Pedagogy. The word no teacher will ever be able to escape. New teachers are overwhelmed by it, and veteran teachers want nothing to do with it. But yet, it define who we are as educators. Pedagogy tries to pin down the best and most effective way that we implement our knowledge in the classroom. It defines why we are in the classroom. It makes or breaks us before we even step foot in the classroom, yet it will always have a disconnect from what we do in the classroom for it is impossible to define good teaching. There is not a scientific aspect to it. There is not a one size fits all approach to it. Every class is different, every student, every lesson and every teacher. When we try and stress a specific pedagogy then we fail to recognize this aspect of teaching that brings us pain or laughs, suffering or elation, defeat or success. We fail to humanize the art of teaching.

Art. When I think art I think of many different styles and forms. Painting, graphic design, photography, music, dance. Each one of these genres have many subgenres. It allows for creativity and flow. It allows one to be able to adapt to their surrounding and interpret it in a meaningful manner. Teaching is an art, yet we have learned to kill the creativity in it.

We teach to common assessments, with common books and common assignments. We teach to common pedagogy and rules and methods and rows and books and heads. Empty heads. Empty heads that need are knowledge. Because we know what is best. Clearly it says that on my certification. We teach to the failures and the overachievers. To the A and the F (sometimes we forget about the F to focus on the A). Everyday becomes the same. Every classroom becomes the same. Every test, every assignment, every piece of knowledge. And every student. Art has died. Creativity has been replaced with a test. Artistry has been replaced by memorization. Humans have been replaced by students. Teachers by lecturers. And then we wonder why so many doodle, and pass notes, and sleep. At least in sleep we can dream. 

Well, I want to be creative. Provide meaningful experiences that teach us how to engage in the subject. Bring the subject alive to allow for creative thinking and collective responsibility. But until then, be quiet and take the notes.

This week my school is in the midst of the annual education marathon known as standardized testing. The CST (California Standards Test) are a larger part of STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) in an effort to measure student achievement. One test is given each day (each with 2 parts) in the subjects of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Science. 

Go to any school in the nation during standardized testing days and you’ll not only notice a difference, but you can feel it. Everybody is a little on edge. Students are stressed, teachers are stressed, and administrators are stressed. Students feel the pressure to do well or they simply do not care about the exam. There is no middle ground. Teachers frantically figure out how to adjust their actual learning plans to meet the nonsensical schedules. How does one possibly teach two classes on the same page when one class receives half the time of instruction in a week. 

And for what? We lose teaching time and it drives everybody absolutely insane, so why do we take these tests? 

Results! Taxpayers and politicians want to be assured that dollars are not being wasted. Politicians think in numbers. Unfortunately, most of the rest of us do not. Health care is not something that can be measured. The social welfare programs is not something that can be measured. Freedom and democracy for those abroad is not something that can be measured. So why must we measure education?

Do you really want to know the results? Because the results have gotten us nowhere! The results have shown that there is a increase in number of students dropping out, the achievement gap continues to grow, and the United States cannot compete on a global level. Meanwhile, teachers are losing jobs, art and music programs are being cut, and class sizes continue to increase. 

In the meantime, we will continue to cut our programs while teaching a generation how to memorize and regurgitate without ever requiring them to critically think or work cooperatively. 

So bring on the tests cause the loss in instructional time is clearly worth it.