This lack of shared definitions makes it difficult to evaluate success rates and convey accomplishments. Jessica Millstone is a researcher and educational professional development expert who serves as the director of engagement at BrainPOP, a popular website full of animations and video games for learning.
To which activity does each buzzword refer? What counts as blended learning? At the end of a semester, labels and definitions may not matter as much as demonstrable learning gains. Teachers are using video games and other interactive digital platforms in the same way they have always used classroom tools: for formative assessment a fancy term for monitoring and evaluating student performance on a daily basis.
Which language will appeal to administrators? Clear definitions and methods of classification are the fundamental building blocks of good communication.
Millstone guesses that this communication breakdown causes some teachers to use lack of professional development as the go-to excuse. Absent a foundation for good communication, the professional culture around education technology and innovative pedagogy sounds like a dysfunctional marriage where both spouses want more romance and affection but each blames the other for an uninspired sex life.
With the exception of a few schools and districts, the relationship between teachers and administrators is hindered by a giant communication gap. Perhaps, if they listened more attentively to one another, they might discover they are more aligned than they imagine. This story was produced by The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit, independent news website focused on inequality and innovation in education.
Read more about Digital Education. The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn't mean it's free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that. Join us today.
At The Hechinger Report, we publish thoughtful letters from readers that contribute to the ongoing discussion about the education topics we cover. Please read our guidelines for more information. By submitting your name, you grant us permission to publish it with your letter. We will never publish your email. You must fill out all fields to submit a letter. The real blame is federal government intrusion into education. States should be in complete control of education.
I agree with Kim. I was an administrator for one year before I decided to go back and teach. Administrators are scrutinized by district administrators just like teachers are. District administrators are scrutinized by state administrators. At the end of the line is the federal government and their threat to cut off your funding.
But you do bad and they throw more money at you. I just go back to my classroom and try to teach these kids to the best of my ability. In 55 minutes, 30 kids at a time. This report raises the issue of teachers and admin speaking a different language- a problem that is often not addressed when discussing ed reform.
However, the problem is even deeper- teachers and admin, although working within the same building, have very different goals. Without honestly addressing those difference, the issue of speaking a different language will not improve. I come from a corporate environment, so I know that people will disagree with me. Especially teachers and administrators..
Our schools need to run like a corporation with more experienced personnel leading the departments and school boards. Need to have highly skilled professionals running the school board and not people that have nothing better to do or have their own agenda in making up the rules as they go.
The major problem is with administrators who have taught in the classroom little, if any. Administrators should teach a minimum of five years in the classroom before being considered to lead a group of teachers. I was an engineer out of college and loved the design work and troubleshooting aspects of the job and stayed in engineering and engineering management for 17 years.
Even as a manager I was more of a player-coach and still got to do serious engineering. But because I was very good at it I did get promoted all the way up to running the company eventually. But, and it is a big one and I suspect it would apply to you as well, its more fun until it is not.
Eventually everything gets old and you need a new and greater challenge. After awhile you get used to things and they do not have the same kick anymore.
I think you made the smart and growth oriented choice, even if we both can look back fondly to when we were hands on doing the stuff we loved. It was absolutely the right financial choice for me because of all the other financial choices we made along the way.
Your email address will not be published. Additional menu Twitter Facebook Pinterest. Teacher vs. Income is a huge advantage on the path to financial independence. Income Growth While the base level of income is a clear win for the administrator, this one is more mixed. Benefits When compared to much of the private sector, both groups have solid benefits.
Examples include: Greater contributions to health insurance or better tiers I disagree with this when it happens — health benefits should not be title dependent! Job Security The first clear win for teachers — at least those in represented positions. Pension Both usually have access to a public pension.
Sense of Control One of the biggest morale issues teachers face is a lack of control. Time for Side Hustles Administrator contracts are year-round with little-to-no time off in the summer. Job Satisfaction I know not everyone will agree, but I give the clear edge here to teaching. Comments Nice article as usual, Ed. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Footer Search this website. Solo Teacher. Solo Administrator. A Two Teacher Path. Crystal — Special Education.
It means that the district provides joint trainings for teachers and principals, with district officials and teacher leaders presenting information together.
The goal: To send a unified message and ensure clear communication. The way that ABC has approached the Common Core -- and the way it approaches all issues -- seems intuitive.
So why don't we hear more stories like theirs? As Saldana put it, "I think the most important lesson for all of us is to find the time to collaborate. I think the biggest reason we don't collaborate is because it takes time. But as the experience of ABC shows, finding that time makes improving student learning a whole lot easier. Collaboration in ABC ABC has been widely praised for the collaborative relationship that exists between its teachers and administrators.
What Does It Look Like? By Signing up, you agree to our privacy policy. Educator Arnold Pulda reflects on his move from the classroom to administration. There are big differences, he says, but the most important thing administrators need to know is that they can never -- must never -- forget where they came from.
Included: Three differences between the classroom and administration. I enjoy writing for an audience of teachers. Writing for this particular audience gives me the chance to communicate -- as if I'm talking to a small and friendly group -- things that can't always be said to a more diverse group.
Here, for example, I can write that nothing else in life can compare to "doing the 5-by-5" -- meeting five classes of students for five days each week. Here, I can write that teaching is wonderful -- rewarding in ways that people who do not teach cannot possibly imagine.
Here, I can write, with percent certainty, that teaching is exhausting and exasperating -- physically and mentally, the most demanding job there is. Raise your hand if you believe otherwise. Seeno hands. Case closed! In my first teaching job, I taught high-school history, doing the 5-by-5 for eight years. I was 45 -- older than most new teachers -- when I began teaching. Because I already was getting a late start, I didn't begin teaching with an eye toward moving out of the classroom and into administration.
I did have an MBA, however, and some experience in business management, so looking back, I can see that I had the background and some of the tools and skills for making that move. It wasn't long before I also had the desire to do so. After four or five years in the classroom, I started to take note of the administrative job postings. I began to apply for positions that seemed to match my abilities and interests. I interviewed for several jobs without success.
Then, about three years ago, I was appointed system-wide liaison for gifted-and-talented student programs. Since that appointment, I have taken on the leadership of other departments as well. As a classroom-teacher-turned-administrator, I often have reflected on the differences between the two positions. I see three primary distinctions:. I expected that, as an administrator, I would be spending less time at work than I did as a teacher. That has not proven to be true, however; I am working longer hours now.
The key difference is that now I have control over my time. Simply put, the administration building has no school bell. When I was in the classroom, lunch period always was exactly 22 minutes; in administration, lunchtime often is non-existent; other times, it will last an hour. In the latter case, lunch is usually a working lunch with a colleague. I have learned quickly that a teacher who can't master his or her own schedule and those of others on the team, shouldn't aspire to administrative work.
A teacher who is not comfortable with flexibility and last-minute changes, or who is chronically late, should not aspire to administrative work. Have you seen these Voice of Experience essays from previous weeks?
Searching for Voices Care to reflect on a classroom experience that opened your eyes? Click here to learn more.
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