Teacher: It’s not enough to ‘just’ teach anymore
Here’s the story of how one teacher came to realize that what she did in the classroom for her students wasn’t enough. This was written by Hillary Greene, who has taught middle school for three years in independent, public, and public charter settings in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She graduated from Brown University and completed the Shady Hill School Teacher Training at Tufts University. She is interested in teaching and teacher-education research. This first appeared in Education Week Teacher. Connect @hillarylgreene on Twitter.You can read earlier post of hers here, “Why Teachers Feel So Alone.”
By Hillary Greene
Chatting with my teacher training adviser, Heather, was like visiting a favorite aunt for tea. Together, we reflected on her copious observation notes ranging from, “Discussion is just the right length,” to “You offer so many ‘ways in’ to the material for these students!” to my personal favorite: “Ignored Sebastian’s bug eating even as class erupted” (an early lesson).
Pretty soon, I would be on my own, away from the seeming utopia of my independent school training ground, and I realized how disoriented I might feel in a new place, especially since I planned to teach in a public school. Before I left the safety of Heather’s guidance, I needed to figure out my teacher identity. I needed to know who Ms. Greenewas.
Big Sister Turns Activist
After more observation and discussion, we decided my identity as a teacher grew from my role as my family’s oldest sister and cousin. Knowing this guided me through my