Russ Albright in Oregon has some deep insights from COFLT (this past weekend) that might reveal why traditional teachers eye the CI camp with such mistrust. He doesn’t mince his words, which I really admire because this is no time for innuendo in this work we are doing together. It is something that fits well here because our group is private. I have his permission to share this here:
Hey Ben,
I just went to COFLT and saw some really great sessions on instruction, assessment, theory, and methods. Thanks to people like Tina, Claire, and Dr. Beniko Mason it was a great experience.
Having said that, I took some time to talk to other educators here in Oregon and we have a lot of grammar/textbook teachers. I take those opportunities as a way to engage with them (at least the ones who are willing) in conversations about teaching.
One teacher said something that stuck out. She was a definite textbook teacher and it was kind of amazing she went to any CI sessions and Dr. Mason’s workshop so I talked to her and she said that the way CI teachers spoke to her really turns her off from the entire idea. People use words like pain, hurting students, and bullying. And although I have watched as I have done those things to my students before finding the way, I do think that when we talk that way, we alienate those that we want to help.
This teacher said to me that if I’m not supposed to bully my students then shouldn’t others not bully me and I think she is right. I think we need to be more tactful because when we talk to traditional teachers in a rude and direct way then are we not causing them to have a backfire effect, with them holding even tighter too their beliefs. I think that this is important because my belief is that their students are in pain but by insulting those teachers to their faces it doesn’t help their students.
I am emailing this to you because there was a presenter in particular who was guilty of this as she was teaching her session and I could see the looks in many teachers faces change – it looked like the faces I had seen many times as I was talking to new teachers about CI: the look of someone who turned off to everything I was saying. This teacher literally caused an affective response in the teachers present.
I don’t know if this is important to you or anything but it was just something I noticed so I felt like sharing it with you. Also if you have a different opinion or any advice that’s great too.
Just letting you know, and thanks for everything you do!
Russ