I've got a
new post up on
In Practice and it's something that's been bouncing around in my head for quite some time. I'm trying to figure out where we draw the line in regards to how much and what sort of things a school does for a student. I'd love to hear thoughts on it.
1 comment:
I'm not sure exactly the direction you mean for this conversation to take, but the longer I teach, the more and more I see my role as a teacher of moral reasoning and basic ethics as a pretty central part of my teaching work.
Of course my math and reading and writing lessons are what I put a whole lot of effort into planning each day, but I'm with these 11 and 12 year olds seven hours each day. Their parents trust me and we, as a school, like to see ourselves as being in a partnership with these families---and so I've learned to be clear and vocal and explicit about lots and lots of things that that have nothing to do with academics. Things like how to be good sports, how to be strong enough to walk away from a fight, how to be kind, even when you're scared of being the next victim on the bullying ladder, how to respect women, and how to muster enough courage to tell the truth, even when you've made a bad choice.
I imagine that this sort of teaching varies considerably, depending on the age of kids. I don't really struggle with the "whose values" question, cuz honesty, kindness, responsibility, and empathy are values all cultures value and, in my experience, all kids need some help learning.
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