i fully appreciate what Paul Tough has to say about character education versus emphasis on test scores. however, there is a specific conflict that holds teachers back from helping students reach their greatest potential.
"Right now we've got an education system that really doesn't pay attention to [noncognitive] skills at all. ... I think schools just aren't set up right now to try to develop things like grit, and perseverance and curiosity. ... Especially in a world where we are more and more focused on standardized tests that measure a pretty narrow range of cognitive skills, teachers are less incentivized to think about how to develop those skills in kids. So it's a conversation that's really absent I think in a lot of schools, to the detriment of a lot of students."
agree--too much focus on testing & scores
disagree--it is true that teachers are less incentivized, but that statement makes it sound as though teachers are less willing to shoot for the right goals. rather than us not wanting to nurture character, it's more like our hands are tied. innumerable policymakers (e.g., those who likely have not set foot in a K-12 classroom since they stepped out of
"Right now we've got an education system that really doesn't pay attention to [noncognitive] skills at all. ... I think schools just aren't set up right now to try to develop things like grit, and perseverance and curiosity. ... Especially in a world where we are more and more focused on standardized tests that measure a pretty narrow range of cognitive skills, teachers are less incentivized to think about how to develop those skills in kids. So it's a conversation that's really absent I think in a lot of schools, to the detriment of a lot of students."
agree--too much focus on testing & scores
disagree--it is true that teachers are less incentivized, but that statement makes it sound as though teachers are less willing to shoot for the right goals. rather than us not wanting to nurture character, it's more like our hands are tied. innumerable policymakers (e.g., those who likely have not set foot in a K-12 classroom since they stepped out of
high school with their diplomas) think that education runs along the same lines as business, and thus dictate that we play to numbers because, OHMIGOD, the U.S. doesn't dominate internationally in math and reading scores. certainly, we should encourage our students to reach their highest potential, and it's crucial that we nurture an intelligent and versatile workforce.
*however, those of us who spend our every day with the students know that there's far more to it. education is not and should not be about quantity. we want and try to develop whole human beings, but at a certain stage, the powers-that-be bind us to bullet points and checklists. we are bludgeoned daily with expectations on all sides, that we both teach twelve months of material in seven (because the tests are usually administered two months before the end of the year), magically raise a struggling student's SAT verbal scores from 400 to 700 in a month (yes, this did happen to me), and, oh, by the way, make sure to parent where parents do not, and referee every possible social situation that arises.
*however, those of us who spend our every day with the students know that there's far more to it. education is not and should not be about quantity. we want and try to develop whole human beings, but at a certain stage, the powers-that-be bind us to bullet points and checklists. we are bludgeoned daily with expectations on all sides, that we both teach twelve months of material in seven (because the tests are usually administered two months before the end of the year), magically raise a struggling student's SAT verbal scores from 400 to 700 in a month (yes, this did happen to me), and, oh, by the way, make sure to parent where parents do not, and referee every possible social situation that arises.
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