Kevin Hodgson > Recent Status Updates

Now starting The Two Towers ....

"That's what teachers make: the promise to leave every student they teach better prepared for the future than they were when they entered the class at the beginning of the year." I love this sentence as Taylor Mali wrapped up this book, reminding us of our mission to reach every child and not give up on them. I'm thankful to have read this collection. Now, I need to pass it on to a colleague.

Taylor is talking about being a substitute teacher, and I can relate. For the year before I became a certified teacher, I was a sub, and it was awful -- most of the time. But I learned a lot about classroom management, and thinking on your feet, and working with a wide range of teachers. Taylor suggests critics of teachers should try subbing. I agree.

The value of what cannot be tested ... is theme here, and the awareness by Mali that so much of the valuable discovery is way beyond the rote learning, and won't be found on any bubble answer sheet. I love that Mali notes how collaborative projects that tap into the young person's desire to "build something" (even if it virtual) is so much more valuable than listening to a teacher talk about that something.

"In Praise of Thoughtful Uncertainty" is a chapter that captures what I try to do with my students: encourage them to question, and believe that the journey is the learning, not the final answer. Of course, this is at odds with the standardized testing environment that we are in. But thoughtful skepticism is a valuable skill, and one that empowers our democracy. Too bad too many of those voices are being stifled.

I am just past a section where Taylor talks about the "lighting moment" when something clicks and you see some understanding or some connection pass over the face of the student. It is like magic and it is one of those things that goes beyond the minimal salary that teachers get. If everyone in the world had one of those moments when you were the one to spark that in another, the world would be a better place.

Not far in, and already Taylor Mali has me tearing up, particularly as he relates the scene of a bullying incident and who steps up to protect someone else. Been there, watched that ... but didn't do what Mali did: called home to praise the courageous kid. Mali's writing here is light, but powerful, and you can tell his love of teaching and teachers is coming through loud and clear.