From Teacher to Supervisor

This past week I was reading through a book on the supervision of instruction, and the authors asked - rather rhetorically, I thought - why teachers are expected to engage students in collaborative, inquiry based learning, but workshops and evaluations for teachers rarely employ such valuable methods. Well, I think I've got the answer.

In our Master's we are currently working with the same instructor (Pat Horstead; see my post from April 22/17) for courses on instruction and assessment, as well as the process of supervising said instruction. Basically, we are going from learning as teachers, to learning as future administrators. As a key player in the development of BC's new curriculum, Pat is a firm believer in teaching teachers the same way she would teach kids. So, why don't workshops for teachers usually employ the same collaborative and inquiry based methods that we expect for a classroom of students? Because it's uncomfortable! And hard work! And it stretches the learner in ways they might not be prepared for on a professional development day! 

Our courses with Pat have been conducted very similarly, I would imagine, to how she used to teach students. And I find myself stretched, mentally and emotionally, in ways I haven't yet felt in this program. That's not to say other courses weren't hard work, or took effort. Not at all. But this one takes me out of my comfort zone, because I am undoubtedly the person for whom the traditional style of teaching was made. I know it. I like memorizing, and working by myself, and thinking things through instead of jumping right in. However, I've also been teaching long enough to recognize that most people aren't like me, and that systems that cater to the few aren't any good for society as a whole. That's why I've put in a lot of effort over the years to work collaboratively, and to design units where my students can use their multiple intelligences to show their learning. But it takes effort, and planning, and a real desire to do what's best for kids even if it's uncomfortable for me. That's why this course is challenging for me, and why, I suspect, most presenters prefer to keep their workshops for teachers more traditional.

One of the key elements to successful growth, Pat says, is teaching students (whether they be children or Master's students!) to self evaluate in a meaningful way. The Core Competencies, for example, were intended to be evaluated through self-reflection, even for Kindergarten students (look here for a great way to engage in self assessment with students!). My sister and I recently had an interesting discussion regarding assessment and the new curriculum. She has two children in our school system, one of whom will be going into high school next year. Is the new curriculum going to be as rigorous? Will the kids come out of it prepared for university? Will the universities even acknowledge that self assessment is a valid form of assessment? She was asking me all the questions I'd asked myself, and which I'd heard every other teacher asking as well. After listening to Pat, exploring the new curriculum deeply, and discussing with my Master's cohort, I felt that I was able to address my sister's concerns and help her see the direction education is taking...and why. But I see this as our next main objective: to continue to show parents, reluctant teachers, and students themselves the reason behind the changes and why they should be patient and persistent through the growing pains.