No More Teachers, No More Schools?

Covid-19. School closures. Lockdown. No-one is immune from trying to navigate these unprecedented events. What’s the future of learning?

We must remember that putting solutions in place, as a matter of urgency, can easily create further problems in the future.

In the wake of global online learning for school students, here are two critical questions that school-based educators should ask themselves:

1. What is education?
2. What is my philosophy of education?

The answers to these two questions won’t necessarily be directly correlated with agreed-upon solutions to urgent problems. The answers will, however, potentially have implications for teachers when these challenging times pass.

The concept of self-directed learning is a good example.

In its broadest meaning, self-directed learning describes a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes. (Knowles, 1975, p. 18)

Schools have been advocating self-directed learning for over a decade. It fits perfectly with 1-1 computer technology, online learning, schools in the cloud, and learning communities. These approaches have a powerful underlying theme in common, and its proponents advocate effectively for it: the relinquishment of the central role of teachers.

Short-term, self-directed and online learning might well benefit our children during this global crisis. But it might also be the catalyst for demonstrating how little our children genuinely need their teachers.

Perhaps one more question needs to be added.

During lockdown, how will you fulfil your workplace contract?

Will you commit to:  

·      face-to-face teaching time 

·      non-teaching hours

·      your full 38-hour week

·      your full 38-hour week plus overtime?

Or will your Principal reserve the right to place you on annual leave?

What is your philosophy of education? If it’s all about self-directed and online learning, be careful what you wish for.

I’ll work with you to customise a professional development experience that will accelerate outcomes, reduce unnecessary spending and improve work-life balance for you and your team.  Click here to learn more or contact me at cheryl@cheryllacey.com