Through thirteen years of public school (Kindergarten through 12th grade), four years of college for an undergraduate degree, several years of working toward (and obtaining) a Master's degree, four courses granting me a certificate to teach gifted students, countless professional development courses, and twenty-eight years of teaching beside hundreds of other teachers I have seen just about every type of teacher there could possibly be. Each one of them taught me something, and I think the most important lesson I learned is how to get along with many different types of people and how to do things many different ways. I had teachers who taught through lectures, discussions, outlines, notes, small group work, whole-class instruction, one-on-one instruction, and hands-on activities. Some of them had classrooms with tables and some with desks. We sat in rows, in small groups, at tables of two or three or four, and in large circles. Some teachers were approachable and some were not. Some teachers cracked jokes and some did not. I learned from every one of them.
There is a movement afoot to create what I call "cookie cutter teachers". We are all supposed to teach the same lesson on the same day in the same way with our rooms set up in small groups. Each lesson must have a "productive group work" component and all "whole group instruction" is seen as an example of poor teaching. Please don't misunderstand - I don't think working in small groups is always bad. I just don't think it is the be-all-and-end-all of teaching methods. Nor do I think it is the best method for all teachers or for all students. I know teachers who use it successfully. I also know teachers for whom it is not an effective tool.
My contention is that teachers should not all be the same. If we all teach exactly the same way, how will children learn to adapt and get along in a variety of situations with many different kinds of people?
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