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By now many of you may have scene the report that came out this week from Public Agenda and Ed Week titled Teaching for a Living: How Teachers See the Profession Today.

It’s an absolutely gripping report and one that every teacher, principal, and policy maker should read. If we were smart, it would serve as the cornerstone to any policy debate we have about school reform. Sadly, that seems like wishful thinking.

In the report emerges a portrait of three clusters of educators: disheartened, contented, and idealists. The graphic below shows the primary traits of each group:

Looking through some of the general conclusions about these three groups, it’s striking how much the overall EXPERIENCE of being an educator is at the center of the report.

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of participating in a great event called "Policy and a Pint." Sponsored by Minnesota Public Radio and the Citizen's League, these events are open to the public, informal, and provide opportunities for lively conversations about current topics.

Amber Damm (Minnesota's Teacher of the Year) and I engaged in an interesting conversation as we fielded questions ranging from teacher salaries to Teach for America.

It was a great evening and I encourage you to find a bite of time to listen to this and feel free to chime in via the comments if you have further questions or feedback.

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10-29-2009 @ 06:49 AM

PTLLS (not verified) said ...

In Europe lifelong learning takes now has a different approach, we hope to see more development as a

Okay. Maybe I’ve been wrong.

My friend Adam and I have run together off and on for a few months each Monday morning. I’ve skipped out on most. Our wives run together every other day at 5:30 a.m. and have done so for years. They never miss a run. Adam runs with a group of guys on the other days. And each week for the past year, he’s invited me to go and each time I say no.

Until this morning.

Generally, I fall on some common themes for why I won’t go running with Adam’s group:

1. I like to run alone.
2. 5:30 is too early for anyone to do anything.
3. I don’t like talking when I run.
4. I run better and enjoy it more when I have solitude.

But here’s the reality:

1. “I like to run alone” had turned into “I like to push snooze and skip runs.”
2. Anytime is too early to work out and I just came off the most out of shape summer I can remember.
3. Being with others is about the only thing that will actually get me to change course.
4.

This upcoming Thursday, I’m giving a keynote address and the Minnesota teachers’ union annual conference. The title of my talk is So! How are the adults?

It’s an honor to be asked to speak and I’m looking forward to it. But when they hand you a mic and give you an audience, you’re given also the challenge of saying something worthy of the invite itself. For the most part, my public speaking events are marked by polite suggestions. For some reason, I feel like be a little rowdy. Or boisterous. Sometimes you want to rattle cages.

Here are the themes I think I’ll explore:
1. Opportunities we lose or use everyday to take care of ourselves as individuals or each other as colleagues.
2. Absolutes we should carry in our behavior toward others. There is a right and a wrong to how we work with others.
3.

I’d like to alert anyone in the Twin Cities area who is a teacher, knows a teacher, is considering becoming a teacher, or is curious about teaching to a cool event.

I’ve been invited, along with Minnesota Teacher of the Year Amber Damm,to participate in The Current’s Policy and a Pint series at the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown next Thursday, Oct. 8.

Here’s how it’s described on the site:

What makes for a good teacher? What changes do we need to see in teaching to ensure the best futures for our children? How much input should parents have for their children’s education?

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11-16-2009 @ 05:52 PM

esl (not verified) said ...

With teaching it's all about passion, if you don't have it, your students can sense it.