Okay, so what does it take to build a strong teaching and learning system? If we remove all reservations or speculations as to why the Finland school model is ideal, we see success is contributed to teacher investment. So what does this look like in America? As a teacher in Idaho, I strive to be empowered and often have to seek my own opportunities or funding to improve my practice. I must say this works for me, I have to work hard, get creative and find funding, but in the end I know my educational experiences make me a stronger teacher.
A thought on testing:
I couldn’t help but feel frustrated learning that students in Finland are not tested so rigorously when compared to other countries. Instead students get tested in 2nd and 9th grade and it is a random selection. Students seeking higher education are tested on an entrance exam that provides a choice guided by student interest. I like how assessments are used as a tool to improve or guide change, not punishment to implement new allocations as it is in the United States.
I believe on a more personal level, assessments are done similarly in my classroom, if my students did not succeed; I first look at my practice, then the factors that may have let students down. In the United States however, it seems as though teachers are never getting it quite right when looking at high stakes testing. Why not? We’ve somehow gotten to a point where we are punished, shut down, or told we are in AYP jail. How is this leading us in a direction to build stronger learning systems? We need to focus on empowering teachers. Afterall if I'm seen as important, wouldn't I give my students that same virtue?
Thanks for your thoughts! I totally agree about your comments about the use of assessment in your classroom. I have found that most of the standardized assessments that we use really do nothing to inform me about my students and their abilities (or even mastery of a topic). I find that if I want to have meaningful evidence of what a student can do, I need to either sit down with that student one on one to hear them read, watch them write, or observe their processes and products. The good news is Idaho's Primary Math assessment is valid and useful to me and the math instruction in my classroom. I am not sure that the students in Finland are not being assessed as rigorously as students in the U.S. they just are not using standardized tests every year like we do in the U.S.(lucky them).
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