I am new to the forum, so forgive me if this has been discussed elsewhere.

I am a fourth year English teacher who entered the teaching profession in my late twenties. I was VERY fortunate to work for a school that emphasized technology and real life problem solving for the past three years. This year, our school district decided we needed to revisit the "traditional" design idea instead of the innovation to which I was accustomed. Also, we are transitioning to the common core curriculum. In the past, we were not in traditional "departments" but instead were in grade level teams that worked around the needs of common students. I embraced this wholeheartedly because, as an English teacher, it always made sense to relate the materials I taught to the things that were happening in the other classrooms.

My question is this: Should I abandon everything I know to work from evidence in my classroom? Should I go "traditional" when it doesn't fit me or the demands of the curriculum the state and the nation are rolling out? Or, should I use the approaches I know students connect with and understand? When I use innovation, my students learn and are excited to do the work. When I do lessons that are modeled from the other teachers, I get low student engagement and minimal results.

Many of the more "seasoned" teachers have shown a firm dislike for my "different" approach (read: not just reading a story and doing the questions at the end of the passage). They are making my work more difficult because of pettiness. I have begun to feel as though I will not be "right" until I stand and lecture every day, like the veteran teachers do. Are there any other English teachers out there that use PBL and innovation in your classroom, even in the face of the naysayers?

Traditional ways are traditional because we think they work in someway. And, yes, sometimes, they work. But we must be opened to the new tools. We cant pretend that the world is the same.

I think we must continue using ways or methods from the past, but we must mix it with new technologies. The key is the innovation, new things call the attention. Every time I do something new, I really call the attention of my students. And I have took the decision to do new things, and until now, I have had great results. Of course, good results dont come next day immediately.

But I tell you. Be careful. We cannot go against the policies of the school, but, that doesnt mean we will stop innovating.

Julian VM

http://elteacherjulian.blogspot.com

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I learn then I teach