“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” John Dewey
The fire alarm at my school erupted for the fourth
time that morning. Sure to be another false alarm set off by construction
workers, the bell buzzed insistently, forcing all of us to head for the exit. Standing
outside in the brisk air, I noticed the student fashions surrounding me. A custodian
came up to me and read my mind. “I had a purse like that in the early ‘70s. It’s
funny how things recycle with new names. We called them hip huggers and now they’re
called low rise. Today they’re flares and we called them bell bottoms. Nothing
really ever changes, it just goes through the cycle,” she said.
Her
words resonated with me for the next few days. I couldn’t stop thinking about
how true the words were and how well they applied to education. Really, how
many times can we rewrite standards and benchmarks? How many times have we
looked at “new” practices only to realize the only thing new was the name?
Teachers
comment often, at least the ones I know, that when change comes to just wait.
The “newest and greatest” will soon be replaced by a different program,
repackaged from years ago, that is the next “newest and greatest.”

But
is this a best practice? As teachers we are encouraged by the education gurus
to follow best practices, but I wonder when administrators will follow their
own direction? What is best practice? To lecture or to engage? To bore or to
stir up curiosity?
I
wonder a lot about my classroom and kids. “What if” scenarios stream through my
mind rapidly, the more I ponder this idea of integrated classrooms. What if students
were able to direct their own learning with teachers as a guide? What if we
gave them freedom to research and explore stuff that applies to the real world?
What if we broke free from the past model and created a totally new way of
doing school? What if mandates and policies weren’t set up by businessmen but
actually included teachers on an advisory board?
What
if teachers relied less on packets and more on inquiry-based learning, allowing
students to delve into curricular areas and create projects that relate to the
world around them? What if teachers met with other teachers and collaborated
during time set aside by the district for just such an action? What if teachers
taught PD days, utilizing and affirming the talent in the districts rather than
bringing in multi-thousand dollar speakers?
Education
can deviate from the way it’s been done in the past. We can be the catalyst for
change. Maybe not for a whole district, but we can affect our classroom and maybe
our colleagues. Take a risk and try something different. Create a unit that
allows students to research and read and explore topics that challenge them and
relate to their world. Be a coach, a mentor, a guide and then see what an
impact you can have. “What if,” indeed.
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