Running head: MOVING PAST EFFECTIVENESS: BECOMING AN INNOVATIVE

TEACHER. 1

Moving Past Effectiveness, Becoming an Innovative Teacher

Christine McCormick

The University of Central Florida

Abstract
MOVING PAST EFFECTIVENESS: BECOMING AN INNOVATIVE TEACHER. 2

Every year that I teach I find that it becomes more difficult. Not because the content or the

curriculum of my subject area has changed, but because the techniques are constantly evolving

into new ideas. I have always stressed to my students the importance of working smarter not

harder. Simple ideologies such as how I teach content, or how I know that a student has shown

gains through learning continues to change. Evidence that was once acceptable now needs to be

echoed in the classroom in multiple different ways. Being an effective teacher means that I

demonstrate and apply the content and learning to help my students succeed. Moreover, being an

innovative teacher requires a very open mindset and swift use of flexibility and change. This

mindset is similar to the challenges faced by a Massachusetts school. In my paper I will identify

the challenges and obstacles they faced, and how they have related to my professional

experience.

Moving Past Effectiveness: Becoming an Innovative Teacher

MOVING PAST EFFECTIVENESS: BECOMING AN INNOVATIVE TEACHER. 3

Webster’s dictionary defines a teacher as “one that teaches; especially : one whose

occupation is to instruct.” (Merriam-Webster, 2018) By today’s definition, a teacher is

everything from an adaptable educator to a substitute parent and psychologist. With our ever

changing and evolving technological world, strategies that once worked for teaching students, as

well as measuring their successful comprehension, are no longer acceptable. The field of

education continues to change, meaning that teachers must be able to adapt if they are going to

remain highly effective.

Teachers need to constantly reinvent themselves to be more versatile. They need to

frequently evaluate what content they are teaching, the strategies they are using to teach it, and

how they can understand or document that students are learning. In Massachusetts, Brockton

High School was experiencing a tumultuous transition when new assessment techniques were

introduced. “In 1998, Massachusetts introduced the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment

System (MCAS), which was a high stakes exam...when the results of the first MACS were

released, Brockton High was ranked as one of the lowest performing schools in the

Commonwealth [of Massachusetts].” (Blankstein & Noguera, 2015, p.32) They decided that it

was time to reevaluate the way they taught information to their students which presented them

with a variety of challenges. The first was how to capture that a student has fully learned

something. Evaluating learning is one of the most critical functions of an educator.

Demonstration of mastery can no longer be evaluated with the thumbs up or down system. To

overcome this, Brockton had to come to the realization that they did not have “any school wide

standards.” (p.34) In my personal experience, I have found that regardless of what subject area is

being addressed, it is important to use subject area standards exams to provide data. Providing a

pre-test to identify what a student knows or does not know, then teaching the subject around the
MOVING PAST EFFECTIVENESS: BECOMING AN INNOVATIVE TEACHER. 4

standards and providing a similar exam to show growth is imperative. Data is black and white: it

can show growth, represent mastery, or help inform administrators what needs to be improved

on.

Another challenge Brockton faced was “what [did their] students need to know and be

able to do in order to be successful...[moving forward] (p.34) Sometimes, it is challenging to

plan for the future. Not only do test questions change as well as context levels increase, but

today’s students are under unprecedented social pressures that distract them from learning. As an

educator, this is where high-level thinking comes into play. For example, my five year old

always asks how long until we arrive on car rides. My response is never just a simple answer.

Teachers should always present information in a way that makes a student think. They must also

differentiate instruction so that students with multiple learning styles have the potential to be

successful.

Teachers at Brockton High also experienced what all schools face: that they were “not

likely to get any additional staffing or resources.” (p.34) The faculty was challenged to use what

resources they already had more effectively. In my experience, I constantly prioritize my time to

effectively teach a variety of learners with different needs without additional resources. Simply

put, it falls on the individual teacher. I have always been encouraged to be an active member in

the school’s Professional Learning Community (PLC). Through community learning, ideas are

bounced off one another, collaboration takes place, and innovative methods are formed together

that could not be formed alone. Successful professional learning communities make part of their

learning the study of a variety of change processes.” (Easton, 2015, p.26) It is imperative that

with the limited time we have with our students, teachers take the time to create engaging, focus

driven lessons. In my experience, the time to create these lessons is found outside of the
MOVING PAST EFFECTIVENESS: BECOMING AN INNOVATIVE TEACHER. 5

classroom. As I continue my career, my goal will always be to enrich the lives of students and

families for years to come. My students’ academic and personal growth is what is most

important; because of this mindset I value the content being taught and how I teach it.

After the faculty of Brockton understood that there are circumstances in students’ lives

that they can “control and ... can’t control.” ((Blankstein & Noguera, 2015, p.34) they were better

able to influence student learning both inside and outside the classroom. Students’ lives do not

stop because the deadline was missed or an assignment was not turned in. The faculty of

Brockton had to realize that “the 7 hours a day...students [had with them, need to be] the best.”

(p.34). In the span of a students’ day, seven hours does not give students ample time to advance

in their learning. This is especially true considering that those seven hours are broken up into

forty-five minute classroom increments. Students are expected to learn an abundance of material

in a short amount of time; what is often not considered is that students’ lives extend beyond the

walls of the classroom. To gain students trust, and use the little time I have with them more

effectively, I focus on building relationships in my classroom. In doing so, I work to find a

personal connection with each of my students. My goal in building these relationships is to make

sure my students’ know they are not alone, and to create a level of intrinsic motivation pushing

them to reach their full potential. Creating an atmosphere of positive energy and reassurance to

students can return in positive success or attempted achievement in the classroom.

Conclusion

In the span of one’s career, every teacher could potentially face similar experiences as did

Brockton High School. While these unfortunate circumstances are difficult, it is a truth teachers

and administration have to face on a daily basis. Like the faculty of Brockton, teachers work
MOVING PAST EFFECTIVENESS: BECOMING AN INNOVATIVE TEACHER. 6

daily to find new methods to present content, and incorporate complex content into short class

periods. The pressure to plan innovative, engaging lessons can cause anyone to experience an

immense amount of stress. The reality is, measures can be taken to broaden the way we teach

and address content. Effective teachers can identify how a student can grow, an innovative will

stop at nothing to make sure that becomes possible. As I work daily through these difficult

realities, I hope to be impacting my students’ future for the better.

References

Teacher. (2018). Retrieved September 02, 2018, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/

dictionary/teacher
MOVING PAST EFFECTIVENESS: BECOMING AN INNOVATIVE TEACHER. 7

Blankstein, A. M., & Noguera, P. (2015). Excellence through equity: Five principles of
courageous leadership to guide achievement for every student. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.

Easton, L. B. (Dec2015). The 5 Habits of Effective PLCs. Vol. 36(Issue 6), 24-34.
Retrieved from https://learningforward.org/docs/default-source/jsd-december-2015/the-5
-habits-of-effective-plcs.pdf