Yesterday, when students and teachers were tired after a very busy stretch of multiple big and wonderful projects, there was a point when we engaged in a one-size-fits-all activity. Some children were disgruntled as they wanted to be doing something else. Rather than say, just do it, I explained to them that I understood their needs, but for right now, this was the right choice for all simply because it was impossible to do it differently due to students' level of exhaustion. Just by sharing the rationale for the choice, I gained students engagement for the task which was to continue a read aloud that they like.
Many curriculum programs take a perspective that all teachers and students are the same--we are a static lot that acts much like robots in a classroom setting, but we all know this is not true at all. Every educator brings their personality, experiences, dreams and wishes to a classroom setting just like every student brings their unique profile to the classroom too. Together when that synergy is based on a good program framework, respect for one another, and a willingness to form strong relationships, good learning happens--the kind of learning that helps children gain greater confidence, curiosity, and energy for good living and development. This is why you can never expect teachers or students to be doing the exact same tasks at the exact same moments throughout the teaching year. Teaching is a dance, a dialogue, and integration of learner and educator--it is not a simple recipe.
The "cogs on a wheel" perspective about teachers and learners is cold and careless leading to dull and potentially destructive teaching/learning communities. A more personal approach that sees every learner and educator as a unique individual holds great promise for what we can do in schools everywhere. When teachers think, Who is ______ and how can I help ________ learn with engagement and empowerment, then that teacher is ready to teach that child well. Similarly when administrators take the time to truly think about who the educators in their schools are and what each of those educators needs to thrive, then they really begin to build a top-notch system. For example when professional learning events are planned to treat every educator as the same, those professional learning events typically fall flat. On the other hand, when professional learning is based on who an educator is, what they can contribute, and what they need to better their work, then the learning truly develops in ways that create effective, enriching learning environments. One-size-fits-all approaches work sometimes, but in general, it's the personal perspective that empowers success in schools.
For many years, I've been writing about the need for schools to restructure roles and schedules to better distribute leadership, empower educators and students, and provide more skilled time-on-task teaching to each and every child. I believe that school structure which is too hierarchical and where many are distanced staff from the students too often is not a positive structure for effective teaching and learning. Instead, I believe that most staff should have regular deep responsibility and work with students, and that structures and schedules should support that good work.
When we educate children, we are not manufacturing products. Instead, as both scientists and artists, we are responding to the each child's individual promise and potential with creativity, heart, knowledge, and belief that what we do and how we do it matters to each and every child we work with.
