Blog: Teacher Talk – An Insider’s View of American Education
Why Jane Can’t Teach
To teachers, former teachers, friends and relatives of teachers
After years of books and articles about why Johnny can’t read we are now being bombarded by books, articles, and talk show pundits who have determined that what is wrong with our educational system is that Jane can’t teach.
Are you frustrated and angered when you hear education experts blame all the failings of our schools on teachers? Do you cringe when experts claim in one breath that we need younger and more enthusiastic teachers to motivate our students and then in the next breath bemoan the lack of older, more experienced teachers who have the skills to teach our most challenging students? Does your blood boil when you hear how test scores, merit pay and the end of tenure will cure the system’s shortcomings?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it is time for teachers to speak out. I am inviting every teacher or former teacher to tell the teacher’s story from an inside the classroom perspective. This blog will collect your anonymous comments and then create an article, first to be published on the blog for your editorial comments and then sent to media outlets around the country.
Please speak out about the things that got in the way of your being the best teacher that you could be. Include ideas about how these obstacles could be removed and how a better system could be put in its place.
Your postings can be about any of the following:
• teacher training and development,
both in a college program and in-
school staff development
• teacher licensing
• classroom management
• grouping of students
• class size
• out-of-classroom resources for
students: e.g. reading, ESL, speech,
PT, OT
• support services: e.g. guidance,
psychology,
• administrators/supervisors
• scheduling of the school day/the
school year
• supplies, teaching materials
• teacher-parent relationships
• teacher-teacher relationships:
working together or working alone
• mandated curriculum in your subject
area(s)
• testing and test prep
• meeting the needs of children with
special needs
• safety and security
• teacher evaluation
• tenure
• or any other topic that you think
needs to be addressed
Your postings should NOT contain your name or the names of students, colleagues, or supervisors, or the name of your school. We want to keep this anonymous.
Your postings should end with:
• your display name (an AKA, Also Know
As, name)
• your grade level: pre-school,
elementary, middle school or high
school
• subject area(s)
• city and state
• number of years that you have
worked as an educator
• highest college degree
• the names and, if possible, the email
addresses, of media outlets in your
area
We look forward to hearing from you. Together we can write a powerful presentation from the point of view of the teacher.
P.S. Please forward this to everyone
you know who is a current or
former teacher.
