Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Left out of the Loop?

Sometimes when information is not forthcoming or when cumbersome steps are put into place educators feel like they're left out of the loop of system-wide decisions and efforts.

It could be that as a classroom teacher it's not my position to be in the loop of decisions, thoughts and efforts in the early stage, and it could be that I'm too demanding when it comes to wanting to know what's going on or desiring streamlined, student-centered efficient systems of support. After all it's not a perfect world, and decisions and systems are not easy to implement.

Yet, when I'm in the loop, my work and research are more fruitful, and I'm not wasting time with back steps and work that will soon be deleted due to the fact that it's not in line with upcoming changes and decisions--the sooner I know of system-wide efforts, questions and change, the more my work can be in line with those changes, and that's positive and worthwhile.

A lot of the education conversation today is focused on teacher skills and effect.  With this in mind, I think it's in the best interests of educational organizations to keep teachers in the loops when it comes to discussions about curriculum focus, action and implementation.