Anyone who practices one profession for many years undoubtedly sees plenty of changes in that profession over the course of a long career. New research, improved equipment, updated methods, revised goals, new concepts, better educated and trained personnel all contribute to progress in field after field. Many of the innumerable modifications, improvements, and "reforms" in education over the last few decades have been discussed ad nauseam in the press, on TV, by politicians, and parents almost nonstop. But, from my vantage point as a classroom teacher, the most important, the most substantial, the most radical change, the most far-reaching change, at least in math education, is rarely mentioned. This monumental advance is the idea that learning is actually a cooperative activity between teachers and students.
When I started teaching, decades ago, it was common for teachers to lecture, if not all period, at least most of it. The prevailing attitude then was that information flowed from the teacher to the student, that teachers were thoroughly versed in their subject and their job was to pass on that knowledge to their students. Students did, of course, speak up occasionally; they asked questions, made comments, but class was teacher-centered and dominated. As a result, the classroom was often a dull place with one person talking and all the others scrambling to take complete notes that they would learn (i.e. memorize) later on. The students, in this scenario, were quite passive, engendering the boredom that is usually associated with passivity. This method worked just fine for highly motivated students, but not so well for the majority.
These days, most of the teachers I know think of learning as a collaborative process, one in which students and teachers pool their knowledge, curiosity, interest, and enthusiasm, with the goal that everyone will learn more. Teachers and students take turns explaining problems and concepts, answering questions, suggesting group projects, and discussing curriculum. For these teachers and students, classrooms are high-energy arenas in which question begets question, individual topics veer into similar (or not) ideas, multiple solution methods are offered and critiqued, and connections between apparently unrelated concepts are made. This high level give and take seems to feed on itself, drawing students out, and leading to deeper understanding by many more students. Needless to say, a collaborative classroom is a far more interesting and enjoyable classroom to be in.
Having taught in both kinds of classrooms, I know which one I prefer. The student-teacher partnership method of learning is more demanding, often messier, but far more compelling and satisfying for all involved. This special issue, "Listening to Our Students," is our biggest and surely one of the best in Independent Teacher's nearly 10 years of publishing. The topic, inspired by a comment by NAIS's President Pat Bassett, has certainly struck a chord with our readers and contributors. The essays in this issue run the gamut of topics from a high school geology course, to teaching To Kill A Mockingbird, to students across the country publishing a literary magazine. Something for everyone to inspire your future teaching!