20% actual content, 80% frustration
I attended my first faculty meeting yesterday. The principal decided to present to us on the Pareto Principal. It is the 80/20 rule. The way she wanted us to apply it is that teachers should be doing 20% of the “teaching” while students used collaborative techniques for the other 80%.
This was not a new concept for me. I have heard about this principal with regards to customers, sales, and engineering. While it was not put quite this way in my education classes, the idea was the same, that students who direct their own learning are more engaged in their own learning. Being told that I should allow the students to direct their own learning wasn’t news to me, it was simply reminding me of the pedagogy I learned in my credential program.
It is a fantastic theory, most teachers would love to teach that way. However, I would surmise that 20% of teachers being able to allow students to direct their learning would be a generous number. I believe that is the 80% who teach to the test that are kept in our current system.
I believe that due to current class inclusion requirements that most teachers spend 80% of their time teaching to 20% of their students.
I believe because of class sizes, 20% of students are not noticed by 80% of their teachers.
I believe that due to state standards and teaching to the test, 80% of the students are only learning 20% of the content.
I believe that a lack of adequate salaries and support means that 80% of the teachers who received their credential in 2010 will have moved to the private sector by 2016.
I believe that due to a lack of educational tools such as computers in the classroom, smart boards, tablets and software only 20% of our graduating students will be qualified for 80% of the jobs in the US.
I believe that 80% of the population would like to see our schools improved, but less than 20% of the population is willing to pay the higher taxes it will require.
I also believe that a 20% increase in educational spending would result in positive changes for 80% of students.
I have only been teaching for a few months, but I think the Pareto principal is all too easy to apply. I will agree that 20% of my teaching strategy needs to be addressed, but not until 80% of the problems I have to deal with every day have been resolved is that going to happen. Until then, I know that I spend 80% of my time working on paperwork and filing and only 20% of my time actually teaching students. I know good pedagogy, but pedagogy isn’t my job. My job is to try and teach the best I can with the tools I have, in spite of the restrictions placed upon me. If you want better for your children, your community and your country, then help me do something about it.
Until that happens, I will try and make sure that at least 20% of my classroom time is spend on student directed learning. I think I can manage that and still make sure that 80% of them perform well on the tests they are required to take. Will that be sufficient?
This was not a new concept for me. I have heard about this principal with regards to customers, sales, and engineering. While it was not put quite this way in my education classes, the idea was the same, that students who direct their own learning are more engaged in their own learning. Being told that I should allow the students to direct their own learning wasn’t news to me, it was simply reminding me of the pedagogy I learned in my credential program.
It is a fantastic theory, most teachers would love to teach that way. However, I would surmise that 20% of teachers being able to allow students to direct their learning would be a generous number. I believe that is the 80% who teach to the test that are kept in our current system.
I believe that due to current class inclusion requirements that most teachers spend 80% of their time teaching to 20% of their students.
I believe because of class sizes, 20% of students are not noticed by 80% of their teachers.
I believe that due to state standards and teaching to the test, 80% of the students are only learning 20% of the content.
I believe that a lack of adequate salaries and support means that 80% of the teachers who received their credential in 2010 will have moved to the private sector by 2016.
I believe that due to a lack of educational tools such as computers in the classroom, smart boards, tablets and software only 20% of our graduating students will be qualified for 80% of the jobs in the US.
I believe that 80% of the population would like to see our schools improved, but less than 20% of the population is willing to pay the higher taxes it will require.
I also believe that a 20% increase in educational spending would result in positive changes for 80% of students.
I have only been teaching for a few months, but I think the Pareto principal is all too easy to apply. I will agree that 20% of my teaching strategy needs to be addressed, but not until 80% of the problems I have to deal with every day have been resolved is that going to happen. Until then, I know that I spend 80% of my time working on paperwork and filing and only 20% of my time actually teaching students. I know good pedagogy, but pedagogy isn’t my job. My job is to try and teach the best I can with the tools I have, in spite of the restrictions placed upon me. If you want better for your children, your community and your country, then help me do something about it.
Until that happens, I will try and make sure that at least 20% of my classroom time is spend on student directed learning. I think I can manage that and still make sure that 80% of them perform well on the tests they are required to take. Will that be sufficient?