A letter in today's Bee from Jeanette Pierce sent a chill up my spine. A recently retired teacher, she disagrees with the idea of sending coaches into classrooms to help Fresno Unified's teachers. She implies that she didn't need to get any help from another teacher. Other teachers have expressed similar thoughts.
What a closed-minded approach for people who are supposed to embrace education. Sorry, the coaches are being sent in to help in a district with desperate statistics. There are red flags everywhere that the teachers need help. Even Tiger Woods has a coach; presidents have advisers; university professors have mentors. Smart people accept help any way they can get it. A teacher who feels threatened by another teacher's help, in these days of very demanding needs from children, is someone difficult to understand.
It does tell you, though, that no matter how bright some of these coaches are, there are some teachers who just won't get it because they already think they have all the answers.
I've been writing for newspapers for almost 40 years in many newsroom jobs. I learn from my editor and from my colleagues every day. To have the luxury of one-on-one coaching would be like hitting the lottery.
I'm here for you Gail.Coaching you will be a pleasure and seem effortless as I've been reading newspapers for over 40 years.You can prepare by stretching your mind and raising your expectations.You WILL sweat...so bring a towel.
Brian, we are all constantly learning from your blog posts. I remain your humble student.
We would want our doctor to keep up with the newest findings in medicine and our lawyer to keep up with changes in the law. Why wouldn't teachers want to keep up with the newest teaching methods? Coaching teachers is improving student learning in classrooms around the country - including Fresno.
Alternatively, you could just tune in to KMJ between 9 and 12 a.m. each day and get the proffered coaching directly from its source.
I suppose a teacher coach could help some teachers but I tend to believe that if they would just let them teach instead of forcing them to teach a curriculum that is clearly not effective then the scores would go up. When I was in school the teacher was able to make their own lesson plans and teach in an effective way but now they are mandated by the no child left behind act that is a huge joke because it is leaving all of them behind. Thry need to take a serious look at the curriculum that isn't working.
One thought: how to teach is important; what to teach even more so. In nearly 50 years teaching at Fresno State I have seen a steady decline in what students know coming in. American history, American government are both mysteries to many - many who have had several classes in the former and at least one in the latter. Sad.
At the risk of interpreting another’s letter, let me jump in here. I don’t think you’ve given Jeanette a fair shake (I have no personal connection with her and don’t know the lady). I think she has been seriously misrepresented.
I don’t think she is "closed-minded" or anti-learning. After all she did say, "I was learning more about teaching by ..." She just wasn’t learning from the so-called "approved sources" or a "coach." Learning comes in many forms. It’s been my observation that some of the best teachers come from a business or military background. Obviously, their learning experiences came from outside the educational establishment.
And just what is the job of a "coach?" Ms Marshall suggests that "coaches are being sent in to help in a district with desperate statistics....." What does that mean? Do coaches teach the teachers how to teach better or teach "how to better take a test" so that those "desperate statistics" begin to look a little better to the Feds?
Sometimes our best education comes from outside sources. Let’s not brand a person "closed-minded" simply because they choose to learn in a different, non-approved way.
Another observation: She must have been doing something right - she gave her life to children and taught for 30 years!
Furthermore, Ms Marshall’s response almost sounds like the opening salvo against the home schooling movement - those rebels that somehow seem to educate their children without the help of the educational establishment.
When the students are given a test I think it is imperative to share the missed questions with them so they can work more on those areas. They should utilize the coaches as tutors in the areas that are being failed or lower scoring. Some home schooled students really thrive and advance at home. The ones that are home schooled with no parent at home really bother me because that is self teaching by the student.
Jackie- do you have special knowledge of home schooling circumstances and NCLB?From what? I help my niece with her homework and was anxious to see how we did as I have not been in school for sometime and may have not remembered some things. To my surprise she said they do not grade the papers for mistakes that they only look to see if you filled in everything.I asked how you know if your getting things right.She said "When we take the test". I thought this must be an isolated situation but my nephew in San Diego told me the same thing.The CTA blames NCLB but before NCLB they blamed something else.Plenty of blame for everything but the CTA.My mother lived with three school teachers in SF in the fifties and said their attitudes and approach thoroughly disgusted her. Things will not change and after NCLB they will blame something else.Is it the system or those that work for it?Neither seems to want to be held accountable.
I have no special knowledge about NCLB except I know many teachers who are very restricted in what or how they teach because of it. It is obviously not working so lets go back to the way it used to be when teachers were teachers. It is ludicris to say kids have to fill in the blanks but are not checked for mistakes and they are expected to do well on the test. Another thing that is done ios for the students to correct other students papers which is just a breeding ground for a child to be picked on or belittles if they haven't done well.