I also feel it is important to not reinvent the wheel. By having a personal learning network (PLN), when I need to find information or a link to specific research, I am able to put the question out on my network for help. Many times, I know that what I do is a good thing but I don’t always know how to get our hands on the research that backs it up. Maybe I heard about this strategy or read about this from somewhere. Now I am actually trying to keep a database of the strategy and the resource where I found it. This way I can refer to it again and again if necessary.
Our state organization now has a facebook page and I recommended that we use this platform as a way to bring us all together. I think first of all we need to inform our members that we have this platform available and we need to start using it. It doesn’t do us any good if we have something available but people won’t use it.
I understand that we need to rant and support each other rationally but people will take us more serious if we can discuss problems more rationally. Then it is time to look for those people who can help find the research that can document the rationale for the decisions we make. If we can’t find a good reason for doing what we do, maybe we need to look at what we are doing and make changes.
Each year, our Child Action Network coordinator goes to Washington, DC to talk to legislators to advocate for our children. These are also opportunities to advocate for teachers. We also need to talk to our state legislators and present a positive picture of teachers. We need to get legislators and the public on our side so we can work together. We need to stop being adversaries and become advocates.
How do you advocate for your profession? Please share.
(Tomorrow I will talk about the session: Help! I'm an LD Teacher and I have a Student with Autism!)
Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).
Original image: '3d puppets protesting with posters on demonstration'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40780016@N02/3915512726
1 comment:
I really like the idea of keeping a record of some kind about where I find strategies, as well what worked in the past. As a substitute teacher, I have seen many lesson plans. Some have been stellar, others barely adequate. One thing that would help me immensely when I encounter a particularly challenging student is to have a set of specific procedures to follow with that student. I once met a student that, according to the lesson plan, was “emotional and needed boundaries”. I had no idea what that meant until this student, frustrated by something, screamed and turned over a desk. After quickly seeking aid from the crisis resource teacher (CRT), a teacher within the building with the specific task of calming students, I scheduled a meeting with both the CRT and the classroom teacher to discuss what specific steps I needed to take the next time I was in the classroom. The second, third, and fourth times I was in the classroom, I tried out the methods and met with greater success.
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