This journal takes its name from the fact that our readership is primarily derived from the faculty and staff of independent, college-preparatory day and boarding schools from across the country. These schools are "independent" because each is a stand-alone entity unaffiliated with large school districts and, for the most part, religious organizations. But there is another sense in which our name is appropriate; teachers at these schools enjoy a freedom to teach what and how they choose that is unheard of in most public and parochial schools. The autonomy given to the teachers of these schools is one of the main reasons we continue to teach.
The independent school teachers I know are given great latitude in choosing the curriculum they use and in selecting the teaching methods with which they are most comfortable. Instead of being weighed down with uninspired and uninspiring curricula and forced to teach to irrelevant standardized tests, independent school educators are strongly encouraged and supported in their efforts to create and refine their own teaching materials. Interdisciplinary projects, innovative uses of technology, even self-authored textbooks are becoming common in independent schools these days. It is through their imaginative approaches to education that teachers are able to realize their full intellectual potential.
Much is expected of a teacher to whom much latitude is given. Ordinary, uninspired teaching is not allowed. New teachers and some veterans are looking for ways to make their classrooms more exciting. That is where Independent Teacher comes in. Independent Teacher is a vehicle by which new and experienced teachers can share ideas, ask questions, and discuss all aspects of education. Perhaps, after borrowing a good idea discovered in Independent Teacher, some teachers will be emboldened to create a new teaching unit, design a new elective, or write about their own experiences.
What's in a name? Shakespeare didn't think there was much but we do. Independent Teacher is exactly who we are and exactly how we do our jobs.
This issue features essays that run a wide gamut. Education consultant extraordinaire, Grant Wiggins, and I discuss grading and assessment; Bart Thornton tells us one way his school combats plagiarism; math teacher Kevin Merges discusses his project joining art and fractals; Brian Donnell talks about the downside of band contests; and Barry Kritzberg presents the Chicago History Workshop.
Happy reading.
S. I.