Twelve Myths of Teaching

As I read the 12 myths of teaching in Ayers I found myself nodding at some, and wiping my brow in relief at others. Some of these I have seen myself working in my own kid's classrooms, or have learned from being a parent, but it is always reassuring to see it from someone else as well.

• Myth 1 - Good classroom management is an essential step toward becoming a teacher- This was a "whew" for me. One of the examples he used was the "don't smile until Christmas" philosophy. That is so totally not me. I have seen teachers at both ends of the spectrum. I have enjoyed them both, and so have the kids. I think it is important for kids to have many different styles of teaching. While I don't think my own style will be as chaotic as one teacher I know at the far end of the chaotic spectrum, I am not going to be the most rigid and organized I have ever come across either. I like organization, but I also think learning should be fun, and that the classroom should be comfortable for the kids.
• Myth 2 - Teachers learn to teach in colleges of education- I think you learn every day how to be a teacher, and you started when you were a baby. You absorb parts of every teacher you have ever had, from your parents to your college professors. I think my own children may have been my greatest teachers in this path I have chosen. I have had to learn many different ways to teach each of them every day. None of them learn the same way I do, or the same way as each other. I joke that as soon as I figure out how to teach them something, they change all the rules and I have to learn a new way.
• Myth 3-Good Teachers are always fun- This was another whew for me. I am a little too serious of a person to always be fun. I do think learning should be fun, but I am by no means a stand up comic.
• Myth 4- Good Teachers always know the materials- Another whew. While I consider myself a well educated, intelligent person, I,in no way, think I know everything. I had images of myself cramming the night before a lesson, like when I was in college the night before exams. One thing that I have learned from a teacher I am working with this year is that it is ok to admit you are wrong and you make mistakes in class. She was working a math problem on the overhead, and got to the end and realized it didn't match the answer in the book. One of her kids pointed out she had multiplied something wrong earlier on. She laughed it off, said she sure did, thanks for catching it, and this was a good reason why everyone needs to double check their work. I have a tendency to get defensive and embarrassed when I make mistakes, and I am too much of a perfectionist to handle mistakes I make well. Watching her handle this really gave me some thing to strive for when I make mistakes.
• Myth 5- Good Teachers begin with the curriculum they are given and find clever ways to enhance it- This is one that I thought was true. I am not sure I am ready to give up on this one. I will have to ponder this one some more, and watch the teachers I work with to see how I feel about it. My gut tells me that it is true, but so far I have agreed with his myths. hmmm....
• Myth 6- Teachers are good performers - Another whew. I am a pretty shy person most of the time, and don't see myself as a center stage person, so reading this made me feel better about the future in the classroom.
• Myth 7- Good Teachers treat all students alike- This is one I found myself nodding as I read it. I have four kids, and I entered into parenthood thinking I would treat my children equally. I found that each has different needs at different times, and that it is okay to spend extra time with one while they need it. In the long run, it is more important that they all feel loved.
• Myth 8- Students today are different from ever before - I agreed with his arguement on this one too. While each decade may bring changes in focus of education, or new challenges in environmental impacts, children are children.
• Myth 9- Good Teaching can be measured by how well students do on tests- I know that this one is false. Many kids do poorly on tests because of nerves, or time or language or attention constraints. Unfortunately, we are a very test centered society. There is alot of emphasis on tests and their scores. As a future teacher it is something I need to come to grips with.
• Myth 10- A Good teacher knows what is going on in the classroom - While a teacher may know some of the things that are going on in their classroom, no one is able to see, hear, or know everything. That is an impossibility. As Ayers said, even when a teacher thinks she knows what happened, there may be 30 interpretations of what happened. The best you can do is try to keep your eyes, ears and mind open at all times.
• Myth 11-All Children are above average -I admit this one has me a bit baffled when I read his explanation. I immediately thought, well of course not- the definition of average is some above and some below. His arguement about there being no such thing as an"ideal third grader" hasn't really sunk in fully to me either. I need to ponder this one some more as well.
• Myth 12- Kids today are worse than ever before - This is another myth I found myself nodding over as well. I loved his quote from Socrates. " The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect for adults, and love to talk rather than work or exercise. They no longer rise when adults enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter in front of company, gobble down food at the table, and intimidate their teachers." The fact that it was written 2,400 years ago shows that the more things change, the more they stay the same.