At our last faculty meeting, I posed the following prompt to the staff: "If my students can __________ by the end of the year, I would consider my year a success." The responses we're enlightening. One third (11/33) of the teachers that responded gave an answer that was totally focused on behavior, with no relation to content. A few less than half (14/33) listed a general thinking skill that could apply to many content areas. Examples include "Research effectively", "Draw connections between concepts", "Identify ways to show/interpret/analyze data" and "Read a paragraph of a grade level as well as organize ideas to compose good writing". The other responses had some content "Use Art in their daily lives" or "Show growth areas of reading that challenge them".
I find this data interesting. So often as teachers, we focus on the content, especially at the secondary level, but when teachers measure their own success, more than two-thirds of teachers listed skills that are not content specific. When my students ask me why we doing a certain topic, even ones I know they'll likely never use (imaginary numbers anyone?), my standard response was always, "This will help to teach you to think." When we look at our practice, we may need to re-examine our focus. Where are we placing the value of our time? What is it that we really would like to teach our students? Is it the content, or is the content the means by which we want our students to improve their critical thinking and problem solving skills? Or their ability to empathize with another group of people?
Chris Danielson recently posed a call to action for teachers to "Find what you love. Do more of that". In his call to action, he asks teachers to reflect upon what it is that they are passionate about in their subject. What is it that you love to pose to student? His love is ambiguity. He loves problems with multiple interpretations and multiple correct answers. So then, he did more of that. He started curating sets of problems called "Which One Doesn't Belong?". He put it to Twitter to have other teachers help create and organize the problems, making a wonderful resource for all math teachers. The problems that arise can be tailored to any content in mathematics, from Kindergarten to Calculus. The trick is to create sets where EVERY answer can be justifiably defended. This is what Chris loves (I admit that I've been a big fan of this type of question for a while myself, including being known to sing the old Sesame Street tune to students occasionally). The idea with this activity is that it is not about the content. It is about the thinking. The ability to expand one's mind beyond one answer. The need to listen to others constructively and critically. With this format, students are given a framework where they can hold these conversations, dive into their critical thinking and communication skills. The content is what fosters these skills.
So where can a teacher take this? It starts with figuring out what it is that you love. Seems simple enough, but it turns out to be a deep question. Reflect on your favorite lessons. Do they have something in common? What do you love about your content area? What do you love about working with kids? What was the last thing a student did that made you smile? What is it that you truly want your students to learn? It may take a minute, a day or a month to really reflect and decide upon an answer, but every teacher has something about education that they are passionate about, something that got them into this business and something that is keeping them here.
Once you find that thing, find a way to incorporate more of it into your lessons. Chris created a website, replete with problems of the type that he liked. If you like when students argue (about the content!) find a way to build it into your routine more often. Maybe make Friday debate day, or include Talking Points in your repertoire. Put some positive pressure on yourself. If you're passionate about it, find a way to connect your passion to Student Learning Outcomes and your Professional Development Plan. Find what you love and force yourself to do more of it; you'll ignite some passion in yourself and your colleagues!