Comments on: Coffee Line Discussions

By: Melanie Licausi

Melanie Licausi — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 20:09:47 +0000

I noticed a huge difference in the school climate when I moved from teaching private to teaching public schools. I saw more teachers feeling powerless in their own classrooms instead of having some flexibility and freedom to use their own professional judgement! Data fever seems to have taken over districts and administrations and they have become much more controlling of what teachers do in an effort to manage performance. I think this strategy can work against districts because stressed teachers either begin to let things go, or quit! Teachers and students are both being evaluated to the point that they don't feel valued past their "scores." I wish that districts would realize that doing what's best for teachers and students can increase satisfaction and achievement.

By: lindsayperro

lindsayperro — Sun, 08 Mar 2015 02:35:50 +0000

In reply to Jill Christensen. Thank you Jill!

By: Jill Christensen

Jill Christensen — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 20:16:09 +0000

Lindsay, this is such a powerful blog post! What you observed in the coffee line is happening across the country. Teachers have become data collectors and have lost a lot of the joy of teaching that attracted them to the profession in the first place. If we don't come to our senses soon, as a nation, we will lose an entire generation of students. They will be so over-tested, over-remediated, and over-stressed that what they'll REALLY be 'over' is wanting to learn! The joy is disappearing from teaching and learning.