“Insect-Based Teacher Training, Part 2”
Last week in this space I took a poke or two at what I called “Insect-Based Teacher Training,” specifically the practice of wiring teachers so that remote observers can hear and see what they do in their classrooms. What they call “Bug in the Ear training” enables experts to interrupt teachers and tell them what they are doing wrong. In theory, that allows teachers to improve on the spot. You may remember that the expert I observed in action wasn’t particularly effective.
(Full disclosure: In last week’s essay I took a small liberty with the two veteran teachers whose opinions I cited: neither of them actually referenced ‘ants in underpants’ or ‘ticks on dicks.’ I owe my readers an apology because the teachers did not say that. I made that up, just for the fun of it.
Why would I do that? Well, after so many years of reporting for public broadcasting, where the emphasis is on truth, making stuff up gives me a huge adrenalin rush.
However, everything else in that essay is 100% accurate. You can take that to the bank.)
But I digress. What I want you to know is the morning after “Insect-Based Teacher Training” was published, I received a call from the School Superintendent whose district I had visited. He was upset about my portrayal of the process, saying that the observer had a bad day. Moreover, he said, I had failed to grasp the subtle, CONTINUE READING: “Insect-Based Teacher Training, Part 2” | The Merrow Report
