Enduring Understandings

There are various things in the teaching profession that never seem to get resolved or go away. I will start by mentioning bureaucracy, bureaucracy, bureaucracy. It is is what has destroyed many school districts and the lives of many students. Government officials always have their ideas of how schools should function. However, they are never in office long enough to support their projects or just want to make decisions that will make them look good in the eyes of the voters. Too often these decisions are not the right ones for the teachers and the students. Teachers have to understand that they are the ones making the difference in the students' lives. They have to realize that politicians are not looked up to as teachers are.
Adding to this, teachers must also understand that they will have to grapple with colleagues. Adults are the ones who many times make the teaching profession hard to handle. There might be a miserable administrator who likes to see his/her subordinates feel miserable also. There might be colleagues who do everything in their power to make their colleagues go through a tough time when they go to work. The ultimate understanding that teachers must have is that they chose a profession that is never boring. They are in a rewarding profession and they must understand that they are the only role model that many students might have. Teachers must understand that students all have different backgrounds and that each is unique. As educators, we play a very important role in the lives of all students. Whether they understand it presently or ten years later.

A Successful Novice Teacher

It is not easy to ever define a successful teacher, let alone a novice teacher. Every teacher is unique in his/ her teaching style. However, there are some characteristics that must be present and visible at some level. First of all, all teachers must be willing to accept criticism and take in as much information as possible from their colleagues. Open mindedness is critical in the teaching profession, especially for someone who has very little experience in the profession. Listening to their colleagues, including some older teachers and administrators will provide them with some insight and much needed wisdom. A novice teacher should also be very organized and be a good planner.
Well planned lessons are key to being a successful teacher. Also, being open to students and enjoying the time in the classroom. Successful teachers are usually those teachers who are involved in the school beyond the regular school hours. It is very important for novice teachers to involve themselves in school activities. This allows them to become familiar with school policies that are not always dealt with if someone is only in the classroom. Successful novice teachers will apply the knowledge they have learned in school with the knowledge they should acquire by observing older teachers in the school. They should familiarize themselves with all of the ins and outs of the school they work in and don't become too much of a radical in the first years of teaching. That might cost a novice teacher his/ her job very quickly.

Achieving Backward Design

It seems to me that experts are always changing their opinions regarding how a proper education should be achieved. The idea of teaching through the backward Design model seems very good. Teachers should first think about what the students need to learn and what the goals of a lesson should be. My concern regarding Backward Design is about the bureaucracy that goes in the Abbott districts. The idea of essential questions is great and we have spoke about such approaches at our staff meetings. However, for those people who work in Newark, nothing ever seems to be right. Although change is always welcome, teachers are always under pressure to achieve high on standardized exams. Teachers are expected to think outside the box, yet the curriculum is written straight from a textbook. Following the textbook is crucial in order for the students to achieve well on the mandated exams. Backward Design allows teachers to have some autonomy in the classroom. However, it seems to me that teachers are losing the autonomy they have always enjoyed. They are under pressure to raise test scores, causing entire departments to teach strictly for an exam. I guess teachers might use the Backward Design in order to raise standardized test scores. The one thing that bothers me is that Abbott districts always seem to be the ones experimenting with every new theory and idea regarding education. Although they are the districts that are in need of help, those districts are always trying new things in a short span of time. There is never enough time for the programs to really achieve their full potential. I am afraid that this may also be true for the Backward Design, by the time teachers are ready to implement it in their classrooms and they are perfecting it, something new comes along and it is time to switch and follow a new theory proposed by another educational researcher.