Does Standardization Inhibit Innovation and Creativity?? (from October 18th)

So today, while on the school bus back from a XC meet, I read an article by Susan Lytle about the intersections of professionalism and praxis that seem to miss the realm of teaching...at least from the perspective of misdirected folk.  She highlighted her experience reading about the work of a medical doctor.  How do doctors get better?  She posits that doctors work within their roles (i.e. do research) to best assess procedures and practices that could be better.  They are reflective, they make mistakes, and they teach each other.  Based on what seems to be constant reflection, she shows that teacher research is much like the work doctors do in order to be better.

After reading this article, I thought about my experience in a public school and teaching in alignment with the state's standard course of study.  Too often, I heard from colleagues (either in that state or elsewhere with standardized curricula) that they "had to teach to the test" or that they had no agency in what they taught because it [the books, novels, and poems in my case] did not resonate with them personally.  I'll admit that this wasn't a sentiment that escaped me.  My first year teaching British Literature felt like torture.  How could I effectively transmit the themes of The Canturybury Tales or Beowulf when I had no real interest in the language or the imagery the authors used?  It wasn't until the second time around (and a few failed lessons under my belt) that I realized the problem wasn't the texts.  Yes, too often my kids were only exposed to works by "dead, White, Protestant men," but I did have the authority (and the obligation I feel) to widen this perspective.

So, as I mesh Lytle's message on being better through teacher research (on of my goals for this project), I also think a shift in POV about what we teach is important.  This year, because I'm at The School, I have much more flexibility than I've ever had, but there are still standards, still classics that I must incorporate.  Does standardization inhibit innovation and creativity??

I don't think so.

Signing off..