Learning from Kids

One of my deepest fascinations of my teaching career is the complex relationship between student and teacher.  I once believed that the role of a teacher is to “unload” some information into the minds of young children, as prescribed by the curriculum.

This false belief is derived from what Lortie (1975) describes as the “Apprenticeship of Observation.”  We would like to believe that we all “know” a lot about the practice of teaching because we had witnessed more than 12 years of it as students.

Here’s a clue… we don’t really know a lot about teaching kids unless you have spent some time developing your teacher expertise as a teacher (Berliner, 1998).  Teachers newly inducted into the profession take at least 5 years to understand their practice.

What’s my point?  I took about 5 years to develop an “automaticity” (Berliner, 2001) in what I did in the classroom (i.e. the classroom routines).  I completed a Masters in Education and another 5 years of teaching to understand why I did what I did in the classroom.

Now, I am attempting to complete a Doctor of Education to understand how teachers learn on the job as non-math specialists in the field of secondary math.  I am learning about “the act of teaching” from my readings, course work, research, and reflective practice.

A humbling moment… I participated in the 2011 Pulling Together Journey on the SD46 canoe and one of the youths says to me after a brief conversation about my pedagogical journey… “It’s good to do one thing at a time.  That’s how you get really good at something.”

All of a sudden my self-doubting thoughts and perceived regrets simply vanished.  The wisdom of this high school student gave me solace in my educational pursuit and some of the decisions I made to make the writing process and professional learning possible.

Conclusion:  Kids get it.  When I talk my math students about assessment methods, math pedagogy, or educational leadership… THEY GET IT.   Here’s a thought… consider listening and learning from your students as a part of your professional development.