Mark Sass's blog

Teachers, Know Thine Impact

By Mark Sass

3/26/13
The great divide in education reform today, in my view, exists between those who believe that teachers have the greatest influence on student achievement and those who believe that outside influences drive academic achievement. I believe both. I realize that my impact in the classroom as a teacher should be my first and foremost focus, but to simply say that “teachers matter” is to trivialize the role that teachers play in education. My purpose is to narrow the impact of teachers down to a more exacting statement: “The mindset of teachers matter.”
3.2
Your rating: None Average: 3.2 (5 votes)

Wanted: A "Society of Experts" to Implement the Common Core

By Mark Sass

1/29/13

Stuck
in a professional rut

My new favorite cartoon that deals with
education: A man sits atop a camel and has turned to his family of three who
are sitting atop a camel that follows. The man says, “Stop asking me when we’re
going to get there. We’re nomads for crying out loud!” 

I use this cartoon when I communicate with
colleagues about the fact that we are in a profession that needs to constantly
find time to look to innovate and try new ideas, while continuing to improve on
what we already know and do.

0
Your rating: None

A Professional in the True Sense of the Word

By Mark Sass

12/15/12

Has the profession of education become trivial—is it minor and irrelevant? I have made it my personal mission to elevate the profession of teaching but lately I wonder if I am on a fool’s errand.  Let’s look at the evidence.

This past summer I was at one the many wonderful fairs where locals showed off crafts and foods. There too were the local organizations like the NAACP, Boys Clubs, and other neighborhood organizations. Interspersed within these groups was a teacher training organization looking for prospective teacher interns. What does this tell us about our profession when we troll for
potential members at local fairs versus local colleges?

0
Your rating: None

What Went Wrong With NCLB

By Mark Sass

12/9/12

Originally posted on EdNews Colorado: http://www.ednewscolorado.org/2012/12/09/53536-voices-what-went-wrong-with-nclb

Sir Ken Robinson, the internationally known education thinker, says
that the problem with taking things for granted in education is that we
do not realize that we take them for granted – because we take
them for granted. We took something for granted and never questioned its
impact a decade or so ago.

0
Your rating: None

Go Ahead. Survey My Students.

By Mark Sass

10/30/12

I have never been a fan of student surveys of their teachers. I always looked at the surveys as a way for teens to complain about their teachers. My assumption was that students always wanted the easy way out, that if pushed to challenge themselves, students would resist--and use surveys to blame me, the teacher. I figured students wanted “caring” teachers (read: nice adults who let students do what they want).

Much of this belief was based on the old-school theory that my job is to teach and the student’s job is to learn. If we were to give students the opportunity to express their displeasure at having to work hard at their "job," what would it prove?

4.5
Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

Constructive Conversations, or How to Make Sound (or Even Sensible) Decisions About School Reform

By Mark Sass

9/19/12

This school year I have a .6 release to work in my district as we implement standards-based grading (SBG). I teach from 7:15 to 9:00 a.m., do a short stint with hall duty, conduct any necessary phone calls home, make copies, finish up lesson plans, and score assignments. By 10:30 a.m., I am usually on my way to my school district’s headquarters. For the rest of my day, I am facilitating the district’s move to SBG. The experience has been very enlightening and a great challenge.

Moving from interacting with fourteen year olds to interacting with adults can make one’s head hurt at times. (Sometimes the fourteen year olds make more sense than the adults.)

0
Your rating: None

What Would Plato Say About Ed Reform?

By Mark Sass

9/17/12

This piece was originally published at EdNews Colorado.

I have had the honor of being a teacher fellow at the Aspen Institute
for the past year, with another year left in my fellowship. The teacher
leader fellows met once in February, and we have been attending the
general Aspen Seminar throughout this summer.

0
Your rating: None

Do Unions Benefit Education?

By Mark Sass

8/19/12

This piece was originally published on EdNews Colorado.

I’ve been on strike twice in my life, both times when I was a truck mechanic and a member of the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers. Each time I hit the picket lines, I knew what we were fighting for – wages and working conditions.

0
Your rating: None
Syndicate content