Chapter 7: Do your part to create a positive school culture
Ah, my love language. School culture. It is so critically important. I recall reading about school culture in my grad classes and getting fully behind how critical it is that we cultivate a comfortable place for working and learning.
For some of the administrators for whom I have worked, cultivating school culture has been low on the priority list. For others, it was higher on the list, but there was little understanding of how to ferment the necessary elements. I agree with Watson that teachers often need to make this happen themselves. It is possible, because it happens with my colleagues.
When you teach students with abundant, intensive needs, you can get pretty emotionally beaten up. I understand when Watson said, "You have the right to seek out other teaching opportunities..." but in reality, that might not be a viable option. I have tried. When in your 40s, it becomes harder, as you make a great deal of money for the profession, and some positions require a large pay cut. If you have taught for a district for a long time, some administrators are not willing to take you on, particularly if you are a strong leader and threaten their sense of leadership and self-worth. Politics abound. Going outside the profession is also hard, as other options see a teacher's skills in only one particular way, and do not see the skills can carry over in other ways. I have had several teaching positions in my career. However, that seems to be stagnating. Lucky for me, I am pretty happy where I am.
I agree with Watson that the teachers can take charge of school culture. My colleagues have "Pig Out" once a month, which involves an all-day grazing fest. We have also instituted an "I Noticed board," as well as writing notes of encouragement to each other. We have a "Pride" committee that does something special for the staff each month. I try to give verbal compliments, or at least a pleasant smile and conversation, to colleagues whenever I can. A smile and "good morning" to the custodian who has been there since 5 AM clearing snow off the sidewalks goes a long way. So, with that part of the chapter, I felt a great deal of validation.
The first part of the chapter that discussed conversations served as reflection. I think I am involved in all kinds of conversations. I will say, when I cannot supersede constant negativity, work seems like a chore, and it's harder to be happy about teaching. On page 95, Watson mentions being "mentally and emotionally on guard around negative colleagues, especially if they have a tendency to blindside you with hurtful comments...Keep negative co-workers at arm's length and don't value their opinions enough to allow them to hurt your feelings." Not sure if my feelings get hurt or if they just piss me off. But I know of what she speaks!
Chapter 8: Take charge of your own professional development
This chapter was preaching to the choir. I love good PD, and I seek it out often, especially in areas where I feel I need some development. Watson makes a good point that we must be in charge of our prof dev. "If you don't take the initiative to increase your teaching motivation, who will?" Amen. Two Master's degrees and NBPTS certs later, I have a clear prof dev addiction.
Teachers always seem annoyed at SIP days planned by others, as they typically miss the mark for what is needed. Truth is, each person has a different need. I have a dream SIP day that involves teachers choosing their own paths and proposing how they will spend their day. Not just having workshops available, but truly letting everyone propose their day. Who knows? Maybe I should propose that?
I appreciate how she included social media as a way to develop professionally. I have definitely seen Pinterest as a "player" in this movement. I have found some fantastic ideas there, and I use it for business and pleasure.
Chapter 9: Let your vision define your value and measure of success
This chapter really made me think. A vision is definitely an important thing to have. I kept asking myself, "What IS your vision in 2016?" I think it has changed over the last 25 years.
Several years ago when school choice was in full swing, I read an e-mail from my superintendent regarding the schools that had to offer "choice" to their parents. Mine was one of them. There is no way to explain how degrading that felt to our staff, particularly to me. What added insult to injury was that he noted that the district would do everything they could for the schools that were getting the additional students. That actually caused tears, and I am not a crier. Despite the fact that I knew we were being placed in an unwinnable situation--that standardized testing was never going to show the successes in our school-- it was such deep and public humiliation for our teachers, for our kids, and for me. Logic was not winning over emotion. Clearly, trying to meet the unattainable goals of ESEA ("No Child Left Behind") took over any reasonable vision I should have had at the time. Watson indicates a truth on p. 121 that I learned the hard way: "You cannot allow other people's actions to determine whether you feel good about your work, and recognition cannot be your primary motivation for working hard."
On p. 119, Watson shares the thoughts of a teacher in Milwaukee: "If I don't do my job, I'm sentencing these kids to either a prison sentence or a death sentence. Without an education, most of them have no hope of a better future. That knowledge is what drives us to do what we do. It's about the vision." This is true of the situation in which I currently teach.
I appreciated her idea of having an articulated class vision. That can definitely anchor much of the conversations we have as a class. I envision cutting it in vinyl and posting it on our whiteboard so we can see it. I like having the students play an active part in creating the vision. We have a school code, yet it remains vague and forced on the students. This will definitely be part of my professional reflections in the coming months.
No comments:
Post a Comment