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In case you're one of those people that doesn't bother reading profiles, I'm a teacher. I teach science, one of the core subjects required to be taught in all 50 states. (the other 3 core disciplines are math, social studies and language arts (reading and writing))

Recently, I attending a lecture on the state of education my state (Indiana) and the country in general. The lecture was given at a small college full of bright eyed, rebellious students who were studying to go in the profession because "they want to make a difference in the world".

By the time the speaker finished, I think about half the students were seriously considering seeing their advisors the next morning.

Mr. Alfie Kohn (www.alfiekohn.org) is what some call a "liberal loudmouth"; he has the audacity to think students can learn, if teachers are allowed to "facilitate learning" (I'll explain the different between facilitating and teaching in a sec). He actually goes around the country talking about what's wrong with the No Child Left Behind initiative and how, its doing exactly what its supposed to do.... separate the poor and disadvantaged from the rich and privileged. Mr. Kohn got me thinking about how "educated" I am...and how well "educated" my children are becoming and whether I am "teaching" or "facilitating learning" children in my classroom.

Teaching is what most teachers do. Most of us over the age of 35 remember how it was back in the day...you go into a classroom, the teacher stands at the front of the room and lectures us for 55 minutes, gives us homework that may or may not have something to do with what they just babbled on about, we do the homework (incorrectly), get it graded, STILL don't know the material and eventually take a test that requires us to remember stuff s/he said....weeks ago.

Facilitating learning is what teachers SHOULD be doing. The kids go into the classroom, the teachers introduces the subject for the day/week, explains what exactly is going to be LEARNED, inquires of the students what they may or maynot know about the subject and then the teacher provides the materials needed for the student to LEARN the material. There may or maynot be homework, there is lots of discussion, lots of hands on investigation and maybe, a project that takes the kids out of the classroom.

I am, just so you know, somewhere in between the two models. I hate giving homework, mainly because I hate grading homework, because the homework is always done incorrectly, if at all...

I love doing

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