Raise the bar on teachers: New instructor-evaluation plan must be only a start
Will Richardson asked the following question...http://tinyurl.com/24z6vdu So let's see who is paying attention...what phrase in the above quote needs to be changed so as to reflect the reality of what happens in the classroom?My response...Raise the bar on administrative leadership: New administrative-evaluation plan must be only a start.There has to be 1) an acknowledgment of the need for change to prepare our students for what awaits them in the world they live 2) A cogent action plan to transition in to practices that will prepare students for that world
To date we are sorely void of both ... there are pockets but no critical mass ...
Teachers in the trenches are left to fend for themselves in an environment that lacks administrative understanding, support, and modeling. This "head in the sand" approach ignores the world in which students will be expected to function. This has created a lack of expectation on teachers (that demands support in the domains of professional development) and the way they should integrate modified pedagogical approaches that would leverage technology tools in more authentic ways for students. We loose the curiosity, energy, and creativity of our clientele as a result and do not prepare students for the world/society and the expectations it will impose on them. Grass roots approaches to change is not enough to move us off our status quo.
My $0.02
