There's a group of teachers who are mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore. They're calling themselves B.A.T. (Badass Association of Teachers). Here's their war cry, er, mission statement:
This is for every teacher who refuses to be blamed for the failure of our society to erase poverty and inequality, and refuses to accept assessments, tests and evaluations imposed by those who have contempt for real teaching and learning.
I love this movement. I've always been "one of those" teachers. You know the ones. Always asking "why" during departmental meetings when you are supposed to just sit there and passively accept the completely unfounded statements as gospel. Always refusing to chant the latest meaningless mantra (e.g. "we want to produce competent, caring, and effective teachers") if it's not accompanied by proof of concept, present infrastructure, and actual support. Always making choices that are best for the student even if (1) you are alone in doing so, (2) it is made almost impossible by current school policy & procedure, and (3) it makes you a target to administration. Yeah, you know the type. Perhaps you're one of us.
This graphic was going around Facebook recently and it made me laugh.
As you have probably deduced from today's blog title, I really loved the "great" collection, particularly Hellbender. In fact, I believe I will request all my students refer to me as Dr. Hellbender from now on.
Opposition to overuse and mis-use of standardized testing is another characteristic of a badass teacher. I really love this description from a fellow hellbender blogger, Coach Brown:
Young Padawan, this too shall pass. For over five score yarens the mission of public education has been re-interpreted by those that wear bad suits and answer to the mighty ballot. We will end the cycle that is NCLB, and we will move to something else, and to something else, and to something else, and the circle will never end. To excel in teaching you must make sure that you use your skills, follow your feelings, and actually teach what is in the students' best interest to know. If you look into The Eye, the horrible Eye of standardized instruction, you will only go mad with its never-ending adjustment and it's promises that at the end of the new curriculum rainbow is eternal life, 99 virgins, and all the delicious cabernet that you can drink. No. Stay the course, my friend. Teach, and know that your stability, ingenuity, and educational integrity will reign supreme in the eyes of the most important; those that are being taught!
Indeed, my hellbender comrades, stay the course. Teach and know. As always, I'd love to hear from you.
The Solver Blog
Author: Dr. Diana S. Perdue