Awareness in Action: Teacher as vessel for change

Erica RobertsCharleston County School District

“Our mind does not gain true freedom by acquiring materials for knowledge and possessing other people’s ideas but by forming its own standards of judgment and producing its own thoughts.”

-Rabindranath Tagore, in a syllabus for a class in his school, c. 1915

“Curricular content has shifted away from material that focuses on enlivening imagination and training the critical faculties toward material that is directly relevant to test preparation. Along with the shift in content has come an even more baneful shift in pedagogy: away from teaching that seeks to promote questioning and individual responsibility toward force-feeding for good exam results.”

-Nussbaum, M. Not for Profit: Why democracy needs the humanities. 2010.

This must change.

Why?

Our students will inherit our world.

It is our job to prepare them to do so.

How can we be the vessels for change?

Set the example.

How?

Be aware of and take action when issues develop that may impact your ability to develop critically thinking

students.

“I don’t have time to keep up with that kind of stuff.”

-The teacher with the wool over her eyes.

How can I become aware?

• Join!

CERRA

SCEA

PSTA

CTA

NBPTS

How can I become aware?

• Read!

Board Meeting Minutes

Education Week

US Department of Education

Education Next

Educational Leadership

The New York Times

The Washington Post

How can I take action?

• Attend• Serve• Contact

Attend

• School Board meetings• Teacher forums• Leadership meetings• Any open and announced forums

Serve

• Committees– School and District level– PTA/PTSA

Contact

• School administration• District administration• Legislatures

Contact: Legislatures• Know your district

Contact: Legislatures

Contact: Legislatures

• Use Your Voice handout with info and example

How can I keep my students aware?

• Scaffold– Create a frame of reference and build

from there

Frame of Reference

Frame of Reference

Frame of Reference

Frame of Reference

Frame of Reference

Build Awareness

Build Awareness

Build Awareness

• Socratic Seminar

Build Awareness

• Curriculum Resources

“I am a sort of gadfly, given to the democracy by the gods, and the democracy is a large, noble horse who is sluggish in its motions, and requires to be stung into life.”

-Socrates

How can I encourage my students to safely engage in

important issues?

• Blog• Awareness campaigns• Organizations

Blogging

Blogging

Blogging

• Students can use Facebook and Twitter to post information about issues that are important to them.

Awareness Campaigns

• Students can create an awareness campaign to educate other students in your school about the issues that they have studied.

Organizations• Students can raise money or participate in

other efforts of organizations dedicated to causes they have studied and feel are important.

How to Start a Movement

Action Plans

• Take a few minutes to brainstorm and share ideas you have about how to stay aware and engaged.

“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.”

-Peter F. Drucker

Questions/Concerns