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Monday, May 8, 2006
Clayton Teachers Don’t Want a Script
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This story by Heather Vogell talks about Clayton’s need to stop teacher flight. The district is creating a “blue ribbon committee” to look at discipline, which some teachers say is out of control.
But other teachers told Heather they’re fed up with Direct Instruction, a commercial curriculum that tells teachers exactly what to say and do in each lesson. To learn more about Direct Instruction, go here and here. This program is used around the country in schools and districts where test scores are low.
Some teachers like the structure. A principal once told me she was glad she had a program similar to Direct Instruction in her school, because if test scores kept falling she wouldn’t be blamed. She and her teachers were following the commercial program’s script.
But for teachers with a lot of experience, the script can make them feel like a robot. They want more control over how they teach. They want flexibility to do what they think is best for their students.
Teachers, parents, do you have experience with Direct Instruction or another scripted program? Do you love it or hate it? Should teachers cooperate with a structured program and give it a chance? Or are such programs an insult to the teaching profession?
