Loving Teachers-in Response

I watched the Presidential debates last night.
I watched all three and the VP debates.  I try to watch these things and since I'm 53 I've seen quite a few over the years. I don't remember in earlier years the instantaneous "winner winner chicken dinner" aspect in what seems to pass for journalism on TV, but then I also don't remember lots of things. And it seems that candidates often don't remember things either.

I don't however remember having teachers sit in a foreign policy debate quite like this.
Both as necessary to build strong minds and able workers, and as objects of love and admiration.

I might have missed it over the course of time.

Interesting role we are playing then in the foreign policy debate.

I pursued some articles about the debates. Thinking about my role as the beloved.
It's been a rocky time in the economic realities for teachers, and in reform. Good to know that we merit the last word in a last Presidential debate before we cast ballots.

Generally as a teacher I might suggest somethings.

If We Love Teachers Can We....

Hire and retain teachers.

Support teacher work specifically with some teacher direction over $, support smaller class size, definitely retain and support personnel that aren't directly just the classroom teacher-the coaches, specialists, allow teacher input into programming, practice shared decision making, allow adequate time to plan, reasonable and adequate ways of measuring student's growth.....

Attempt to de-politicize teacher work.

At the least attempt to de-polarize teacher work.

Think of teachers as partners.

In the onslaught of  commercialization/big business realize that consultants, corporations, textbook companies and many other "advocates" have vested interests and large profits at stake, so consider this as uncomfortable.
While I could monetize this blog, I don't. While we could advertise to kids, we shouldn't. While a manufacturer might also "train" teachers in the use of their materials, at some point it has to be recognized that they are serving their profits. So another kind of awareness and training needs to be in force in leadership and decision making-a kind of resistance to this. This might be called "in the public good." But building that- and building partnerships with teachers as active voices and leaders in instruction- probably strengthens independence and better consuming, or at the least it's possibility.

Along those lines support teachers as researchers and by that I mean encourage higher education for teachers. Those with PHD's or EDD's should impact learning sites positively. We should love as well those of us that can play instruments, demonstrate the arts, have degrees in subject areas, write, create. It is important to see talent in those developing talent. And to have respect for this. No Virginia, not to place someone above another, but to know how to recognize wisdom, insight, utilize resources, perform in educated ways.

Collect feedback from students and families on teachers- to be used by the teacher in thinking about their work over the course of time-that includes perspectives on fairness, relevancy, curriculum, the care and concern in the environment.

Recognize teachers for efforts they put forward outside the scope of their day. Recognize that. It might be 7 hours of grading each weekend, it might be organizing an art Fair. It might be buying supplies, making a webpage, bringing in artifacts, becoming involved in projects on-line with others world-wide, it might be developing in their field, working in professional communities, going to serve at community events. It might be staying after school to provide homework help. Recognition of effort-it should be at the heart of how we speak of teachers. "You did a good thing."

Provide teachers a good chair.

Ask teachers regularly to write about their work in meaningful ways.

Ask teachers to help reflect on the issues in play, help them to develop the sophistication to speak from their contexts.

Refrain from referring to them as "bad." And think of teaching as it is, a continum of skill development-really in an art form.

Free teachers from salaries that are so low-at the start of my career and for many, many years the salary was too low for the areas I taught within. Inner city LA for instance with car insurance at $3000. Not to speak personally- but rent and that car took my salary. I could only slowly much later in my 30 years afford the books and materials I needed to supplement the position. Perhaps we can fund teaching aware of its missionary stance.

If we love someone -we care about their health, their stress, their best interest. I would think we could extend that, or continue to support it, for teachers. For families. For children.

Teachers might appreciate knowing that they are understood within teaching contexts. How can that be better built and presented, supported and legitimized?

Clarify the role of education.

