The Saddle

Started teaching again last week. Very happy for it. That said, yesterday I needed a couple of reminders:

First, I needed to remind myself to be patient-- not only with my students, but more particularly with myself. I've been working with these students for five days now, and it's unreasonable to expect that they'll be ready to hit full throttle, yet. Go slow to go fast!

Second, I've been thinking about the tricky balancing act inherent in the relationships in my "late start to the year": it's important that I establish trusting relationships with my students as quickly as possible, but I want to balance that with the reputation that I earn for myself among my students (which should be that I'm a teacher who isn't just playing...)

Third, I needed to remember that, when my students are struggling, it does not make sense to try to narrow the world of their thinking, by providing questions that are increasingly focused on a singular topic or skill or mathematical technique. Rather, I want to expand the world of their thinking, so that they have in mind all of the ideas to which they might connect the current problem. (Teach concepts, more than skills!)


Finally, professional learning communities, for the win: We have a really great instructional coach, a guy who calls himself "Boo", and landed here some time recently after a long career in the State of Washington (home of the Math Wars, which for the record our side lost). Boo sat with me for an hour and a half yesterday after school, mostly helping me talk through this stuff. Being an exceptional teacher, he said little, and told me very little, but his questions (on math content, then on pedagogy, then on philosophy of education) were just what I needed to help me focus my thoughts and learn faster-- not only good for me, but a good reminder of the model.

He helped me to honor the fact that I want to be in the second quarter, because, well, it's the second quarter-- but my reality is that I'm in the second week, and there's nothing to do but to deal with that. He gave me permission (and a concrete suggestion) for how to balance my obligation to the other teachers in my course team, and my need to do right by my students. But the funniest exchange, I think, was when he marveled at my claim that I'm about 80-85% on my students' names-- and in response to his amazement, I pointed out, "So, if that's been my priority, then you can understand how little math instruction I've been doing!"


On an unrelated(?) note, I've been thinking a bit about the value of "Following the Rules." From the perspective of a liberatory educator, I may have just decided that I generally approve of Following the Rules, but only if the rules have got it right, because I do think that students will have a better life if they learn to advocate for themselves and to negotiation with people for what they want and need, instead of Learning to Follow the Rules.