Philip makes an important point. Even researchers who work productively
with teachers often bypass the mandates of administrators and policymakers
who expect miracles immediately. This is surely a shortcoming of some of my
own work. Thanks for helping to expand the lens to situate teaching in its
policy context. Peter
At 12:35 PM 11/18/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>Steve wrote:
>
>Here is a penny's worth. Your comments made me want to go back to Lee's
>article to confirm just who her research work is really for. As you point
>out, she does not begin with the perspective of being a teacher. In my
>opinion, she begins from the point of view of students, and in particular,
>students living in poverty and students of color. Below are some quotes
>from Lee on this. I like her focus both on students and the question of
>resources. At the same time, your stress on the importance of closely
>involving teachers in research and implementation is very important, and I
>heartily agree.
>
>
>and Peter wrote:
>
>ust a word on whom Carol's piece is for....perhaps it's true that this
>specific piece is written not-for-teachers. I've known Carol since the
>80s when we were grad students at the U. of Chicago in the same program.
>She has an immense dedication to the teaching of young people of color,
>particularly African American youth. As part of this project, she often
>presents to audiences of teachers. I suspect that her position at
>Northwestern requires her to position her writing in research
>journals. But on the whole, she shares her work for an appropriate
>variety of audiences, whether this individual article reaches everyone or not.
>
> Steve and Peter, thanks for your insights. and thanks too for
> the introductory statements you had given, Peter. these comments
> helped me more tightly focus on my concerns - as an elementary school
> teacher (precisely in those kinds of schools, Peter, that you described
> Lee as working in - i've seen far too many teachers' automobiles stolen
> from school parking lots, much less the random thefts from there
> classrooms, etc.) i can easily envision a principal arriving at school
> with a copy of Lee's article, and announcing that we teachers need to
> become more culturally responsive to our students. End of
> conversation. What the article doesn't tell me as a teacher, which i
> would like to know since in the final analysis i'm the one who has to put
> this all into place, is about necessary planning time, resources,
> methods, assessments, etc. etc. - i read Lee's article and i've not a
> clue about how much time and effort and planning and resources went in to
> get the algebra program up and running, or the literature program. these
> are enormous undertakings, and for any teaching dodging the fireballs of
> no child left behind, another example of top down hierarchical directives.
>
> the history of teacher practitioners and university researchers is
> not one of comfort and ease - the teachers are usually depicted as the
> problem that needs to be corrected.
>
> it's an irreducible tension that i work with as a teacher within
> the university - and your comments and perspectives have helped me
> negotiate those tensions.
>
>thanks,
>
>phillip
>
>school of education
>university of colorado at denver
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