Patience and Respect

Two of the themes I found from Chapter 6 were the need for patience and respect. The countries highlighted, (Finland, South Korea, and Singapore), all had the patience to make their education reforms work. Before going on, I have to say that the United States has been implementing No Child Left Behind for ten years. Some would say this is not enough time to see the effects. The other countries spent at least double this amount of time on their reforms, right? The difference that I see was not only government buy in, but the citizens of those countries wanting these reforms (at least the population described in the book).

This is not the same situation in the United States. NCLB is very much a top-down reform, lacking in teacher, student, and citizenry buy in. These reforms have also had very minimal positive effects that are outweighed by the negative costs to the students, teachers, and the country as a whole in many areas. The countries highlighted in the book seem to be much more successful, which gave the government the time and the money to implement their effective reforms.

These reforms also have allowed students to build on creativity skills. This has been done though project-based learning, action research, and meeting the students where they are in terms of interests and abilities. Teachers are also allowed to show their creativity as well. The teachers were given a basic set of standards created by the country, and were able to create their own lessons that they are vested in and they what to teach, instead of a fear of teaching to the test (see Atlanta, Philadelphia, and D.C.). This allowed for better teachers who love their jobs, and what to stay in their professions.

This also leads to respect. Students have a culture of respect in the countries highlighted in Chapter 6. Teachers are treated like professionals. This seems to be going away in the United States. Kids in the United States think that they are entitled to have their teachers, not only teach, but to entertain them. The students are also respected by allowing for individuality. There is not so much of a stigma on those who do not go to college. Vocational schools are respected as much as universities.

Patience and respect can also be applied in my classroom. I need to have patience with my students, and the different ways they learn. I need to incorporate project-based learning and time to experiment into the lessons as much as possible. I need to be patient with the other teachers in my building that hold different teaching philosophies. I need to be patient with the new principal as he finds his way at a new school setting. I need to be patient with myself that all of this will come in time.

Respect at my school is necessary. The students attending the school I teach at have been thrown away by others. They need to be shown that not everyone will do that to them. They need to be seen as individuals with different interest, abilities, and talents that can be utilized in the classroom. Students also need to show the teachers respect, as people who are professionals that could be doing another job that is respected more, but they choose to be there for the students instead. This is also why parents, school board members, principals, and elected officials need to show respect to teachers as well.

Through looking at other countries, educational reform has been successful because of patience and respect for all groups involved. Without these elements, education reforms will fail.

Here is an article comparing U.S. Education Reform with Eugenics...woah!