A new blogger called bottlecap on this site called ‘Insert Witty Title Here’ has written an interesting post about the experience so far at induction. It seems that TFA is going heavy with the ‘ice breakers’ and getting people in touch with their feelings. Already, new CMs are starting to get a little nervous about whether TFA really knows how to make the best use of the short induction and training.
I’ll be interested in reading this blog throughout the summer to learn how much of training is based on these kinds of exercises. Perhaps it is just an induction thing, but I doubt it.
As ‘data driven’ as TFA is supposed to be, have they ever done any experiments to see if this is truly the most effective way to produce competent teachers. With 9 institutes, they could easily create a control group, let’s say Houston, where they try to get practical on the first day and don’t waste time with trying to get in touch with your inner-child (who might just be a racist).
I hope my endorsement of this blog doesn’t get this bright and brave blogger in any trouble. I think she is not complaining, but just ‘reflecting’ the way TFA wants people to. She also is clear that there are people who are getting really into this amateur psychology team-building thing.
test
I remember this stuff from Institute back in 2001. I think the point is to get CMs – most of whom are from middle or upper-middle class backgrounds – to think about poverty. The questions about feelings are intended to assess whether the CMs understand how poverty or lack thereof impacts expectations and outcomes.
Given the general institute environment and the lack of economic diversity in the Corps, I think these exercises are likely to make poverty seem exotic and alien, not make CMs more able to think critically about class and its relationship to their practice. Indeed, all the talk about how it makes you feel might nullify its impact – if you feel badly about your privileges, then your heart is in the right place. But this just feeds a sense that the two years in TFA are a CM’s chance to “save” the poor or “give back”. The mentality is itself classist and not likely to challenge your own privileges and their impact on your practice.
At the time, I remember thinking that race and linguistic diversity were being conflated into poverty and not being sure if that was by design (TFA believes class is the major driver of inequity in education) or by omission (TFA doesn’t not feel it could facilitate discussions about race).
It’s a tricky issue, and good evidence why a five week training period is not enough. Preservice teachers who will teach in high-needs schools do need to understand that race, class, and privilege impact their practice, but the ability to reflect constructively on the issue requires being able to survive in a classroom. If the CMs had been teaching already – say, by doing a residency program – these icebreakers would be more fruitful and critical.