Clarify the things you want. Parents seem to want- in the lower grades- art, PE, music, shows, fairs, celebration of student success, science, math, manipulatives, hands on experiences, projects, technology, writing, book making, themes, collaboration, kindness, and so much that isn't narrowed to test and test accountability practice. Clarify for all what it "looks like" so either parents understand teacher work, or we all understand parental direction, or we all seem to support the same kind of things. At present this interface by far divides us and interferes with the expression of love for teachers.

Increase parental involvement with teachers. Assist teachers in building healthy involvement.

Shower teachers with national support. I think Finland once again can assist us in modeling that. Or we could look at the profound respect for teachers in the world.

Without a doubt as a teacher the courtesy of providing me  permission to ask for help with students or issues in fair ways is important. Not all issues in teaching are clean cut. From a new teacher confronting the role they are taking on, to dealing with a complex differentiation of curriculum problem solving forums in schools, in Districts and in our talking- we need positive healthy ways to resolve issues, What can you suggest ?

De-emphasize pathology language in this work (low kids, bad teachers so on).

Admit many teachers are using required curriculum, materials and methods that they often do not find effective and give them feedback outlets that are fair to discuss this. Over telling them this is a rigid must. At the least a way to discuss this as a partnership.

Support growth and especially support teachers that do, in fact, do more.

Again effort in teaching should be weighted along with the art of the teaching.


There are so many things to say, fund programs being among them. Figure out this, do that.
I was thinking of this love of teachers. 

When I was young I really did have a host of retiring teachers in their last years-and I also had vibrant young teachers. One stands out who was pursuing a PHD in math. What she brought was extraordinary content knowledge beyond excellent management. She left after a brief few years and went into her field in mathematics. Her effect on me was a very, very solid basis in math. Of course we need teachers that can do-math, art, music, science, that have skill.
I also had teachers that had refined the art of teaching, much like in ballet, their art became invisible. And like everyone I had a few that were unnecessarily angry, unfair, that used humiliation and a very few let their private life dominate the room. At the time I thought of this as like life. Much like we didn't choose parents-and here I am not suggesting something really "wrong."
Yet I've read on-line, in groups talking from old school chums, that these same people pop up and they praise them. For them, in some context, that person made some real difference for them. I note that. Sometimes they told of an experience that utterly shocked me-the giving of time, effort, this from a teacher I had no idea did things like that. Or they held them in an utterly different context (and of course no tolerance for poor behaviors of the kind no one sees as acceptable-this is not about that).
And I realized, teachers are on a continuum of human development as well.
Along with knowing that a method that they/we use IS a method, just a system, a device for management is just that-a way we should see the teacher as developing. As a model of growth. There are many models. And, so far, we see the issues of assuming any one is superior. There are many models-behaviorism taught me that. One day I realized it's adherents saw no other way. They had ultimate truth. And that taught me a lot. Hopefully expanding our capacity to learn, grow, achieve, succeed-and choose among many varied ways to do it expands teaching and learners. But it is a hope all aim for a goal beyond job, to find happiness.


Ultimately I recommend to Governor Romney and President Obama and to any reader here a philosopher-well two. I've recommended them all the time I've written here. well three.

Abraham Maslow is foundational and his last book is the one that I take into teaching. Especially his thoughts on creativity and the development of personality. If you love teachers I think you should read it. I don't think I've ever really heard an answer to the notions that he taught us about the effects of poverty, deprivation, on learning. But his hierarchy of needs, shoved aside, seems to confound us all the more.

I think understanding Kurt Lewin's field theory is incredibly important in understanding why schools and teachers probably should come up in a debate on foreign policy and why Romney out of the blue grabbing at that love of teachers is not a non sequitor but a moment of real truth.
Real truth that appeared on a stage for a moment.

And finally the most important, read Nel Noddings, Happiness and Education.
Both our potential leaders, teachers and parents need to read this book. Completely.


And as a teacher I want you to know, both candidates, we love you too-and want both of you to do well in what you pursue directing the nation, thinking of the children in our nation-many of them now mired in poverty.
We need your support to help them.