Is teaching devalued in 2019?

Sometimes I wish no one read my blog.

My blog is a place where I consider the significant events of the past or upcoming week and reflect on the educational implications. Some of the things that are swirling in my head this week are thoughts that disturb and distress me. The way I try and make sense of them might accidentally insult some people if they read it the wrong way, which is why part of me hopes no one will see it and take offence. However, these are topics that should not be hidden. This week, there were four events that made me ask myself if teaching is devalued.

Hubby sent me flowers to keep my spirits up!

1) Grade 11 Math and Terrific Tutors

My son is in Grade 11 and he is taking the final math course of his high school career (Grade 11 Functions). He has been struggling with some of the content and earning marks below what he'd like to receive. We met with his teacher on Parent Teacher Interview night, and I'll be honest, we didn't feel very reassured after the conversation. My son needed help, especially since his final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, January 29. Thank goodness I know some amazing educators. I called up a close friend that I've known since we were together in the Faculty of Education at York University and he agreed to tutor my son. After the first session, my teen boy was smiling, feeling more positive, and said that he finally understood certain concepts. After the second session, I could see his confidence growing. The name of this amazing math teacher is Robin McCabe. (More on Robin in a bit.)

Robin, Diana and Angela, Dec. 30/17

The funny thing is that my daughter was in a similar situation a few years back. She was not doing well academically in her Grade 11 Math class. Her math teacher (a different one from my son's current instructor) said to me during Parent Teacher Interviews that she had no clue why my daughter was not achieving success. The teacher reported that my eldest paid attention in class, completed homework, and asked questions but that she just could not understand why this did not equal improved performance. The teacher did not have any strategies or suggestions for us. Back then, I reached out to a teacher on my staff with an extensive math background and strong teaching techniques to tutor my daughter. With only three short meetings, Brenda Kim helped my child go from a failing grade to a 75% final mark. (I would have asked her again to help my youngest, but she is currently on maternity leave.)

Ms Kim & my girl, circa July 2017 at MakerEdTO

I asked Robin why Grade 11 Functions was such a minefield of challenges. He explained that the course design is flawed and that there is a lot of pressure to give a surface overview of many different topics (e.g. trigonometry, functions, etc) instead of going deeper. He also admitted that many teachers just aren't sure how to explain or teach some of these concepts, especially to students who don't understand the first time or way an idea is introduced. He says that sometimes a different approach or explanation will help a student comprehend easier. Doesn't that sound like good teaching?

Now, before the argument can be made that tutoring is a one-on-one situation and it's easier to help a student when they are the only body to worry about, I should point out that Robin is a high school math teacher. He teaches Grade 11 Functions. His class average is usually 10 percentage points above the other math sections and he covers all the required content. What is different is how Robin teaches the material. Teaching matters and if teaching (and teachers) matter, then you can understand why I might be a bit unsettled about the next three areas.


2) Doug Ford and the Primary Cap

I know that the current provincial government is not exactly a "friend" to teachers. Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Education Lisa Thompson, and their team have cancelled indigenous curriculum writing sessions that had already been scheduled, established a "snitch line" to tattle on teachers who dared to teach the 2015 Health and Physical Education curriculum (since teachers were told to go back to the 1998 version), and made serious negative changes to OSAP (post-secondary student loans). The current government loudly touted "the largest public consultation in Ontario education history" but then downplayed the results when the response did not align with what they hoped would occur. The latest move is the possible removal of the "primary cap"by no longer limiting Grade 1-3 classes to a maximum of 20 students.

Please read and retweet: Removing caps on class sizes is a failure of both education and economics /via @globeandmail https://t.co/JgzrfmeaSl

— Charles E Pascal (@CEPascal) January 25, 2019

This is bad news on so many levels. Part of my job this year is a SERT (Special Education Resource Teacher) for the primary classes in my school. Even with two trained adults in the room, it can be a challenge to help all the students in the class. I have to admit I was in awe last Friday watching how much patience Tina Voltsinis had with a resistant writer in her Grade 3 class. She used so many tricks from her "teaching tool-bag", from offering to scribe for him to altering the assignment to make it more appealing to him, to addressing his social and emotional needs as he ranted and acted out. He took a huge chunk of her time, energy and attention - and this is in a "capped" class of 20. It makes me feel like the current government doesn't appreciate true teaching. They'd prefer the cheapest method of supervising children, even if it means their education might be compromised. Don't they care about the quality of teaching?

