Observing is an easy task to perform. It is very easy to watch and evaluate and assess. Easy, that is, until you’re observing you! Why is it so easy to sit and watch and constructively criticize others, but when it comes to ourselves, we instantly uncomfortable. It’s always harder to look through the looking glass when the focus is on yourself, but that’s one of the first steps in becoming attentive to what we are unable or unwilling to see. When thinking about legislation, especially legislation that affects teaching and education, the first act that comes to mind is No Child Left Behind (NCLB). There is not a teacher, administrator, or even pre-teacher in the country who does not know what NCLB is or how it affects them as teachers and their students. However, even though this teachers may or may not agree with this bill, they almost always seem to be “unwilling to see” possible ways for change or at least ways to work within the guidelines and restrictions to better the education that all students receive. It is just so much easier when it comes to a situation where you disagree and feel pressured to just sit back and not allow yourself to see possible answers.
I found it very interesting speaking to teachers in my building about NCLB and to see their responses to it. While all of them complained, few of them had any thoughts on how to address the issues, and instead just sat back and said "who am I to change anything? What can I possibly do?" I found this so frustrating as a soon-to-be teacher and disheartening. How sad that these teachers who are out there teaching students on a daily basis feel like they can do nothing to change the conditions that they are stuck teaching in. What are they teaching the students? That they shouldn't try to push through difficult situation? That when you're placed in a trying situation and are extremely frustrated by something, that you should just sit back and put your hands up and say "There's nothing I can do!"?
I sometimes forget that I need to think in other ways to really assess my teaching and to see if my students will be able to pass set state standards. I know that that’s important and that I really do need to be developing ways to evaluate and assess my students. However, we as teachers and educators in general will never be able to change the things about education that we don’t like if we’re are not first willing to open our eyes to assess ourselves and education, and at least put up some kind of fight!