#1 - Student Dress Code

People say that it makes school safer, but I highly doubt it. If a kid is going to bring a weapon to school, they'll find a way.  (Even in prison, people find ways to get weapons through.) Whether they store it in a car, in a shoe, or, mostl likely, in a back pack, a determined kid will find a way. 

I think the answer to stopping school violence is better teachers who create an atmosphere of respect rather than fear.  As long as we live in a culture of fear, people will choose violence as an option.  Kids who are scared lash out in violence.  Where does the fear come from?  Bullying.  Every case of school shootings have involved kids who were bullied.  The only answer to stopping bullying is making school a safe place, where kids feel respected.  Otherwise, you'll see more examples of Columbine.

#2 - Teacher Dress Code

I wear a shirt and tie to school, because I like dressing up.  It makes me feel more grown up. Yet, on casual days, there is no difference.  If I wear jeans and a t-shirt, kids are still respectful.  I don't buy into the theory that a professional dress code means kids behave better.  The answer is better classroom management techniques.

#3 - Objectives on the Board

At our school, we have to post the objectives on the board as part of a "Blackboard Configuration." To me, this is a waste of board space and a bad example of micromanaging.  Kids could care less about the objectives.  Good instructional techniques should allow students to know what they are learning and why they learn it without needing to see educational jargon on the board. 

#4 - Submitting Lesson Plans

I keep detailed lesson plans, because I love to write and I am long-winded.  Yet, some of the greatest teachers I have had used a poor sketch of an outline.  Some didn't even write lesson plans.  They had it memorized and they were adept at thinking on their feet.  For them, the spare time they saved on lesson planning meant more time to grade papers, which is arguably just as important. 

#5 - Standardized test scores

Standardized tests don't assess much actual knowledge.  They can't assess creativity, higher-level thinking and most importantly wisdom.  The truth is that they are a throw-back to a turn-of-the-century factory model of education.  Using them only serves to make McGraw Hill rich.

#6 - Professional Development Meetings

I have yet to meet a teacher who, when I ask them where they improved as a teacher, they say, "Showing up to a weekly staff meeting."  It seems that, no matter what school it is in any part of the country, they are boring.

 

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