I was a young teacher once. I was excited with what I
thought were new and innovative ideas. Like what...like open area schools where
kids got to move freely, like the school where I observed with the library as
the hub in the center of a circular shaped school, like the move to
child-centred philosophy, like the recognition of the need for critical and
creative thinking. All of these progressive movements seemed new to me at the
time. But were they?
I was excited when my own children’s primary school embraced
all of this and more. They were led by Selma Wasserman of SFU and others that
followed in the same vein. Selma’s “Teaching for Thinking” changed the lives of
children and teachers. I knew teachers that literally changed how they taught
and never looked back. And those teachers continue to learn to this day. I was
sad when my children’s primary school was closed years later. It was an
incredible loss and a short-sighted decision.
I was excited by the recommendations coming out of the
Sullivan Commission in the late 1980’s and hopeful that they would be embraced
by educators. The recommendations were progressive and the Primary Program came
out of those recommendations. There was money provided for in-service. I was
sad that all ended at the intermediate level due to such things as poor
implementation plans, parental concerns about reporting, political competition
and no money for in-service. I am glad that young teachers are, perhaps
unknowingly, embracing much of the wisdom from the Sullivan Commission that was
never allowed to be implemented.
I was excited that the Ministry of Education of the day
(NDP) put in writing much of what teachers had always known, namely that
students learned at different rates and styles and that learning is dependent
upon the participation of the student. I was disappointed when that knowledge
was ignored by subsequent Ministers with the emphasis placed on standardized
testing and condoning the ranking of schools according to those tests. I am
further disappointed due to the threat of de-categorization of special needs students
who require special services to accommodate their different styles and rates of
learning.
Upon reflection, I wonder how many times before me had
teachers advocated for progressive change and I wonder if teachers with long
experience were thinking how nothing we were excited about was new. I think of authors like John Dewey who came
long before my career started. I find myself sometimes thinking “is this really
new.”
I’m happy that young teachers are enthusiastic about
progressive change. However, what I am not happy about is the thinking that
those of us who are older and more experienced were somehow living in the dark
ages and that we allowed education to go unchanged since the industrial
revolution. I don’t blame young teachers
for this. Our government constantly harps on the idea that schools haven’t
changed in over a century. Of course that is pure nonsense. Teachers have
always been progressive. Obviously there have been individual teachers who
didn’t embrace positive change, but for the most part teachers are a
progressive lot. No matter what age we are, we want our children to get the
best education possible. It is a good thing that young teachers are taking up
the torch. And because I know teachers are the most likely to know what is best
for kids in regard to education, we will be carrying those torches together
whether we be “old” or “young.”
But I must warn you. Although I hope that progressive change can
happen, there will be roadblocks and some of what we as educators know to be best
for kids will never happen. There are a myriad of reasons: What’s best for kids
may cost more, i.e. smaller class sizes, supports for special needs. What’s
best for kids may not be what can be controlled by a controlling government.
What’s best for kids may not be what is best for the corporate interests that
are making inroads into our education system.
If there have been roadblocks to progress in education
most have been put there by governments and their corporate agendas.
Kids Matter! Teachers Care!
