Uncertainty
14 years ago
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Thoughts about Pedro Noguera
I was very fortunate to be able to hear Pedro Noguera speak. As I sat there listening to him, many thoughts came to my mind....everything he said was so profound...so real.....and very obvious. I was in a room full of administrators of all levels within the district. As he spoke of why students are not succeeding, I heard many of them agreeing. Why shouldn't they? Everything he said about our [educators] lack of will is true. In my seat, I begain to squirm....frustrated....my stomach begain to turn.....I became very uneasy....and I wanted to stand up and scream- "If you all agree with him...why the heck are things still being done the same way in many of your schools?!?!?!?" My esteemed colleague calmed me down....she could see me about to raise my hand.....I wanted to open Pandora's box.....but thought better...and sat quietly.......
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you should have said something. you are far too skilled at diplomacy, there was surely a way to make your point while only ruffling a few feathers. i'm sorry i was unable to hear the speaker, it sounds interesting. if we don't rock the boat a bit, we can't count on change happening. i'm not talking about turning the boat over completely or running up against a rock, but letting people know the ride isn't as smooth as they think is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteDr. Noguera was indeed impressive. His information was not new-interestingly enough he alluded to Vygotsky and the zone of proximal development and many other ideas and concepts we promote in our professional learning experiences. What resonated with me was his emphasis on the importance of culture and how he made the connections to real students. How culture is viewed speaks directly to a person's attitude and I think that's what was frustrating as the audience validated his points with "amen" and "that's right." He didn't say it but he implied that how you view culture is a matter of the heart. And when the heart is affected, that's where true reform takes place. I wonder what happened to the young man from Atlanta?
ReplyDeleteIt is like the analogy of exercise and eating right. We ALL know how to do it and how it benefits our life, mood, and energy level. We ALL know that results are not immediate, that it takes time, and in the long run, our hard work will pay off. We have heard and agreed to this since we were introduced to the food pyramid in elementary school. It's not the lack of knowledge, it is the lack of will. How many of us know all of this, but we don't do it? This is the same with educators. Until educators adjust their mindset and comfort zone, nothing changes. BTW: I did work out today! :)
ReplyDeleteI saw you from across the room, holding your tongue, struggling with your internal discomfort :-) And you probably should have spoken like Dan said. For me though, I’ve gotten tired of hearing the same things…it’s like we’re in this rocking chair, swaying back and forth, but these complaints get us nowhere. We know there is something wrong with the system and it’s frustrating. A daunting task to overhaul everything and expect things to improve overnight but the comforting thing is that small changes are happening. If only everybody would do their part.
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