The Truth.

The truth?

You can't handle the truth!

I am sure the visions of the courtroom scene between a young Tom Cruise and the ageless Jack Nicholson reverberate through your mind - as they do mine.

However, this time it is public education on trial. The truth is tough to handle. You don't have what it takes to be an educator - period. I believe that this needs to be the new mindset of the education reform grassroots movement.

The time has come to lift the level of the teacher profession to a new status. Stop telling people that you can teach, stop promoting career change programs into education. I mean, I want to be a doctor - where is the teachers to doctors program? If this is not an acceptable practice, then why do we assume that if you can't do anything else... you should teach.

Our new mantra must be... You do not have what is takes to be an educator.

We need to be recruiting new, young talent into the ranks (how we do that is another discussion) of education right from the start. Stop funneling those who do not want to "do" their career or could not choose a major in college into our classrooms. We are doing damage to the system that is beyond repair.

The truth hurts. We need to be having tough conversations with potential candidates and (unfortunately) those already in the classroom and telling them - you do not have what it takes to be an educator.

To close - check out Taylor Mali's "What Teachers Make".

Disclaimer:
I understand that their are some career changers that are the most solid teachers in our student's classrooms. But, this post is for poopy teachers - no matter how you got there. However, society's belief is that teaching is easy and that anyone can do it... and this could not be farther from the truth.

More to come...

Mike Meechin, M.Ed.
mike.meechin@gmail.com
twitter.com/innovateed

Giving Thanks.

I am thankful for family (a new baby in the next few days), thankful for opportunities, thankful for good health as well. But, for the sake of this post I want to focus on this...

I am thankful to be an educator.

The past two months have been some of the busiest of my life. I finished grad school (again) and my wife and I are expecting our first baby shortly. But, when I have some down time I have been keeping up with reading the work of so many passionate about public education in this country.

I also have been thinking about what to say for the Blogging for Real Reform challenge. And... I already realized that is what I have been blogging about for the past year. It makes me feel great to know that there are grassroots educators out there fighting the good fight.

I hope that you will read through some of my posts and see what I have to offer to the discussion.

I also encourage you to read the work of other educators that I am thankful for:

• Chris Lehmann
• David Warlick

These are the guys that inspire me to write and continue to fight for what is best for my students - always. I am so thankful for their wisdom and musings. Whatever you think that you can do for this movement - do it. Write, read, blog, debate, discuss, teach, serve, just do it.

I am thankful to be an educator.

More to come...

Mike Meechin, M.Ed.

mike.meechin@gmail.com

twitter.com/innovateed

For more information about Mike Meechin and Innovate Education, LLC. professional development please visit:www.innovateedu.org.

Priorities.

A month and a half. That is how long it has been since I last wrote.

I have had a lot on the plate with a myriad of professional developments, a baby on the way, and the homestretch of graduate school. And with the close of Education Nation timed with my last blog post - I have had lots on my mind.

I read a lot. Blog posts that is. My Google Reader is slammed packed each and every day with the passionate musings of those in the edublogosphere. I just have not had time to empty my brain.

Over the past few months it seems as though the debate about education reform has heated up. I disagree, I just believe that it has been brought to the mainstream as of late. Whether in my grad classes, talking to colleagues, or surfing the Web... I have had many discussions centered around what needs to change in schools NOW.

The answer is simple. The educator.

The public educational system in the United States needs to "clean house". I do not care about the tenure debate. The fact of the matter is that across this country right now there are educators in front of students that do not belong. In fact I will say that they are doing more harm than they do good... period.

No matter what reforms we discuss, no matter what programs we implement, no matter how great our edtech ideas are... these educators will never have a handle on one of the toughest professions there is. I do not care what your passion is with regard to education - this must become our priority. This must become our national priority.

Without this "clean house" approach - nothing else matters.

This is what I have been thinking about. I would also beckon all others with a voice to call for the same. Take a break from your other blogging topics and speak on this.

This is "our" priority.

More to come (soon)...

Mike Meechin, M.Ed.
mike.meechin@gmail.com
twitter.com/innovateed

For more information about Mike Meechin and Innovate Education, LLC. professional development please visit:www.innovateedu.org.


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