Wagner+video

I think Tony assumes that teachers are busy doing what we've always done. He assumes that we do not take the time to educate our youth in the "Seven Survival Skills." He assumes that we ultimately teach to the test. He assumes we do not collaborate. I agree with the seven skills he asserts that need to be mastered in order to survive the 21st century. I, of course, particularly agree that the current generation are very poor communicators both orally and in writing. I also agree that to truly engage students you must approach them on a mutual level and not from an authoritative level. I agree that teachers today need to become more of a mentor, coach, and facilitator. Finally, I agree that we should hold ourselves accountable to what matters most -- the number of students who graduate, the number of students who go on to post-secondary, etc. I would argue his assessment that a science class reminded him of a home economics class. Obviously, Tony has not been in a family and consumer sciences class in quite some time. I would argue that collaboration is a necessary cornerstone for doing work in new ways. I think most teachers collaborate a lot. Some collaborate over lessons, some collaborate over students (or rather commissurate), some collaborate vertically -- establishing a cohesion for students that go from ninth through the twelfth. Our English department was exceptional in this regard the first five years of the last decade. Other reforms took presidence and in recent years this collaboration have fallen by the wayside. I want to aspire to be the person who students can count on for assistance in attaining the skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century. I want all my students to graduate. I want all my students to complete some form of post-secondary training. I want all my students to be responsible citizens. I want all my students to have an opinion backed up with solid evidence. I want all my students to know how to read and comprehend what they read. I want all my students to write, enjoy writing, and write properly even on the internet. I want my students to create--something. I want my students to be respectful. I want my students to strive to be the best they can be. I want my students to challenge each other and learn from each other. I want to aspire to be the person who aids the students in accomplishing all these things.