacy and share. I will also continue to advocate for models of teaching and learning that give educators greater voice, choice, and leadership as I do believe that educators who have devoted considerable time and effort to their professional careers deserve to have the voice, choice, and leadership that supports best possible teaching and learning. This is not an easy part of teaching life, and I welcome your thoughts on the issue as well. Onward.