Friday, August 17, 2018

Why are teacher's striking? What are the conditions stressing teachers? A letter to the Minister.



Education Readings
 By Allan Alach
 Every week Bruce Hammonds and I collect articles to share with teachers to encourage a creative approach to teaching and learning. We welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz

Secret Teacher NZ: Why I left teaching?
‘I sat down to write this and had to start over many times. I’m not sure how to go about explaining
why I left teaching in a way that doesn’t come off as judgy, or blamey or a woe-is-me tale. I suppose many educators feel like this. Teaching seems to be the one profession everyone feels qualified to have an opinion on, seeing as we all went through a school at some point.’

The Destruction of New Zealand's Public Education System
Dave Kennedy wrote this back on 2014. Has there been any change? Worse? Better? About the same?
This government is destroying our amazing collaborative, holistic public education system that recently led the world. They are determined to implement systems that have failed spectacularly overseas. Professional knowledge based on evidence and research should lead education, not political ideology. What angers me the most is what is being denied to our most vulnerable children when they should be the real focus of spending and any systemic change.’

Time for a rethink about the role of education in a democratic society.
Bruce’s latest article:
“I write this in a week primary teachers are to go on strike for better pay.  Concerns about the workload expected of teachers is just as big a concern. Both issues need to be sorted if teaching is to become an attractive career – a career that values teachers as the professionals they once were. If conditions are not resolved then improving salaries will not solve the issues of workload and associated stress. As one wise old rural adviser once said, ‘teachers need to protect their time and energy, if this is wasted on b/s then they will have no time left to teach.’”

An open letter to Minister Hipkins - 13 Reasons Why EVERY teacher deserves a pay rise!
‘Too often the narrative around why we need a pay rise can become focused on how hard the job is. The act of teaching is hard, however be assured, a career in teaching is a privilege. That said I do believe each and every teacher in this country deserves a generous pay rise, not because it's a tough job, but because it is a bloody important and complex one. Here are my 13 reasons why…'

'We're not being trusted': Teachers drowning in paperwork at expense of teaching
"Demands upon teachers are very substantial, potentially debilitating, and growing - particularly in administrative work." Teachers who filled out the survey said their work hours had increased significantly over the past five years. Some 97 per cent reported an increase in administration, and 89 per cent said their teaching was hindered by it.’

The 5 Elephants of Education
Pay, Resources, Expectations, Red Tape, and Lack of Respect

10 examples of how ‘DEVICE fetish’ is ruining EdTech
Device fetishism has been a destructive force in research, procurement, projects and outcomes. So here’s some blowback. Note that I’ve been implementing and writing about the use of tech in learning for 33 years, so I’m speaking, not as a philistine, but a convert.’

Top Ten Cognitive Dissonances That Give Teachers Headaches
But the cognitive dissonance doesn’t end with the idea of pre-planning.  The meetings themselves are full of cognitive dissonance. I often come away from district meetings, state DOE emails, and faculty meetings with splitting headaches. These headaches are caused by the cognitive dissonances I find in these places. Here are  just a few examples of some of the cognitive dissonances I live with in teaching every day.’

TTWWADI - A Culture Killer
‘However, there is another significant impediment to change that doesn’t get as much focus as it should and that is tradition.  What this then morphs into is a mentality of ”if it’s not broken why fix it”? However, the underlying reason for not changing can be
chalked up to TTWWADI – That’s the way we’ve always done it. Tradition, combined with the comfort of the status quo, forms a plausible excuse for not changing. As a result, the learning culture does not evolve or becomes stagnant for both learners and educators. TTWWADI is also a characteristic of a fixed mindset.’  

How welcoming are your school environments?
‘Have you ever walked through your school and asked yourself, “Who would feel welcome and comfortable here? “I am sure we have walked into a space where we immediately felt comfortable and, conversely, have been in spaces that do not feel welcoming or comfortable. What is it about thosespaces that engender those feelings?’

Dear Parents, It's Not Always the Teacher's Fault — It's Your Child
I love teaching. To me, there's nothing quite as satisfying as helping my students understand the material and enjoy learning. However, that job will continue to get harder and harder if we all don't
accept the fact that children are capable of making mistakes. Lots of them. And what's so bad about that? Making mistakes is a huge part of growing up, so parents, I beg you — please stop blaming the teacher for every problem your child encounters.’

From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:

The NZF curriculum nautilus
The shell of the nautilus is a symbol, or metaphor, for beauty and proportional perfection . First
used on a New Zealand Curriculum in 1993 it has become a familiar symbol for New Zealand teachers. Or has it?The ‘new’ New Zealand Curriculum introduced to schools in 2007 comes with a redesigned nautilus shell.To introduce the ideas of the curriculum to students (and teachers) it might be worth giving thought to the reason for the selection of the image.’

Learning from Michelangelo
‘Each human being arrives in this world trapped in a block of marble and it is
the job of the educators – parents and teachers- to free the individual from the imprisoning stone and reveal its true form without disfiguring or damaging it.

1 comment:

I Will Be Healthy said...

Greatt blog post