Teachers, Administrators, and School Systems

The reading this week explored teaching from the perspective of teachers, administrators, and school systems.  The first thing I took away from the reading was looking at a school system as both a professional organization, and a community.  As a professional organization, a lot of responsibility is put on teachers to provide an adequate eduction for their students.  There are guidelines set by the government such as curriculum that teachers are expected to follow.  However, how these guidelines are taught to the students may be different depending on the teacher.  This model relates, but has some contradicting ideas with school as a community.  Today, it is more common to see schools being referred to as communities of learners.  This model there are many forces influencing education, such as teachers, administrators, parents, and students.  The same government outlines need to be taught, but there is a much more collaborative feel to educating the students.

The second section of information that I thought was interesting was how teaching can be a very isolating position.  Teachers often get the majority of their contact with others through their students.  Although it is becoming more common, it is rare for teachers to work together and interact about their teaching practices.  Both new and experienced teachers may feel as though they are detached from communication with other adults.  Teachers are often complimented on their people skills, so I find it interesting how isolating the job itself may be.

Finally, one point mentioned in the text that I found to be super interesting, was how it mentioned what schools would be like if they were set up as a hospital.  This would change the role of administrators and teachers.  If teachers were like doctors, all in charge of their own patients (students).  They would be able to prescribe lessons based on the needs of their students, rather than what they have been assigned from the “higher-ups”.  Administrators would take on a different role as well, they would be less like a boss, more like a collaborative partner.  This idea is interesting to me and I wonder how different schools would be if they were not set up with a power hierarchy.

One connection I made to the text was at the very beginning where two new teachers were discussing their experience in their schools.  One had a very active staff and administration, where the other was feeling the serious impacts of isolation.  Right now I am in my Pre-Internship year of school and I have just begun my placement in a grade 2/3 classroom.  I absolutely love the staff and administration at my school, and I can see how their interactions with each other helps the school’s sense of community.  Every week the teachers meet for professional development meetings to discuss their classroom strengths and weaknesses.  I can see how this school community relates to the positive experience the new teacher had in the text.

Secondly, I connected with the text when it talked about diversity in teaching.  It has been made very clear, and we are often taught about the amount of diversity we will face in our future classrooms.  However, it is interesting to note that this same diversity is not recognized in teachers themselves.  Looking around my own education classes the majority of us are white women.  This stereotype of teachers has not changed since the 20th century.  I do not think it is a negative, but I do think it is a fact that needs to be acknowledged.  It will be very hard as a teacher to make connections and build relationships with our students who come from different backgrounds.  With that said, it is one of the most important parts of being a teacher and I believe it is possible.

One question I have for this week is, how do new teachers try to break away from feelings of isolation?  I know many schools these days are set up with an active staff, but if that is not the case, how do new teachers continue to learn?