new teacher pressures - part 3 (of 3)
Herein lies the final post in my trilogy of being a new teacher.
Previously, I have debated my participation in the occupation (Part 1).
Also, I have aired my frustrations, solutions, and unsolved mysteries of the classroom (Part 2).
Now, for Part 3. What exactly is the role of a teacher in a public school setting?
I don't know but it seems that everyone else does. To be fair, all of us have taught someone something at some point, and all of us have been taught. Which means everyone has an opinion about the teaching profession.
Many with experience in education know of the curriculum vs. pedagogy debate, which translates to 'what you teach' vs. 'how you teach,' respectively. Not unlike the nature vs. nurture debate, both curriculum and pedagogy exist and both are powerful influencers, but we are uncertain as to which aspect deserves the most attention.
However, during my education classes and in my mere year as a teacher, I have been witness to a third contender. I think I will call it 'parenting' ('relationship,' 'life skills,' and 'prioritization' are other possible names for this phenomenon).
I have students who walk into my classroom unable to read a nutrition label, fill out paperwork, or remember to bring a pencil to school (I give them out for free so each of my students should have at least one). I am supposed to teach them chemistry (the curriculum) by building meaningful relationships and interesting lessons (pedagogy). However, there is nothing in the chemistry standards that say anything about a nutrition label or teaching students to come to school prepared.
Myself, the admin, and the department team are all faced with the same question. Should we stick to the curriculum, or do we sacrifice the curriculum to teach other skills - like filling out paperwork and analyzing nutrition labels?
We laugh at the meme below:
Though in all seriousness, when did it become the school's responsibility to teach students about taxes? All parents should be able to teach their children to file taxes; you don't need to be an accountant - just be able to hire one or use a free and easy online tax service. However, not all parents have the comprehensive understanding of biology needed to explain cellular function. Maybe they don't have the understanding to explain filing taxes either but that isn't our (teachers) fault!
Teachers are starting to be held responsible for teaching life skills instead of specialized areas of interest. At the same time there is an even greater push for students to take higher level courses and advance their education as quickly as possible. The curriculum contains more concepts than can possible be mastered in such a short amount of time.
It is the strangest dichotomy. I have no idea what to do about it - or how to work with it.
There are many times throughout the semester when I am teaching foundational processes and I realize teaching chemistry is only a third of what I do - if that. I am trying to mature students by years in mere months. I am trying to catch them up in life while teaching science. But the question remains, what is going to be more beneficial to them in the future? A rudimentary understanding of chemistry, or having the skills necessary to eat well?
Previously, I have debated my participation in the occupation (Part 1).
Also, I have aired my frustrations, solutions, and unsolved mysteries of the classroom (Part 2).
Now, for Part 3. What exactly is the role of a teacher in a public school setting?
I don't know but it seems that everyone else does. To be fair, all of us have taught someone something at some point, and all of us have been taught. Which means everyone has an opinion about the teaching profession.
Many with experience in education know of the curriculum vs. pedagogy debate, which translates to 'what you teach' vs. 'how you teach,' respectively. Not unlike the nature vs. nurture debate, both curriculum and pedagogy exist and both are powerful influencers, but we are uncertain as to which aspect deserves the most attention.
However, during my education classes and in my mere year as a teacher, I have been witness to a third contender. I think I will call it 'parenting' ('relationship,' 'life skills,' and 'prioritization' are other possible names for this phenomenon).
I have students who walk into my classroom unable to read a nutrition label, fill out paperwork, or remember to bring a pencil to school (I give them out for free so each of my students should have at least one). I am supposed to teach them chemistry (the curriculum) by building meaningful relationships and interesting lessons (pedagogy). However, there is nothing in the chemistry standards that say anything about a nutrition label or teaching students to come to school prepared.
Myself, the admin, and the department team are all faced with the same question. Should we stick to the curriculum, or do we sacrifice the curriculum to teach other skills - like filling out paperwork and analyzing nutrition labels?
We laugh at the meme below:
Though in all seriousness, when did it become the school's responsibility to teach students about taxes? All parents should be able to teach their children to file taxes; you don't need to be an accountant - just be able to hire one or use a free and easy online tax service. However, not all parents have the comprehensive understanding of biology needed to explain cellular function. Maybe they don't have the understanding to explain filing taxes either but that isn't our (teachers) fault!
Teachers are starting to be held responsible for teaching life skills instead of specialized areas of interest. At the same time there is an even greater push for students to take higher level courses and advance their education as quickly as possible. The curriculum contains more concepts than can possible be mastered in such a short amount of time.
It is the strangest dichotomy. I have no idea what to do about it - or how to work with it.
There are many times throughout the semester when I am teaching foundational processes and I realize teaching chemistry is only a third of what I do - if that. I am trying to mature students by years in mere months. I am trying to catch them up in life while teaching science. But the question remains, what is going to be more beneficial to them in the future? A rudimentary understanding of chemistry, or having the skills necessary to eat well?
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