#AprilBlogADay Toping: What practice, tradition, instructional strategy or anything else "must die". What needs to stop in order for Education to move forward.
As a considerably new teacher to the profession I am often faced with the saying "we've never done it that way" or "we've don't do that here" and I think that attitude is the one thing "must die" for education to move forward. Great, you've never done it or it hasn't been done here before so think of how exciting it will be to try something new or different?! Often this attitude is meet by those who are afraid of change in the wake of failure. Failure isn't permanent and it certainly isn't fatal.
A practice that I would like to see die in education is the administering of formal written tests (i.e.: when everyone s completely silent for 1 hour so that you can scribble down what you know or maybe don't know about a subject). I don't think it is a fair evaluation of what students know or can demonstrate. Where else in life are you given a test that you have to scribble all of your knowledge down on a piece of paper to prove yourself?! This idea also follows the provincial or state standards testing that students are punished to take. It is not an equitable display of a students ability or knowledge, but rather robot like.
I like to consider my teaching on the edge of trendy and serving the needs of my students, so I am not too caught up in practices, traditions or instructional strategies that "must die" in order for education to move forward. I am sure if I was to reflect on it for a longer period of time I could come up with quite a list of things I'd like to see die!
Sunshine & happiness today & forever.
Stephanie :)
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