In Defense of Good Old-Fashioned Teaching


Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash


I want to start off by saying that I am not afraid of change. Okay, that isn’t entirely truthful. I think all humans are afraid of change, but I am also willing to try new things. I hope that is a quality my peers admire in me. I love trying out new ideas and learning from new people, whether it is teachers who are just starting out or librarians I follow on Twitter. I am humble enough to know I need to improve my craft, and I cringe sometimes when I think about the mistakes I have made in my career. But I feel as though in the Blogosphere and the Twitterverse there is a disdain for all things old-fashioned. I may be imagining it, and I would love to hear your thoughts on that.

 Something that will never go out of style is human connection. To me, that is the most important thing in education, and well, life. I don’t care if your classroom is Pinterest Ready. I don’t care how many Twitter followers you have. I don’t care how many digital badges you’ve earned. I get concerned sometimes that educators are so busy promoting themselves and saying, “Look at me,” that we are forgetting that our students want us to look at them.

 By the way, my email signature has gotten downright obnoxious, and I am a complete hypocrite because I have two digital badges there and all my social media links. I think I am going to delete them all and keep my achievements to myself. After all, what is the purpose of a Google Certified Educator badge? Yes, I passed a three hour test and if you have a question about Google Suite for Education, I can help you. I also make silly mistakes with technology ALL THE TIME. Whether you have a digital badge or not, I can learn as much from you about being a good educator as you can learn from me.

I am appalled every week when my iPhone reports my screen usage time. How are we teaching our students and our children balance and digital wellness when we are always glued to our phones? I read something once that I can’t locate now (please send it to me if you can find it) about the danger of spending too much time tweeting in the classroom. The gist was that we are teaching our students to memorialize every aspect of their lives instead of just being present and living in the moment. I had never thought of that, but there’s a point.

Should we be teaching our students to blog or to have a face-to-face conversation? I am planning a Skype with a teacher in Italy, but maybe I should be planning a lesson to help our students interact better with the person right next to them. Should we teach our students to make a website, or should we encourage them to read more and have insight? Should we be teaching students to use an app or their imagination? I know these ideas are not mutually exclusive, and I love digital learning as much as the next person. I think these are valid questions, though.

Should I be writing a blog about a great book talk I gave, or should I just be reading a book that I can then recommend to a student? Should I be spending hours researching potential lesson ideas or should I be spending time with my family or taking care of myself so I am recharged and refreshed in the classroom? Should I respond to a parent’s email or should I pick up the phone and have a good old-fashioned conversation?  I’m not exactly a teacher. I’m a librarian. But I still feel close enough to the world of teaching that I can say teaching has gotten much, much harder since I started out 19 years ago. There are literally endless possibilities for how you can use technology to improve your lesson. It can be paralyzing. I just have this vague feeling all of the time that I could be doing something more or doing something better.

Maybe I’m just tired after a long week of standardized testing. It’s the end of the year, and the to-do list is long. It’s the last lap, and it’s a race against the clock. Or maybe I’m on to something. Technology is a powerful tool, not something I aim to criticize or relinquish. But it’s just a tool. It’s not our purpose. And if it ever seems like I’ve forgotten that, please remind me.

Comments

New comments are not allowed.

Popular posts from this blog

Be Somebody's Hero

Image
Photo by  Kat J  on  Unsplash We can craft the perfect classrooms School supplies neatly arranged Bulletin boards that deserve awards  But it’s our hearts that need to change. Lesson plans are all aligned to standards Chromebook lessons set to go. Google Apps?  We have it covered.  But there’s something else we need to know. Why does Joey seem so lonely? Why doesn’t Anna have a friend? Patrick stopped by to chat with me. Is he avoiding lunch again? Why is Carmine so impulsive? Something about Ella doesn’t seem quite right.  I’m worried about John again. What happens when he goes home at night? Future doctors, authors, and lawyers  They’re all sitting in our class. So, too, is that child who’s struggling Who just can’t seem to meet the task. Sometimes when we  think about students  We think that their problems must be small. They don’t have mortgages or bosses. Sometimes I thi...
Read more

You Matter

Image
Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash I didn't feel like waiting for a special day to spread some love, so here are some shout-outs to all of the teachers and other staff members who make a difference in the lives of students everyday. In no particular order, I would like to thank you. Special Education Teachers You matter. You teach me that learning is NEVER "One size fits all." No one explains things better than you, advocates more fiercely than you, and appreciates every gain in learning more than you. Thank you. Classroom Aides and One-on-One Aides You matter. You are unsung heroes in my book. You do a million little things and don't often get the credit you deserve. You make sure students are ready to learn and help smooth out all the little bumps on the way to success. Thank you. School Nurse You matter. You boldly go where most of us fear to tread. Puke, blood, and mucus? All before 10 a.m.? Wow. You amaze me. You heal the little boo-boos and you...
Read more

The Do's and Don'ts of Raising Readers

Image
  Air conditioning taught me how to read.   It sounds crazy, but it’s true. We didn’t have central air conditioning in the home where I grew up. We could have afforded it, but we didn’t have it. What a blessing that I didn’t have everything we could afford. It gave me a reason to work for my dreams.   Anyway, let’s get back to reading and air-conditioning. I wanted to be like my big sister and my mom. On hot, sticky summer nights, they would lounge in my parents’ bedroom and read on the cozy bed under the loud but powerful air conditioner in the window. I knew how to read, but I  was not allowed into this exclusive reading club until I could master the art of reading silently. It sounds silly, but I didn’t know how to do this as a young child.   I sure learned fast, though.   My mom is a genius. She made reading everything it should be. Inviting. Special. Volitional. Thank you, Mom. You taught me to love books and more importantly, the poetry, the truths, a...
Read more