3) Marriage Prep Facilitation and a New Direction

Last Thursday, we had a meeting of our parish's marriage preparation class facilitators. I thought the meeting was mostly just going to be a quick review of the number of participants that have registered, our class location, and other logistics. Turns out, our parish priest would like us to consider using a new resource and a new approach. If I understand it correctly, the sessions would consist of a 30 minute video, followed by small groups answering questions in the participant book and then having the couple complete further book questions together as a pair. My husband and my priest could see the obvious concern and resistance on my face. I wasn't happy with this proposed change. It took some time, distance, and observations made by my husband (who sometimes knows me better than I know myself) to understand my strong negative reaction. In this new approach, the facilitator doesn't matter, because there's no actual teaching involved. This has the "benefit" of being a more "effective" way of disseminating information and ideas because it isn't dependent on the skills or talents of those leading the sessions. If anyone can do it, then why should I do it? I'm worried that this makes me sound like a "teacher snob". I volunteered for this ministry because I thought I could use my teacher training to help others with this important sacrament. Is this what the Khan Academy is like? If this is what is involved, then I am uncertain that I want to devote my time to it anymore. My dear friend and comfort Lisa Noble reminded me that for some of us, teaching is a vocation and it is okay to walk away from something if what they require is not what I was prepared to offer. I'll be seriously contemplating my two focus words for 2019 ("enough" and "labour") as I decide my next steps.

4) Changes to the OSLA

Since this information is time-sensitive (i.e. I am not allowed to talk about it until a notification has been released to members) I will communicate this section in the meantime only using emojis.

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I am dismayed because of an upcoming meeting at what should be a wonderful, celebratory event. At the upcoming OLA SuperConference, on Thursday, January 31, at the OLA AGM, a proposal to alter the OSLA by-laws is on the table. The suggestion is to remove all mention of teaching and teacher-librarians. The reason for this change is supposedly to be more inclusive of other school library personnel.

As you can imagine, I strongly disagree with this course of action. It has taken years of advocacy and effort to try and ensure that school libraries are adequately staffed by qualified people and I suspect that the removal of descriptive terms would allow school boards to fill these positions in ways that will not necessarily benefit the students, but act as cheaper alternatives. It is often said that the school library is the heart of the school and the largest, best-equipped classroom. Why would we want to remove teachers from the classroom? Staffing should not be seen as an either/or situation. As the OLA page on School Library Issues states, “Effective school library programs include teacher-librarians with library qualifications, library technicians and support staff” (citation - http://www.accessola.org/web/OLA/ADVOCACY/Ongoing_Library_Issues/School_Library_Issues/OLA/Issues_Advocacy/School_Library_Issues.aspx?hkey=9a19f680-eff7-41d7-962f-b5e19ca1ac50)

Many research studies, including local investigations such as the ones conducted by People For Education, indicate there is a correlation between the presence of teacher-librarians in schools and reading enjoyment and academic achievement (see http://www.accessola.org/web/Documents/OLA/issues/Reading-for-Joy.pdf )

I fear that the loss of specific language geared to teacher-librarians in the guidelines of our biggest subject-association representative would be detrimental to advocacy efforts and deadly to the profession, opening the door to cuts. The way this change to the wording is being suggested feels poorly thought out and potentially rushed through. If we want inclusion, why not include? Don’t cross out any and all references to teaching; instead, take the time to craft a statement that mentions and protects other trained school library staff members.

This proposal will be voted on at the OLA AGM on Thursday, January 31 at 9:00 a.m. - if you are a teacher-librarian who is attending SuperConference 2019, please try to attend this meeting, as this suggestion will be put to a vote. Please show that teaching (even, or especially in the school library) is still valued.