It’s Not About Us: Stepping Outside of Our Comfort Zones

Joe Graba’s above quote grabbed my attention and it still hasn’t let go. I am struggling with understanding the truth of this statement. All Educators surely want what is best for our students so why are we often the obstacles preventing the improvement of our schools?

If you don’t agree that the general Education model is out of date then the remainder of this post may not work for you. I am a believer that our current model with its agrarian calendar and the industrial assembly line structure needs change. I also believe that educators in the classroom are the most important element in creating lasting, meaningful change. This is why I become so concerned when I witness examples of teachers acting as obstacles to growth based on it will impact us, the adults.

I readily concede that teachers have extremely large work loads and that the majority of us are dedicated professionals. My concern is that the heavy workload and multiple roles of our positions create an environment where we so concerned about our needs that we overlook the needs of our students. It is easy to believe that if the current model work for me then it should work for my students and the reality is that so many of us are in survival mode that considering changing our instructional practices is overwhelming. The evidence is everywhere that proves that we must set all that aside. We need to stop being obstacles.

Let’s face it. We all teach the subject or grade level that we know best. We don’t typically change because it would remove us from our comfort zones. We like being in control and being masters of our environments. Change threatens our comfort zone. In the world outside of the classroom, success is about being dynamic, flexible, agile, and innovative. These are not traits that promote status quo. They are traits that encourage risk taking and experimentation. Hard to do from within your comfort zone.

So let’s start a conversation at our organizations. The conversation needs to be about learning and creating opportunities for students to actively engage in learning. To often, especially after they leave the younger grades, students are passive recipients of information. Below is an example of how Southern Methodist Univeristy is struggling with a new model where students are asked to be participants in class and teachers are being to active engage their students. Our current model is the reason why students expected to just be spoon-fed.

from When Computers Leave the Classroom, So Does Boredom|
article in The Chronicle for Higher Education

The conversation about this type of change is not new. In fact, there are many places where we can find the inspiration for new instructional models. From Dewey to Pink to Robinson to new understandings of learning based on brain research, we can find many places to start. The trick is to stay focused on first building solutions then adjusting to make them manageable. Too often the conversation gets derailed by logistics, the “realities” of daily life, and the lists of reasons why not. we must be prepare to build something different. If we believe that our students need a better system that let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work by building learning communities where schools once stood. Let’s get out of our own way but more importantly, out of the way of our students.

More to think about…

Will Richardson’s Tinkering toward Utopia post

The Chronicle’s article on Transforming Instructional Practice by removing powerpoint

eschoolnews article on Brain Research and Classroom Practices

Dangerously Irrelevant blog post on teachers’ motivation to self-educate