August 13, 2009
H., in her commments below, mentions the Haberman-coined term of “strong insensitives” in regards to those teachers who have remained in the profession by disassociating themselves from any responsibility for their performance. In a previous comment my long-time friend and inspiration, Hope, does a lovely job of painting a vivid picture of who these people are. I bet you can name at least one in your building right now.
Take a wander through this related elucidating 2004 article while I make scrambled eggs for my kids– I think it will serve as a fascinating bridge between the last post and the next. Later this evening I’ll be responding to comments and putting up post #2.
August 14th, 2009 at 5:00 am
Hi,
I briefly read the summary.
It seems that discipline problems get in the way of teaching and are responsible for burnout.
What should be done about it ?
Alfie Kohn talks about – Beyond Discipline , moving from compliance to community
Should discipline be the responsibility of the parents , principals so that teachers are free to teach ?
Allan
August 15th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
@Allan: Relying on others to handle discipline issues is the surest path to burnout (or termination). One quality that distinguishes teachers with strong classroom management is their ability to prevent discipline problems through engaging, creative lessons and a well-planned system of classroom signals and responses.
Thanks for the Haberman article; I had not read that one in some time. I always read it and wonder what he means when he writes that urban schools need a “non-European American culture.” He never does explain that.
Sometimes I think that I was just blessed. I look back over my own public education, and I feel fortunate that I had many veteran teachers who were not burned out (in my rural high school).