At a critical and exhausting point last school year an educator that I appreciate and respect very much pulled me out of the classroom while I was in the middle of a lesson and told me very frankly and honestly that I was, to him, a clear example of a true master teacher. I was a bit shocked that this individual would pull me from class to tell me this news and I was also appreciative of his words and opinion of my teaching. For some time I marinated on this newly-anointed title and I even began to look at other classrooms through the lens of superiority in which that teacher and those kids were not at the same level as what was happening in my classroom. The title of master teacher was initially welcomed by me but became a source of constant reflection and internal tension for me and I came to believe that the term master teacher is a misconception and a status that must be fully redefined or simply eliminated from the teaching vernacular all together.
Our profession's general definition of a master teacher can be roughly summed up as someone who has the ability to effect students, their colleagues, the community and the profession on both a personal and systematic level. Typically the title is only bestowed upon educators who have put in years of time and energy and has somehow come to a point in their profession where they seem to be immune to systematic changed and the occasional critical observation. This is not a definition that is often connected to instructional or professional expertise but just time given to the profession and because of that I believe that the true definition of a master teacher is an individual that internalizes the reality that teaching is messy and that it is a craft that cannot ever be perfected and therefore has stopped trying to achieve the title knowing that there is no such thing as a master teacher.
Over the last two years my AP Human Geography class was featured in The Atlantic, Chalkbeat Colorado, I was visited by representatives from Colorado College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was part of a week-long case study by the College Board that focused on effective AP instruction in high-poverty schools. I was part of a film that highlighted how teachers can make AP work for all students and was interviewed by state and district level experts in order to explain what it takes to be an effective educator for all kids regardless of their background. I mention these accolades only to frame the fact that, through all of this work and all of the recognition, not one of my AP students passed last year's AP Human Geography Exam. I could hide these facts but I think that, after months of reflection, the only reason that I believe I am a master teacher now and not when someone told me I was such is because I have surrendered to the idea that any of these accomplishments mean anything whatsoever and that my true mastery of the teaching profession came when I realized that though other people may see excellence I knew that I will never ever get this teaching thing totally correct and that a master teacher does not stop at some nirvanic destination but instead they simple commit to constantly learning, reflecting and desiring to be better for kids each and every day.
On the day that I was interviewed by The Atlantic my lesson fell apart because the instructions and rigor were not where they needed to be. On the day that Harvard and Colorado College came into my class it just so happened that the students that I was struggling with were on a field trip and that I did not have to manage a class through those broken relationships. On the same afternoon that I was interviewed by the College Board I had to take a step out of my classroom because I was so frustrated by my student's performance and engagement that I knew I ran the risk of saying something I didn't mean. This is the reality of teaching. It is messy, it is complex and it changes each and every day. Often it is assumed that a master teacher has their classroom dialed each and every day but the true master teacher commits to being better for kids and reflecting on their craft. This mindset of reflection, vulnerability and the willingness to admit that it is never perfect is what makes a teacher great, not the ability to manage a classroom, write engaging curriculum or even systematize their way to success on standardized tests. A master teacher is one that realized there is no such thing and begins to operate more effectively and passionately in that freedom.
Once a teacher determines that true mastery is not a static state but an endless pursuit they can operate in a manner that allows for innovation, encourages student generated curriculum and projects and allows for rich discussions that dig into what makes teaching both beautiful and impossible.
Today was a tough day at work and like many hard days I ended my work by sending text messages to the teachers that I have the privilege of working with. One amazing teacher explained to me that "I was not my best self today but I appreciate having you in my corner." To which I responded "I was not my best self either; thank God for tomorrow." I love working in the presence of other masters.
Our profession's general definition of a master teacher can be roughly summed up as someone who has the ability to effect students, their colleagues, the community and the profession on both a personal and systematic level. Typically the title is only bestowed upon educators who have put in years of time and energy and has somehow come to a point in their profession where they seem to be immune to systematic changed and the occasional critical observation. This is not a definition that is often connected to instructional or professional expertise but just time given to the profession and because of that I believe that the true definition of a master teacher is an individual that internalizes the reality that teaching is messy and that it is a craft that cannot ever be perfected and therefore has stopped trying to achieve the title knowing that there is no such thing as a master teacher.
Over the last two years my AP Human Geography class was featured in The Atlantic, Chalkbeat Colorado, I was visited by representatives from Colorado College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was part of a week-long case study by the College Board that focused on effective AP instruction in high-poverty schools. I was part of a film that highlighted how teachers can make AP work for all students and was interviewed by state and district level experts in order to explain what it takes to be an effective educator for all kids regardless of their background. I mention these accolades only to frame the fact that, through all of this work and all of the recognition, not one of my AP students passed last year's AP Human Geography Exam. I could hide these facts but I think that, after months of reflection, the only reason that I believe I am a master teacher now and not when someone told me I was such is because I have surrendered to the idea that any of these accomplishments mean anything whatsoever and that my true mastery of the teaching profession came when I realized that though other people may see excellence I knew that I will never ever get this teaching thing totally correct and that a master teacher does not stop at some nirvanic destination but instead they simple commit to constantly learning, reflecting and desiring to be better for kids each and every day.
On the day that I was interviewed by The Atlantic my lesson fell apart because the instructions and rigor were not where they needed to be. On the day that Harvard and Colorado College came into my class it just so happened that the students that I was struggling with were on a field trip and that I did not have to manage a class through those broken relationships. On the same afternoon that I was interviewed by the College Board I had to take a step out of my classroom because I was so frustrated by my student's performance and engagement that I knew I ran the risk of saying something I didn't mean. This is the reality of teaching. It is messy, it is complex and it changes each and every day. Often it is assumed that a master teacher has their classroom dialed each and every day but the true master teacher commits to being better for kids and reflecting on their craft. This mindset of reflection, vulnerability and the willingness to admit that it is never perfect is what makes a teacher great, not the ability to manage a classroom, write engaging curriculum or even systematize their way to success on standardized tests. A master teacher is one that realized there is no such thing and begins to operate more effectively and passionately in that freedom.
Once a teacher determines that true mastery is not a static state but an endless pursuit they can operate in a manner that allows for innovation, encourages student generated curriculum and projects and allows for rich discussions that dig into what makes teaching both beautiful and impossible.
Today was a tough day at work and like many hard days I ended my work by sending text messages to the teachers that I have the privilege of working with. One amazing teacher explained to me that "I was not my best self today but I appreciate having you in my corner." To which I responded "I was not my best self either; thank God for tomorrow." I love working in the presence of other masters.
Comments
Post a Comment