Kumashiro writes “Indeed,
the current move towards standards/standardization is de-professionalizing
teaching, reducing that role to one of mere “technician” who can implement the
already scripted and authorized curriculum. Within this logic, “traditional”
teacher preparation is not only unnecessary, but also undesired, because
teacher preparation is what can prepare teachers to teach against the script,
to teach against “common sense” (p.63).
Do you feel that our
teacher prep program is preparing us to “teach against the script”? If so, in
what ways? Even in my practicum, I see my cooperating teacher focusing on
standards and MCAS scores in a way that teaches to the test. Can we prepare
students for standardized tests while teaching against the script? How can we “address
diversity, equity, and civil rights” in this context? (p.64).
Allington quotes
Darling-Hammond when writing “Professional teachers should be allowed to focus
on doing the right things rather than on doing things right” (p.227). As soon
to be first-year teachers, do you think we will need to sacrifice “doing the right
things” and rather “do things right” in order to maintain our jobs? How can we
keep a realistic balance?
Lastly, in light of
the Allington’s article, “What Really Matters When Working with Struggling
Readers,” instead of waiting on research findings to influence our daily classroom
practices, how can we, as teachers, be researchers in our own classrooms? When
reading this article, I found myself agreeing with many of Allington’s
suggestions such as eliminating workbooks, test prep, and robin reading
activities, mainly because these were all things that I despised as a student. What
role do our own schooling experiences play in the classroom practices that we
choose to implement?
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