In reality, many in school settings today feel the pressure of the “cooker.” We are in a global race, and our educational systems are under scrutiny by the rest of the world. America has always been its own worst critic, and our perceptions of our fragile educational system have fired international criticism. Our global “standings” have taken on political ramifications, resulting in demoralized teachers and forcing many to leave this time-honored profession. Some teachers have recently made these comments:
‘‘I am retiring early primarily due to the manner in which I am
forced to teach and assess.’’ ‘‘I don’t teach much reading anymore: I am too busy testing children.’’ ‘‘We feel we are fleeing a sinking ship, after giving our entire lives to our students and our profession.’’ ‘‘It is a sad way to end a career.’’
The pressures have invaded the classrooms and challenged the status quo. Both methods and methodologies are in question, so that teacher confidence and competence have suffered. As the rest of the world looks on, the internal pressures to perform continue to build.
Yet America still leads the world in two important qualities formed in the schools of our nation: creativity and innovation. I was recently on a train in India sitting opposite two professors from South Korea. In our conversation, they remarked that most foreign students long to attend American universities simply because they encourage student debate, are open to fresh new ideas, and are not overly focused on test scores. If this is true at the university level, an important question to be asked is, “What is happening in our elementary and secondary schools?”
Innovation, a blending of intellect and imagination, has truly catapulted and sustained America’s place as a dominant economic force in the global economy. But China and India are on the move in the areas of technology and manufacturing. A great book that explains this phenomenon is The Elephant and the Dragon by Robyn Meredith (2007). China is turning out an abundance of engineers, and India is excelling in technology. But the Chinese themselves have noted that no one from their country has yet won the Nobel Prize. If we downplay innovation and creative thinking at the expense of performing well on standardized tests, we will not only lose our creative teachers but also lose our credibility as a superpower.
Reflect for a moment on this quote (Caine and Caine, 1991):
‘‘Meaningful learning is essentially creative. All students must be given permission to transcend the insights of their teachers.’’
LET’S GET PERSONAL
Have you sensed rising pressure and stress as you prepare students for tests? It is important to remember that test-taking has always been a stress producer for students and teachers alike. I expect that back in 1952 my teacher, Miss Scott, stressed out on testing days.
‘‘I am retiring early primarily due to the manner in which I am
forced to teach and assess.’’ ‘‘I don’t teach much reading anymore: I am too busy testing children.’’ ‘‘We feel we are fleeing a sinking ship, after giving our entire lives to our students and our profession.’’ ‘‘It is a sad way to end a career.’’
The pressures have invaded the classrooms and challenged the status quo. Both methods and methodologies are in question, so that teacher confidence and competence have suffered. As the rest of the world looks on, the internal pressures to perform continue to build.
Yet America still leads the world in two important qualities formed in the schools of our nation: creativity and innovation. I was recently on a train in India sitting opposite two professors from South Korea. In our conversation, they remarked that most foreign students long to attend American universities simply because they encourage student debate, are open to fresh new ideas, and are not overly focused on test scores. If this is true at the university level, an important question to be asked is, “What is happening in our elementary and secondary schools?”
Innovation, a blending of intellect and imagination, has truly catapulted and sustained America’s place as a dominant economic force in the global economy. But China and India are on the move in the areas of technology and manufacturing. A great book that explains this phenomenon is The Elephant and the Dragon by Robyn Meredith (2007). China is turning out an abundance of engineers, and India is excelling in technology. But the Chinese themselves have noted that no one from their country has yet won the Nobel Prize. If we downplay innovation and creative thinking at the expense of performing well on standardized tests, we will not only lose our creative teachers but also lose our credibility as a superpower.
Reflect for a moment on this quote (Caine and Caine, 1991):
‘‘Meaningful learning is essentially creative. All students must be given permission to transcend the insights of their teachers.’’
LET’S GET PERSONAL
Have you sensed rising pressure and stress as you prepare students for tests? It is important to remember that test-taking has always been a stress producer for students and teachers alike. I expect that back in 1952 my teacher, Miss Scott, stressed out on testing days.
