The school district in which I have been observing no longer wants their
teachers to be dependent on teachers’ guides or teachers’ manuals. The
administration is discouraging teachers from using these reference
materials.
Administration is considering eliminating text books and, as a
result, teachers are being
encouraged to search out on their own material in order to find all of the worksheets
and materials needed for their lessons.
Administration appears to believe that this approach would benefit
students more than the present reliance on teacher manuals. My biggest concern about
this approach is for myself and ultimately for my students… when I begin my
student teaching will I be able to
find good material for my students? Will I be sure that what I am finding is
actually beneficial to my students?
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I would find such material and how I would
know that the material I find to help teach my lessons would be educational and
beneficial to the children? Does
anyone else work in a setting in which teachers are discouraged from using manuals
or teachers’ guides? At
the same time, do you think that the teachers that you are observing rely on
the teacher’s guides that go with the student textbooks? Explain.
I look forward to hearing your responses.
