Jul 25, 2022Liked by Matt Renwick, Ryanne Deschane
Ryanne and Matt you have reminded us all of how important it is to trust the professionalism of teachers. In a time when teachers are feeling the pressure of curriculum adoptions, calls for parent oversight of what is being taught, and laws being passed that tell them what they can and cannot say we have to remember that teachers need to have a voice to stand up for themselves and the students in front of them. Teachers need to feel supported and encouraged. Instructional walks and being a part of school decisions are two very important ways to do this.
While I was reading about instructional walks, I thought about how they might have supported a principal that I worked with a couple of years ago. Toward the end of our discussion about one of my annual observations, my principal told me that she did not have anything for me to work on. She thought my lesson went great and there was nothing she would change. While I would love to think I have nothing to improve upon, that just doesn't exist in the world of teaching. That was a year that was particularly challenging for me. I was returning to the classroom after 7 years out as a literacy interventionist and it had been 13 years since I had taught this particular grade. This exchange did not make me feel better about my teaching, but it did make me doubt the competence of my principal and her ability to help me grow.
Ryanne and Matt you have reminded us all of how important it is to trust the professionalism of teachers. In a time when teachers are feeling the pressure of curriculum adoptions, calls for parent oversight of what is being taught, and laws being passed that tell them what they can and cannot say we have to remember that teachers need to have a voice to stand up for themselves and the students in front of them. Teachers need to feel supported and encouraged. Instructional walks and being a part of school decisions are two very important ways to do this.
While I was reading about instructional walks, I thought about how they might have supported a principal that I worked with a couple of years ago. Toward the end of our discussion about one of my annual observations, my principal told me that she did not have anything for me to work on. She thought my lesson went great and there was nothing she would change. While I would love to think I have nothing to improve upon, that just doesn't exist in the world of teaching. That was a year that was particularly challenging for me. I was returning to the classroom after 7 years out as a literacy interventionist and it had been 13 years since I had taught this particular grade. This exchange did not make me feel better about my teaching, but it did make me doubt the competence of my principal and her ability to help me grow.