We Can Do Better

Photo Credit: goo.gl/R4PcJ2 Copy short URL Because teaching is such a difficult profession, educators and administrators alike are often searching for tools and programs that make teaching easier.  On the surface, this seems like a really good idea.  Putting effort into easing the stress of teachers has to be good for kids, right?  In some cases this proves to be true, but what we choose to simplify makes all the difference.     A phrase that really makes me cringe is “why reinvent the wheel?”  It’s a phrase that’s usually followed by a hasty Google search, only to bring up something that’s beautifully packaged from Teachers Pay Teachers or Pinterest.  For a small fee, we can have an answer at our fingertips; but what are we sacrificing in the meantime?   I will proudly state here and now that I am a teacher nerd.  The work that many teachers shy away from, I’m first in line to do.  You know the stuff - curriculum ...

Image Source        In my work as an instructional coach, I'm frequently confronted with responses that teachers simply "can't" do what's being asked of them. Just as frequently, I'm told by administrators that teachers simply "won't" comply with requests. The truth of the matter is that when we are confronted with something that feels overwhelming, we have a tendency to fall into a space between can't and won't. The chasm of “can’t” and “won’t” can be a dark place that breeds judgement and hard feelings.  It seems the only way to escape is by engaging in some self-reflection to help teachers and administrators alike realize where they are and what they need to do to achieve more.     When a teacher says that they can't do something, I'm not likely to believe that it's because they literally can not do what is being asked of them. A more probable interpretation is that something they would need to be able to do what ...