Different Perspectives

Today, I attended the weekly teacher meeting before school which consisted of recognizing coworkers, going over calendar or upcoming events, and discussing any necessary orders of business. The most interesting topic discussed was the issue of taking advisory classes over to get Starbucks. It has become a favorite activity for many students and the teachers who choose not to take their advisories brought up the pros and cons, proposing to decide as a staff to eliminate Starbucks runs. Other teachers agreed that it was unhealthy, unfair, and a poor way to bond with their advisories. They decided to have at most one more Starbucks run and to ban them next year. I really enjoy the staff at HTM. They are all pleasant, forward thinking people. After the meeting, I headed over to the high school to observe Amy teach about trig identities. After class we talked about the class and I explained how much I am learning about the material in her class, more specifically why trig functions are the way they are. We shared the commonality of growing up not being taught the 'whys' and even worse, not asking. She mentioned realizing in college how little she knew and then really began searching for the why as a teacher because she didn't want to teach something she didn't understand. It was encouraging and inspiring to hear her say that. After our little chat, I had a chance to talk to Mrs. Strong about her masters program before 2nd period started. She is in her first year of a two year masters program that HTH offers. This is the first year HTH has offered a masters program and it is free for HTH community teachers. In this first year, she is doing all the course work and preparing for the research part of next year. She is conducting research on how students feel about open ended questions and how well math methods transfer to different situations. Her class today consisted of applying their knowledge of percents to a difficult opening assignment, checking their homework, and competing for a prize by completing a math worksheet. During advisory today, I chatted with my good friend Becky, the tutor, whom I have decided I would love to meet with every week to discuss education. She has such interesting views on education and raising her children. I was asking her about her job and family and she informed me that she teaches a night class a couple nights a week which works out well for her because she doesn't like putting her kids to bed because she doesn't like telling them what to do. At first, I was taken aback by this comment. I thought really and she said well do you? I said, "I don't have kids but I don't mind telling other people’s kids what to do." After taking some time to absorb her idea and allowing her to explain her reasoning, I warmed up to it a little. I see value in raising inquisitive children who ask why, but I also see value in teaching children that some things you simply have to do. I don't think parents should raise robots that simply fit into society’s mold, but I also think damage can be done if they are too socially different and become outcasts that can not function inside society. Aside from her parenting style, Becky informed me of a school in Mass. that is completely democratic, meaning students decide what they want to learn. If they decide they want to learn algebra, there are teachers there to teach that. I quickly gave a negative response to this idea until again I took a minute to think about what it meant. Becky explained that if we wouldn't smash the curiosity to learn in kindergarten, then people would be interested in learning based on a need for knowledge. She asked me if I would want to learn, if someone wasn't making me learn. I answered that now I would, but as a teenager, I don't know if I would have. I believe she had a very valid point. Why should the government or a board of educators get to decide what is important to learn. Just some interesting issues to chew on. During 3rd period, I helped with the 8th graders projects and during 4th period I observed Ms. K. During 5th period, I went into the art room for the first time and sat down to talk to the art teacher. These students do the coolest art projects. I will have to take a picture of them to show you guys. We talked about the different projects and also about the failing public education system that seems to be hopelessly spirally downward. Today was full of wonderful conversation and food for thought. Let me advise anyone who is interested in taking an adventure such as mine to allow more than 5 weeks at each location. Just when these people begin to open up to me to have a conversation with me as a colleague instead of an observer it is time for me to pack up and move. I would rather experience it in the last week and a half then not at all but I will miss these people and our conversations.