Sage or Guide?

There has been a great deal of rhetoric criticizing the “Sage on the Stage” mindset of some educators in favour of a “Guide on the Side” approach. Rote learning, Socratic, traditional, old school all have become derogatory in pedagogy. However, the sage must continue to play a vital role in education.

     

My daughter is currently in grade 8. In her history block, she was directly taught 5 reasons for Canadian Confederation. She was then guided to rank the reasons  according to their importance and identify who was left out of the process, This led to expanded research to support conclusions. All of the real, demonstrable learning was built on the initial step of explicit teaching. According to her, “If we had been told to find 5 reasons for confederation we might have found 2 and not really understood even those. Even if I had been told to do the other 2 parts of the lessons, they would have been pointless - I wouldn’t have learned anything.”

My daughter is generally a self-motivated learner - a perfect candidate for all the recent trends in education: Genius Hour, PBL, Inquiry Projects. But what she desperately craves is to trust the knowledge and skills she is receiving. She craves a teacher to start her learning on a clear path with the believable illusion of an objective measure and achievement of standards that move her forward in her knowledge and skills. She talks about being prepared for high school. At this difficult age, she wants to have some confidence in her education, which comes from having confidence in her teacher, her trainer, her sage. When a teacher provides her with a variety of paper and digital resources to explore and learn the content and skills on her own, she becomes frustrated and disappointed. Why go to school then, if I have to teach myself? Yes, the world is in a state of constant change and the most important skill we can teach youth is “how to learn” effectively and efficiently. But part of that learning is the necessity of automaticity and internalized knowledge that doesn’t require Google. It means that new skills and knowledge need to be built on a solid foundation and one of the responsibilities of teachers is to provide the materials for the foundation and train young people how to assemble them.

There are times when learners are ready to assume the reins and work with the support of guides and mentors. But not until they have the foundational knowledge skills.

The following foundational skills need to be explicitly taught and assessed in schools:

• Behave appropriately for the classroom (follow instructions, listening without interrupting, raising your hand, sitting down and working quietly)
• Grade-appropriate vocabulary
• Read & comprehend grade-appropriate texts
• Write with correct grammar
• Write legibly (penmanship & spelling)
• Speaking clearly to express ideas, ask questions
• Writing in grade-appropriate forms to express ideas
• Use grade-appropriate research tools (dictionary, textbook, online, library, citing sources)
• Age appropriate math facts
• Algorithms for solving age-appropriate math problems
• Basic knowledge of national and world geography and history
• Apply the Scientific method
• Understanding of ecosystems

I am a Secondary School English teacher, so I am aware that my list is weighted heavily on communication skills. But these skills align with the Conference Board of Canada Employability Skills. There are many other skills and knowledge areas that are also important, engaging, inspiring, and empowering to learners. I am not trying to limit our role as teachers to drill sergeants, to the exclusion of all else. I am, however, saying that we have a professional and ethical responsibility to make sure that all students can succeed at these skills and, if they cannot, they need more instruction, directed practice, and remediation, not more free time. And, yes, that means less time for independent learning, project-based learning, play-based learning, inquiry projects, and genius hour projects.

As a parent, I want my children to have the opportunities to explore their strengths and interests - it makes them feel good. Yet, when they can’t print legibly or speak clearly or divide numbers or read accurately, this is what they need most.

1st Year Teacher, Take 2: Returning to the Classroom

During these past two years as an Acting Vice Principal have been an incredible learning experience. My awareness of macro educational concerns (mental health, barriers, parental involvement, attendance, student engagement, creating a community, etc.) have moved from abstract to concrete.  I worked with teachers, counsellors, agencies, district-wide colleagues, and my Principal to develop appropriate and individualized interventions to support students. I have also become energized as an educator about new directions in education and by the PLC that I have started to develop.

Now, I have returned to the classroom teaching Secondary Language Arts. I love teaching English.  I was the Program Leader of English and Literacy for years and was always inspired by the synergy in our department.  We developed a vision for our department a few years ago that hangs in every classroom:

"As English teachers, we love stories, language, ideas, and exploration. This is a love we want to impart to our students. Oral communication, reading, writing, and media are not ends in themselves, but rather are means of discovery. Through speaking and listening, students develop a voice and the courage to use it.  In literature, students encounter timeless beauty, shared human experiences, and universal themes that can inform and inspire their future. By writing, students embark on a journey of possibilities. Through media, students learn to be a self-aware and critical audience in the information age.  In our increasingly complex world, the English Department helps MSS students become engaged in life, exhibiting confidence, thinking critically, developing courage, and demonstrating compassion."

We were reacting to the pragmatism that made literacy synonymous with language arts, that expected us to teach students to apply writing formulas.  I was moved by one of our former graduates and bought her drawing to represent the complexity and passion that we strive to bring into our classrooms.

I completely rearranged my classroom from the way it had stood by default for years.  The change was important to me symbolically, but it was also quite disorienting.  Everything feels somewhat disorienting, yet also completely familiar.  It is like coming home after a long absence. You are changed by the voyage, but there is also enormous comfort.

I had to choose what to focus on this year as I planned my courses.  My list of ideas was too long, and it was a recipe for frustration for myself and my students.  For someone who is normally very decisive, I found it impossible to narrow by pedagogical focus.  I kept my course outlines deliberately vague. Instead, I chose flexibility and responsiveness. 

That means my lesson plans are works in progress. I am not sure how I will adjust to that.