Teachers should really learn code. They don't have to use it all the time, but they should know how it works. And they shouldn't be resisting technology. When they outright refuse to use it, they are doing a disservice to kids growing up in a digital world. I see that. I really do. Coding is fantastic. Technology is changing our world. And yet . . . one of my favorite high school teachers didn't believe in using computers. He demanded that we write and revise our creative work with paper and pen. "Your hands should hurt and your minds should be exhausted," he would say. He introduced me to Wendell Berry and free verse poetry and the notion that words matter.
Teachers shouldn't lecture. And yet, some of my favorite teachers led interactive discussions and lectured (sparingly) in ways that were almost theatrical, always thought-provoking and never boring.
Teachers shouldn't use textbooks. And yet, what is a textbook? Do we abandon all books? All texts? Or just get rid of required reading? I can see the point, but some of my favorite classes "forced" me to read something that I initially hated and later fell in love with (I'm thinking Hemingway in particular).
Every teacher should learn how to use Evernote. I've done fine without it. Same goes for word walls and honestly, I'd rather not have to do anchor charts. See, the problem with "should" is that it places all of teaching into rigid, binary, either/or, right/wrong boxes. It takes away the individuality, the autonomy, the creativity and the contextual knowledge required to teach well. Any strategy, any tool, any medium, any resources has benefits and drawbacks. The hard part, the part that requires patience and humility, is learning how to refine our craft as teachers based upon the needs of students.
Note: This was heavily influenced by the words of Dean Shareski. If you don't follow his work, you should probably check it out. He's a wise man. photo credit:
Greg McMullin via
photopin cc
