If you want to move a mountain, study those who succeeded - and those who failed. The stories of the struggles of New Jersey and Massachusetts to maintain consistent educational gains, the histories of successful education reform in Connecticut and North Carolina, and the tale of California’s dismal failure to close its opportunity gap demonstrate that money, well spent, does matter. In Finland, South Korea, and Singapore, where significant successful education reform was enacted over the last 3 decades, part of the strategy was to fund centrally and equally all schools, regardless of their socio-economic influences. The success of Finland, Korea, Singapore, and the states of Connecticut and North Carolina is largely attributed to several other shared strategies.
What strikes me as most relevant to my own teaching practice is how impactful a well-trained, thoughtful teaching force can be on the overall success of a state’s or a country’s education reform. Most of the above mentioned monumental changes are not within the purview of my daily classroom life. What I can control daily in my sphere is who I am to my students and what I do with them. Which brings us back to Confucius. In Korea, teachers rank among “the most trusted members of society.(Loc 4089)” “Don’t even step on the shadow of a teacher,” states a Korean proverb, reflective of the deep respect for knowledge and teaching that is part of its Confucian heritage.(Loc 3953)” It’s a little daunting to think that little ’ole me has such a large role to play - it is a truly AWEsome responsibility, much like the mountain in the photo. If I want to move that mountain, I’ll start by picking up one stone at a time. And I’ll study those who succeeded in moving a mountain.
I feel these are the key elements I must include in my classroom to prepare my students for the future.
2 Comments
I, too, love Sir Ken Robinson's words. I've watched his TED talk several times, and always am inspired by it. The logic of it, and of most reforms feels intuitive to those of us on the front lines of teaching; the things that have to change must be things that focus on the improvement for students. Put another way - it has to be all about the kids. For some communities this means simple things like providing breakfast, and summer classes so students can continue their academic growth, and for others it might mean new equpitment or better supplies. For all schools, though it means staying focused on students and THEIR needs.
Reply
Patrick
2/23/2017 06:38:13 pm
It was great how you framed your blog with the words of Confucius. It really adds perspective to the idea of piecing together what it takes to be a successful educator. It makes me think that none of the ideas from any of the different systems of education are very new. Context might have changed, but the underlying idea is the same. Successful education is cultural and student centered! We need to develop the culture in our own classrooms that enable students to succeed in the ways that matter. Like you said above "What does THIS kid need...?" The differences between the different states and countries that have found success and the age old yet relevant proverbs you cite all demonstrate this. Education becomes great when we focus on the needs of the students. Perhaps that high level of focus is why we struggle so much as a nation in education. Finland, Singapore, and South Korea are all much smaller geographically and demographically.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Nancy JaminetArchives
December 2017
Categories |