Are teachers allowed to think — or expected to simply follow directions? - The Washington Post

Are teachers allowed to think — or expected to simply follow directions? - The Washington Post

Are teachers allowed to think — or expected to simply follow directions?

Last week I published a story about the degrading exercise teachers go through in securing basic supplies for their students because the schools don’t. I asked teachers to tell me about their supply stories and received more than 1,200 responses, and they are still coming in.

This is a look at another problem teachers face, by a teacher who faces it every school day: Are teachers really allowed to think for themselves or are their days scripted for them by non-educators?

This was written by Steven Singer, a veteran National Board certified teacher in Pennsylvania with a masters in education. He is a father, public education advocate and blogger. This piece appeared on his Gadfly on the Wall blog, and he gave me permission to republish it.

‘I am a scavenger’: The desperate things teachers do to get the classroom supplies they need

By Steve Singer

As a public school teacher, I am often told what to do and how to do it.

Go teach this class.

Report to lunch duty at this time.

Monitor this student’s progress in this way, that student’s progress in another way, differentiate the following, document this medical condition, write up this behavior, check for that kind of hall pass, post and teach these academic standards, etc., etc., etc.

Some of these directives I agree with and others I do not. But that is treated as an irrelevance because the one thing I’m never told to do is to think for myself. The one thing that seems to be expressly forbidden — is that I think for myself.

In fact, it’s such a glaring omission, I often wonder if it’s actually prohibited or so obviously necessary CONTINUE READING: Are teachers allowed to think — or expected to simply follow directions? - The Washington Post