On the Purpose of this Blog…

There are many measures of good teaching, I suppose. Those who consider teaching to be more an art than a science may look to qualitative indicators related to the perception of others of how well instruction is delivered—through captivating lectures or by using compelling classroom activities, for example. Or good teaching may be characterized by the quality of the relationships between teachers and students and their families, “she is a great teacher because she cares about me and about what is going in my life outside the classroom.” Those who take the scientific view of teaching tend to use data to measure their efforts—standardized test scores, class grade distributions…the quantification of achievement.

As important as it is to strive to become a good teacher and to revel in it when it is accomplished by whatever measure is used to provide evidence, it is just as important to strive to remain good. One of the ways this can be accomplished by teachers, I believe, is through reflective thought about the art and science of teaching undertaken on the fly, day in and day out, in the classroom.

I talk about this with my undergraduate teacher education students. I help them understand that it is not enough to accomplish something good in the classroom related to the delivery of instruction unless it is followed up by some sort of self-analysis that serves to maintain similarly inspired teaching practice in the future. It is not enough to be perceived by students and parents as being good unless constant thought is given to why they think this, if the perception is appropriate, and how it can be maintained. It is not enough to collect multiple datasets unless they are examined and decisions made about how their replication can be ensured.

One of the ways I get my undergraduates accustomed to being reflective is by asking them to maintain a reflective journal associated with the classes they take from me. For example, one of the courses they are getting from me is a six-credit methods and field course containing both university classroom contact time (so they can learn methods from me) and field experience time (for them to try these methods or see them used by their cooperating teachers in K-12 classrooms). As you might imagine, there are many important connections to be made between the theoretical content covered in the university classroom and its practical application in the K-12 classroom. I want all my students to make these connections, to connect these dots. I want to see evidence that they have thought about what we have done together at the university, about how they can use what we have discussed in their own classrooms, about how what we are talking about relates to what other professors in the College of Education are telling them, and about how all of it connects to their lives outside of teaching. In believe the journal provides an important context for these various connections to be made.

So then, more to the point of this entry. This blog is my journal. In it I intend to reflect on my thoughts and experiences related to the important endeavors of teaching and learning. My perception at this point is that my entries will cover any topic related to teaching and learning that seems interesting to me and has caused me to be reflective. The entries may be related to what we are talking about in class or they may be about some other pedagogical tidbit that I just happen to be thinking about. As I tell my students to do, I will be on the lookout for tacit thoughts that enter my consciousness so that I can record and reflect on them in written form. When it seems appropriate to do so, I will share these essays with you.

Until next time…