I had the chance to speak with a veteran teaching regarding her thoughts on teaching Literacy. This teacher has taught Language Arts throughout the grades k - 8. We began our discussion talking about the need for a more formal writing program in our school/district. At first she agreed that we needed more of a structure but as we continued talking it became evident that our ideas and philosophies on literacy differ greatly. My philosophy for literacy is to constantly be improving and adding to my toolbox as a teacher. I always want to learn and in some ways this makes me slightly jaded toward the programs of my current district. I see so strongly were we lack. The programs we utilize are the same tools teachers used when I was in school, 20 years ago. I see where we fall short. However my fellow teacher's philosophy toward literacy is that what has worked for years before is the backbone of education. She felt that it worked 20 years ago and so there is no need to adapt it. She sticks to the basics grammar instruction, weekly spelling lists, reading groups and class texts. The students complete the writing process with a series of drafts and then a final product completed independently.
I have to agree with part of her thoughts. This is the education I received and I became successful and fell in love with Language Arts. However I feel as though I am not a fair sample that just because some students thrive in this environment does not mean we meet the needs of all students. I feel that literacy has advanced so greatly and our students needs are so much more diverse. In my discussion with her I left confused. Are our philosophies so different? At the heart of it we both want student success? Is progress always better?
I began to wonder if the population a teacher works with influences a teacher's philosophy on literacy. The teacher I had interviewed works within the same district I do, the world of private schools. The students we serve come from upper middle class homes. There are few if any ESL students or students that struggle with much. If and when a student has literacy-related issue, he or she most often receives private tutoring. Does this influence how we approach teaching? If the students we encounter are set- up for success, does the teaching philosophy and approach matter less?
Colleen,
ReplyDeleteYou ask some very good questions here...You definitely made me think. I believe that regardless of where these students come from, a teacher's philosophy always "matters" and greatly influences the overall success of each and every student.
I liked your analogy of "adding to your toolbox" frequently to become a better teacher. I think it is crucial to grow and evolve in one's instruction. It is important to be aware of current research and to implement strategies and programs in schools that have been successful in reaching all learning styles.
I believe that your colleague's philosophy to stick with "what works" might not necessarily be as successful if your school environment was more diverse.