Well I thought it was the end but I guess it was wrong, I'm ready for a new semester of new learning and improvement! Hopefully I've even learned a few things from my earlier blog posts!
In my very first blog entry, a few months ago now, I admitted a few things.
- I didn’t know anything about blogging. I can happily say I’ve rectified that situation (or at least hope I have!)
- I felt like the new story was beginning to trickle into the old story ways of teaching and
- Teachers have the ability for change and often act as “change agents” in the lives of students.
Since writing these previous entries the way in which I observe the world of education has changed, the things which I critique and pick up on, I would not have previously. In short, I’m looking at the world through education lenses now, constantly looking for methods and room for improvement in any “teachable moment”.
It seems to me that every moment has become a teaching moment, an opportunity for change, and the more that I look at the world through the optimistic “new story” lens, the more I see the ways in which the old story remains substantial. We may have moved on from the one room schoolhouse but children are still being monitored, taught in exactly the same way as they have been for generation and generation. Is there anything wrong with these methods of teaching? Arguably no, but I do wonder how the expectation of “old story teaching” influences and limits those working to instil the “new story”.
While parental expectations are a constant and important aspect of any educational endeavour, it is possible, at least to my mind that the chorus of “that’s not how we did it when I was in school!” or “why are they teaching you _________?” or even “that’s not really a ‘real’ class” have defined the modern classroom and anchored it to “old story teaching”.
It is my belief that, while parent’s and caretakers abilities to critique education and help their children with their own personal knowledge are an integral part of the educational process, and one that is under-appreciated, it is problematic to assume that these old story teachings must constantly overshadow new story teaching.
When a parent criticizes a new method of teaching, I believe it can be damaging to the reception of the teaching style. Instead, I would propose that, for schools trying to adopt these new level principles, that they simultaneously support parental involvement, encouraging it by opening up new opportunities.
At my high school, there were monthly meetings to help parents along to understand both the school as well as suggestions on how to interact with their children. It is my belief that this is integral to a healthy school environment for parent, teacher and student alike and should be instilled in all schools to create a wider system of support!
This video discusses many of the benefits to parental involvement and, when contrasted to the emerging new methods of teaching, illustrate how helpful it would be for parents to become more involved in promoting the “new story” to their kids.
Until next time!
A. Gallacher
A. Gallacher
