We're nowhere

I'm reading Dan Willingham's latest book, When Can You Trust the Experts?, and enlightenment struck in Chapter 6.  Educationally, we are in the Dark Ages.

There is no truth in education, "experts" believe theirs is the only way, and all other ways are harmful.  No one understands why anything happens, everything is speculation and guessing.  We have not defined what goes on in a classroom, and barely scratched the surface of the question of how a person learns.  Individual teachers can achieve brilliant results, but those results are almost never duplicated.  Teachers learn their craft by copying the techniques of experienced elders.  Charlatans abound with substandard and/or irrelevant "studies" selling high-priced programs that yield paltry results.

This is exactly like early medicine.  No one understood anatomy or the causes of disease (many believed it came from smell).  Even after the invention of the scientific method in the 1600's, research was mostly haphazard until the 20th century.  Doctors learned from more experienced colleagues by copying their methods.  Self-proclaimed "experts" traveled around selling miracle "cures" for every ailment.

The practice of medicine got a lot better; maybe there's hope.

What? Who, me?

I am working at a new school this year, and steadfastly refusing to fall in love with it. (Why? That's another post.) Which is a good thing. Yesterday, three older elementary students started a food fight at lunch. What do you think happened next?

Accountability is Only for Adults

The three students sat, together, for the rest of the lunch period. That's it. No trip to the principal's office (one of the offenders was the principal's kid!), no suspension, no phone calls home (for the other two), nothing. Their teacher talked to them, but that's it. Two hours later those same three kids disrupted my entire class. Which earned them another talking to, but again no consequences, no punish, nothing.

This. This is what is wrong with American education. Kids who do not learn their stupid actions lead to unpleasant consequences grow up to be entitled, lazy, whiny teenagers and adults.

When I Come to Power - In Service Week

The annual opening of the professional development (a.k.a. teacher in-service week) season has come and gone.  And with it, another tiny piece of my soul.  Why is it universally accepted by all administrators that the week before school starts should be filled wall-to-wall with the most boring, useless theoretical drivel known to man presented in a fashion guaranteed to cure the worst insomnia?

K.I.S.S. Professional Development
When I come to power, the week before school starts will not be filled with high-priced lecture-circuit "workshops" on the latest, greatest educational fads.  Instead it will be practical and short.  First aid training, how to work the copy machine and computer network, use and location of all important forms and equipment.  Read the faculty handbook and master calendar on your own please.  The rest of the week is yours to prepare your classroom, write lessons, and talk with fellow teachers about the coming year. 

It's a cheap and cheerful alternative to in-service.  Thus it will never, ever be adopted.