Teacher Truth-The Sequel

Play is the Language of Children

Still Year 1, only I had been moved to a much larger classroom, and for whatever reason, it was known (even prior to my inhabiting it) as “The Swing Room”. I look like an escapee from a 1980’s Land’s End Catalog. The glorious person in the chair, was my amazing Assistant Principal. My students were playing “Museum",” to each show her a pair of shoes they had designed for her. (It was a Social Studies lesson on Goods vs Services. ) The objective was required by the county, but back then, it was up to the teacher to design engaging, child centered lessons.

I had twenty six students that year and the freedom to meet their needs, build on their strengths, engage them via their personal interests, allowing me to provide them daily with a wonderful school experience, assisting them in reaching higher, achieving more, and in the process, also “growing me” as a teacher, as a listener, an observer, a problem identifier and a problem solver.

In the 1990’s, the paradigm shifted, and suddenly, there were “required lessons” that were dull as dirt. Well, let me qualify that…we were told that (as always) the Objectives were “required” but the lessons were only “educated suggestions”…that is code for, “If you are being observed by a curriculum supervisor, you had better be using one of these ‘educated suggestion’ lessons”.

I found that so bizarre and very unnerving. Why would I ever subject my students to lessons that wouldn’t spark their wonder, awe, build on their strengths, while strengthening their needs? I couldn’t and I didn’t. Now, I wanted to keep my job/my career so I had to be creative about my ways. Back then, prior to being a Tenured Teacher, the Curriculum Supervisors would come out twice a year to observe said teacher with the implied goal of assisting them in becoming a better teacher. Some of them did this with expertise, and some…did not.

I had an “Expert” come into my classroom towards the end of my career and the purpose was to improve all the teachers in the county in their teaching of a particular subject. (Note how I do not give details so as not to throw myself or anyone else under the bus). This “Expert” had NEVER taught the grade I was teaching…ever. And yet, this Expert had made a video of a “Model Lesson” which we had been required to watch prior to the week of her/his visit/observation of our lessons. There was no “play” involved.

At one point during the “Model Lesson” (where there were only 5 children in the room…she/he was not responsible for running an entire classroom while simultaneously being responsible for all the other students in the class…this mode is NOT reality)…I digress…back to “The Model Lesson”. One of the five students, after 15 minutes puts his head on the table and says loudly, “When is this going to END?!!!!” Another chimes in, “Yeah, this is boring!!”The “Expert” responds, “Now, you are fine and having a good time. Let’s continue”. WHAT???? You just negated their reality. And, it WAS boring!!

WOAH!! As a teacher, if your students are reacting this way, you need to up your game, pivot, have a concentric activity because they are letting you know very clearly that this lesson is not working. Not every lesson is a home run, and we owe it to the students and to ourselves to reflect later on what the issue was, what the variables were-keep what worked and alter what didn’t. No blame, no shame. Back to the day of my Observation.

I couldn’t do that to my kiddos, so I utilized the objectives provided and made up my own lesson. The children (there were 7 in that group and I also had the rest of the 20 children working purposely in the classroom as well) were highly engaged, when their time was up and it was time to switch groups, they had smiles on their faces, were proud of their work and a few asked if they could continue working on the project during “Centers”.

The debriefing later that day by “The Expert” started out as a dressing down, but I quickly put an end to that by saying, “Oh, I met the objectives, didn’t I?” She/he answered “Yes”. And then I said, “Oh good-they were so active and involved as were the rest of the children in the room. I’d be happy to get together with you and share my lesson. Here’s a copy of it, as you probably are in a hurry”.

Now, could I have done this when I was young (as in the photo above)…no!!! I recall an Observation where I finished, took the kids to Lunch, and then cried my eyes out in the bathroom. (That’s for another post) My mom told me long ago, “You can only be a doormat if you lay yourself down first”. Wise woman.

“Experts,” School Board, Admin., Teachers, Staff, Students…can all work together, identify the issues, identify necessary resources, never shame and blame, lift up, scaffold, support when necessary, help the students grow and learn to fly. Together, we are stronger.