Dear Teachers

Dear Teachers of Metro Phoenix,

It's time for us to take more control over the education system. This feeling of discontent has been growing in me for quite some time now. Over the course of my ten years in education, I imagined my ideal elementary school and how much better it could be. But I'm reminded repeatedly how hard it is to make a change. So, I continued to slog through the day-to-day, finding enjoyment in the foundations of teaching, but losing more of myself each year. This year has been particularly defeating, so my daydreams popped up more and more.

One Ted Talk later, I rushed over to here and started writing. My thought process may be completely disjointed. I may ramble so much that you've already lost interest in my ideas by now. But I had to do SOMETHING. The only way to find teachers willing to make a change with me is to put myself out there.

I recently learned about the movement of Teacher-Led Schools. Before that, I didn't know it was possible to run a school without all the additional administration. I still don't know if it's possible in Arizona, since there isn't a single teacher-led school in this state, but it's worth a try. So, my first step is  to find other people in the area who think my ideas are kind of cool and maybe worth thinking about some more. My ideas for a school are changing all the time, but here's what my current brainstorm looks like. Be forewarned: for today I'm focusing on what I want to change and not how to change it. I have those ideas too, but that would turn this blog post into a book.

1. Kids need more time to play. There is so much evidence out there that play time improves learning. Those in charge seem to have this idea that if kids can't read, they need to spend more and more time  reading. Many teachers share my thoughts that maybe if kids spent more time with unstructured exploration and play, their minds would be better equipped to learn reading and math. Not to mention that there is a scary lack of social skills incorporated into primary school nowadays.

2. We need to be more efficient with our time. Arizona's mandatory time limit for a school day is 4 hours, excluding lunch time. I believe that if we restructure the school day, we could get a lot done in much less time.  Which means teachers can have more flexibility in their day and will have more time and energy to plan lessons and do all the other amazing things that don't show up on standardized tests.

3. Let's minimize testing. Most of us can agree that some testing is valuable. However, there's too much testing that doesn't help us teach. We need to get rid of that and focus only on what is truly going to drive instruction. And let's reform the report card while we're at it.

4. Get outside! I would love to have a school where there's a fluid transition between the outdoors and the classroom. We live in an area that is beautiful most of the school year. Let's get out in the elements more. Who says kids can't run around while we're leading small groups? Let's grow gardens. Invite in some animals. Let kids get dirty and explore their world.

5. Put more value on special areas. Art, music, and PE can be so much more than break time. With revamped schedules, those teachers can be a more meaningful part of the whole school day instead of a place the kids go a couple times a week. I'd also love to expand the opportunities for special areas, such as a teacher who is knowledgeable in gardening and animal care.

The bottom line is that none of my ideas are brand new. They're already out there. There are schools around the world with different elements of what I've outlined here. Which means it can be done. I just need to find people who are willing to move in this direction with me.

So, for now, I'm simply going to try to get this blog post out there. Please share these ideas and think about what your ideal school would look like. Please comment and share with us! It's time for us to stop waiting for the district, the state, the country to change education. We can do it. I know I'm not alone in this belief. I just haven't met you yet.