"Vivez, si vous me croyez, N'attendez a demain, Cuellez des aujourd'hui les roses de la vie." Ronsard


Monday, June 14, 2010

"The Business of Freedom" Interview with Mr. Andrew Smith

Question: How do schools really change?

Answer:
"My vision is a school climate that finds teachers in constant collaboration with colleagues and students to create rigorous, relative, learning opportunities, and achievement is obvious. I would like to create an environment where everyone is safe. They are safe to try new things,safe to be wrong and not be ridiculed or looked down upon for it, and environment in which everyone is learning and the desire to learn and investigate new things is increased daily. The only thing that I would add to define effective change would be; all teachers are on board with the vision and the vision is sustained and promoted by all stakeholders. Be prepared for and expect change, be willing to change. No one wants to visit a doctor who is still practicing the way he or she did fifty years ago. The same is true of teachers and education no one wants to learn the same way that their parents and grandparents learned. We must be willing to change our practices to match our clientele."