I really enjoyed School by Design (Wiggins, Grant and McTighe) when I read it this fall, but it challenged my thinking in a number of ways. I was on board with the thinking on curriculum and on the critical role of the teacher. But when the discussion of the professional teacher came up, I struggled a bit more.
I am a member of the Saskatchewan Teacher's Federation. I have always thought of myself as a professional, and as part and parcel of that, thought that it was the teacher's right and obligation to decide how to teach.
Wiggins, Grant and McTighe: Indeed, schooling and reform have been hindered by the view that it is most 'professional' if teachers decide for themselves how to teach (P. 111, Schooling by Design: Mission, Action and Achievement, 2007) .
Me: But that's what professionalism is. All professionals make decisions based on their experiences and knowledge. When I weigh a variety of complex variables to make a good choice for my students, I am being professional.
Wiggins, Grant and McTighe: The result is not merely an inconsistent array of unexamined approaches to instruction (as if medicine were still what any country doctor 200 years ago thought it should be) -
Me: Wait. But the process of learning is, at best, highly contextual. That's why we are professionals. I respect the wisdom of those I teach with, and their collective wisdom helps kids. I know that sometimes we use the instructional strategies that we find most comfortable, or teach what we like best, but in general (pause). Well, I also know there is clear research saying what we should do and why we should do it, like the research on the need to change our assessment strategies, the fact that summarizing is an important think for students to do -"
Wiggins, Grant and McTighe: The result is not merely an inconsistent array of unexamined approaches to instruction (as if medicine were still what any country doctor 200 years ago thought it should be); a more harmful effect is that any critique of teaching inevitably is seen as an attack on teachers (P. 111, Schooling by Design: Mission, Action and Achievement, 2007) .
(pause)
Me: (as implications for school change and view of professionalism collide) Oh, dear.
While I appreciate your quandary I think you already know the answer. Wiggins, Grant and McTighe want education to be treated as a condition with a prescriptive solution, but we all know students are individuals. If the solution suggested were so simple we could just get out the DVD or teach all courses online with no teachers at all. A professional can measure response to instruction and adjust on the fly, I don’t think it’s as simple as they state. Teachers "need" to exercise judgment to make the best decisions on behalf of their students. More rigid curriculums and testing are not what are needed. To paraphrase Alfie Kohn "An in-depth project that helps students understand ideas from the inside-out is a hell of a lot better than a packet of worksheets or a requirement to read another chapter of a dull, committee-written textbook and answer the questions at the end."
ReplyDeleteBill, I hear you on the not wanting it to be prescriptive, but I am not as decided as you might think. We suggest the 15 Fixes, or afl with the idea that their are some practices that are just plain superior. I think we're saying that professional discretion is not okay in some areas - including areas where professionals have strong opinions based on experience.
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