Freedom to Teach

Trust teachers. Respect the value of relationship: between teachers and administrators, among collaborating colleagues, between parents, students, teachers, and the entire school community. Honor the learning that happens inside and outside of books: in social emotional development, in experiential learning, in collaborative efforts and community service learning, and in student-driven endeavors. Freedom to teach means removal of the shackles of standardized test scores. While progress monitoring and goal setting is essential, making results a threat only creates a toxic relationship with academic performance. Freedom to Teach is a reminder that we don't teach curricula, we teach students. We guide them in a discovery of learning; we remember that they are part of a rapidly developing new way of living, learning, and working; and we support them and each other with flexible, engaging, highly rigorous coursework that capitalizes on strengths and reinforces areas of weakness.

To share ideas without the fear of being censored; I want to know that everyone in the classroom is teaching one another; it's not a solo job.

I teach in a small school and often have multiple classes in my classroom simultaneously. I have found that it is much easier to group the math topics, and then individualize as needed based on the levels in the class. I also try to use projects that hit multiple learning targets at once.

I can now take time to teach students more about their own history, some life skills and get them ready to go to college academically , psychologically and emotionally.

To not be bound by law/government and those who hold back our profession with their power.

That you are able to teach what you see fit with your curriculum. That you can be creative and innovative with your students and faculty. That you can collaborate with other subjects to create something awesome and involve a lot of different students doing it. To involve students to become the teachers to other students. Freedom to teach has so many meaning to me and our school. It has allowed us to THRIVE with our students,faculty and each other.