cc licensed flickr photo shared by carlaarena
I had the opportunity to sit in on a session with Will Richardson and a fantastic group of educators from south of the border. There was a question that he asked the group that really stuck out with me:
“What’s one fear you’re going to have to overcome to lead your school forward?”
As I thought about the “traditional” list of fears that have popped up as we progress, they were not driving me at all. I sat back and thought about what “fear” drives me. Here they are:
- Fear of students learning “compliance” instead of just “learning”.
- Fear of students asking why they have no grade on their report card because they don’t know how they are doing.
- Fear a student asks “why are there no awards” because I have not taken the time to show them I value them every chance I get.
- Fear that we teach our students that rewards should drive their learning, not their passion.
- Fear that we prepare our students to be good at school, instead of being good at life.
- Fear of the world changing around our schools, while we stay the same.
- Fear that students will NOT ask powerful questions.
- Fear that students will not see themselves as artists.
- Fear that students will not have the opportunity to create and collaborate.
- Fear that we are not giving students opportunities to lead within our school.
- Fear that we do not focus on the importance of connections and relationships.
- Fear that our students and staff are not having fun.
Those are some of the fears that drive me. I am blessed that I have the opportunity to work with a community that puts my mind to rest 
What fear drives you?
My biggest fear is that my students do not feel important, that they do not feel that I care, and that I am not able to build a good enough report with my students so I can help them find their passions. I worry that I may not be giving enough of myself to my students and that I may miss something that could help my students find that thing that make learning fun for them. My goal is to help every student find their inner passions. I also want all my students to struggle so I can help them through it. I know too many brilliant students that did not struggle until college. Students need to be challenged so they know how to deal with how to work through it, so I fear that they may not feel challenged enough.
Whew…that is a lot to think about!
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I fear politics in education. I fear that the public sees high standardized test scores as "a good education and a good school".
I fear that politics dictates who we serve and how we serve our students.
We are leaving behind our most "difficult to serve" learners – our reluctant readers and writers. The students who do not believe in themselves, don't commit to tasks and who have not found that passion we need to hook them into learning. These students may lack home support and may have very difficult home lives.
We have been taught to closely monitor results and to rely on test scores and standardized exemplars or performance tasks as indicators of success. In fact, most grants require promise of rising scores.
When given a grant, we strive for the "biggest bang for our buck". We are asked to take the easy route. While we all want to see each and every student improve and achieve, we are asked to choose the students who are just below expectations (Level 2+/3- or C+/B-), who have no behavioural concerns and who are ready to learn. Gee, these are the students I can easily move along the continuum – why remove them? Oh yes, guaranteed results. We need that to get the next grant, don't we?
These students receive special programming, small group instruction with the newest and latest resources and technology in a quiet environment. The test scores rise and we are successful, right? In our efforts to get a "bang for our buck", we shoot ourselves in the foot as we continue to struggle in our classrooms to meet the specialized learning needs of our most difficult learners.
I fear that I'm not enough for these special and worthy relucant learners. I want so much more for them.
I fear that I don't avocate enough for our most vulnerable students.
I fear that in my desire to transition I will slip up, make a mistake and let some students down.
I fear that my students will be tested and "worksheet-ed" to the point that they view education as something they hate… that learning is equated with the above and not with its true meaning.
I fear that I will give up in frustration, because I'm not enough to make a difference in their lives.
I fear that the top-down and hierarchical education systems will maintain the status quo, and that really amazing teachers will throw up their hands, quit, and move on to something easier.
I fear that a free public education will wither and die in the hands of non-educators who are making all the decisions without listening to anyone who actually has a stake in schools- the students, the parents, and the educators.
Most of all… I fear that all the other fears I've listed will affect my ability to walk into my classroom every day with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. THIS is the one I can truly control and cannot allow to consume me. My kids deserve only my best.
I fear that we are not fostering critical thinkers.
I fear that students creativity and individualism is not always encouraged.
I fear that the kids may not always feel heard.
I love this post!
tutor gal.
tutor-gal.com
My biggest fear in regards to my students is that once they leave my classroom and the setting that they are in that once again the primary focus will once again be only their behaviors. This in turn will put their education and academic growth once again on the back burner, and all the progress that they managed to make will be deleted.
In relation to my own understanding of learning, my fear is that I am not going to be able to keep up with trends and changes in education that will benefit my students.
Beautifully stated. #1 resonates deeply with me.