Developing Education

5 Points of Disconnect Between Teachers and Effective Teaching

The more coaching (mentoring, we changed the term, as it better suits what we’re doing) I am engaged in, the more I realize that there are specific points of disconnect teachers have with effective learning practices that really make it or break it in terms of their classroom practice.  I decided to focus on five, and offer a suggestion for each on how a teacher who is willing and ready to change may surmount that disconnect.  This is obviously not a comprehensive list, and I’m hoping some of you may want to jump in with your own points and solutions.

1. I’ve always gotten good results teaching this way.  ”Good Results” are one of the toughest things to combat in education, because they can be highly deceptive in their representation of effective teaching and learning.  Teachers who just get acceptable results for their students year after year seldom become the focus of attention, as the high fliers are recognized and the teachers having difficulty are supported.  In order to make inroads with this group, we have to create a culture of openness in a school where great teachers can showcase what’s happening in their rooms without damaging collegial relationships by setting up a “Thou shalt change” attitude.  We must offer encouragement without attacking what is effective about their practice, and allow them to see the value of great student engagement and learning.
2. Resistance to Professional Learning. This was a tough one to explicitly state, because there may be a multitude of reasons why a teacher has grown to resist engaging in professional learning.  However, teachers engaged in fewer (or less collaborative) PL activities are less likely to be implementing new strategies for student learning.  One obvious connection here is that sharing ideas and engaging in professional dialogue also disseminates research and practical ideas.  One method of reaching these teachers is to individually welcome them to the table by engaging them in dialogue about their students.  We must always be careful not to jump into criticism of practice, and NEVER give someone articles and information on how to change out of context.  We gain far more from short conversations about a teacher’s experience with students, than we will ever gain through photocopies or forced workshops.  As with students, it is always personal interaction and showing keen interest that has the greatest impact on professional learning.
3. Lack of observation or knowledge about other classrooms.  I’ve said many times over that teaching can be one of the loneliest professions if we lock ourselves into our own four walls.  When teaching a full courseload, some teachers (myself included) become starved for connections to our peers and professional dialogue.  If we do not seek out these connections, our practice becomes a ‘one man show’ instead of  community event.  We need to connect with other teachers to share ideas, processes, skills and resources across our schools.  We must also get away from thinking that other subject areas or grade levels somehow have no relevance to what we do.  I know for a fact from the role I have that every teacher in my school has at least some great things happening in their rooms.  We have to set up methods of sharing and collaborating among all levels and disciplines and hone our strategies together to use all that we can in support of student learning.  If you encounter an ‘isolated teacher,’ be genuinely curious about the good happening with their classes, often just getting them to talk about their work will be enough to spark a partnership.
4. Cognitive Dissonance, or the ‘knowing-doing gap.’ Many many teachers know exactly what they should be doing, how to engage and support student learning, how to design great tasks and assessments, and have a multitude of other effective pedagogical principles at hand.  Yet, of those teachers, relatively few utilize those practices in their own classrooms day-to-day.  This disconnect between knowledge and practice can be so paradigmatic, so pervasive, that the teacher may not even realize that they are not doing what they can tell you is good practice.  How do we counter this disconnect?  By creating evidence-based practice.  If a teacher is able to cogently discuss what they know about teaching, and they have put their learning into place in their classroom, ask them to share examples with you.  If a teacher has to collect evidence of their practice to share with someone, they will reflect closely on what exactly they are doing and what the students are learning.  For teachers who are effectively using their learning, they will enjoy the reflective process. Teachers with cognitive dissonance, may see the gaps between the theory they know and their own classroom practice.   If you have a teacher engaged in cognitive dissonance is identified through your conversations, please ensure that you have a highly collegial working relationship, and you are willing to support the teacher in creating a new paradigm for teaching and learning. These teachers need our help!
5. Popularity with students.  As much as I hate to say it, teacher’s egos can play a huge role in their willingness to engage in effective teaching practice. At times, I have seen teachers throw out great learning opportunities and effective practice to be the ‘nice guy’ or be cool with the students.  Many of these teachers are young and are trying to connect with students in this way to generate rapport that can pay dividends in classroom support.  However, this is a dangerous game in teaching, and we must ensure our interactions with students remain professional and focused on learning.  To turn a teacher from the ‘popularity contest’ usually takes a concerted effort by close peers to openly discuss concerns related to academic focus and experience with the fleeting devotion students have to this kind of connection.  Students do value teachers who care about their learning, who open doors in their mind, and show interest in their developing academic ability.  That’s our role; not as a friend or peer.

This post turned out much longer than I thought and was far more difficult to write than I had anticipated.  I am hoping for some great dialogue on this post, let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

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