Diving In

Taking a deep breath and diving in, with only hopes rather than expectations that someone will discover my blog.  Or perhaps my secret hope is that no one will and my thoughts will remain what they have been for so long, private.

The title of the blog, "Just One Name," comes from my internal reaction every time I hear someone make a comment about all of those ineffective, or incompetent teachers that are in classrooms, as if our schools are filled with incompetence protected by the near mythical, all powerful union.

One name, just one name, that is all I want.  I want to know who those teachers are.  Are they Mr. Johnson, whose classroom management style I disagree with, but whose work with my son kept him both on target educationally and helped him get through an emotionally difficult time?  A time when in his 8 year old mind my husband and I were going to get a divorce despite us reassuring him that Daddy is only staying in Texas to sell the house.

Perhaps they mean Ms. Ratchet, whose manner seems severe and abrupt.  Ms. Ratchet, who gives up her lunch every day to sit with students and go over work or homework that was not finished or understood.  Ms. Ratchet who refuses to let any student fail, indeed failure would have to be worked at in her room.  Ms. Ratchet, who at the end of the day cries over every missed opportunity, every moment she thinks she could have done something better.

Maybe it is Ms. Howard, who has certainly been known to raise her voice when frustrated, whose students sit in tightly controlled groups, who can write a student referral faster than anyone I've ever met.  Ms. Howard, who spends her entire Sunday afternoon creating lesson plans and inquiries that meet the needs of a diverse group of students.  Whose students experience success on standardized testing.  Who is incredibly tender-hearted, but provides a well organized room for students whose life are filled with chaos.

Or maybe the person they are talking about is me.  I am fairly certain that there are parents who did not agree with my approach, were not always thrilled with the educational choices I made.  

The point is, there is no clear way to determine how good or bad a teacher is.  For the most part, the assessments are based on the assessors own opinions about education and the often skewed results of standardized tests.  Thus, the teacher who doesn't do what the observer would or wants becomes a "bad" teacher.  Or the teacher who is not allowed to provide true differentiation for their students or must use scripted programs is blamed for the failure that comes with demanding strict fidelity to the program.

I have asked that question of many a person who started in on the need to get rid of the bad teachers and make room for the good ones (all too often that is based on the assumption that the tenured teachers are bad and new teachers are good.  Talk about an underlying fallacy!).  

I am still waiting for that name.