all of them<\/em> \u2013 said they were fun to read. Both male and female students read a hefty helping of comic books. Kids regularly trickled in during lunch to pick up the latest trade they were reading. This teacher successfully incorporated comics into his everyday teaching practice. Kids were engaged during silent reading, throughout the lesson, and even at home. The comics helped transition reluctant readers toward standard-fare novels.<\/p>\nNo one paid this teacher to develop a comic book framework for his classroom. He didn\u2019t go to buy a manual showing him how to use comics in a standards-aligned classroom. Instead, he found an instructional strategy (clearly one he was already passionate about), and figured out how to best engage and personalize the learning experiences for his students. From the overwhelming anecdotal evidence I received from his students over the two months I spent in his class, it was clearly an effective model. This is the teacher that should have penned a book about utilizing comics. He should be leading professional development sessions for our school and our district.<\/p>\n
I single this teacher out in this instance to illustrate that there are similar skills represented by all<\/em> of our teachers. Think about the sheer amount of expertise that is being disregarded within our schools. Sharing such work at annual conferences and in journals isn\u2019t going to be enough (even though I participate in both mediums): frankly, I suspect it\u2019s the same select cadre of teachers from schools circling within these pools. The vast majority of the teachers \u2013 at my school at least \u2013 are not going to conferences or reading journals (it\u2019s the work for the perceived \u201cteacher leaders\u201d: department chairs, coaches, and \u2018those loudmouths that speak up in faculty meetings\u2019<\/em>).<\/p>\nIf we want to get things right it\u2019s going to take a larger shift in how teachers are perceived.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s going to have to start with how we perceive ourselves.<\/p>\n
I haven\u2019t looked at \u2013 let alone read \u2013 Comics in Your Curriculum<\/em>. I can\u2019t vouch for whether it is any good. However, reading the interview, I question why this book came into existence without the consultation of (let alone being authored by)\u00a0 teachers. I didn’t intend to pick on this title in particular, it acts as more of an exemplar of what I am arguing against. As a group of disenfranchised professionals, there isn\u2019t any reason why we shouldn\u2019t be developing these kinds of plans and manuals alongside our students. Why are we letting publishers and textbook tycoons dictate our careers for us? I\u2019m all for having guests come in and aid and collaborate in the classroom. However, it\u2019s time to shift how curriculum is manufactured, interpreted, and consumed. It\u2019s time to make sure teachers are a part of this process every step of the way.<\/p>\n
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