Tonight is parent night at our school. It’s a chance for us to meet with our parents, show tem around the school, and talk to them about our program. "Alternative high school" is a label drenched in assumption — some accurate, others not so accurate — and tonight we get to address some of them. But anticipating tonight makes me wonder about this blog and whether or not it can/should be a tool for parents. I wonder if it is a good thing that I am reflecting in such a public space.
In theory, such a public reflection serves to make my teaching and my pedagogy more transparent — although maybe uncomfortable for me and for parents and possibly students at times. But is uncomfortable necessarily wrong? Maybe sometimes it is easier and more desirable to keep secrets, or at least to keep some things private.
Maybe not. I am curious to know how other teachers balance their public blogs and their private teaching moments. What middle ground, if any, exists? Is it smart to "publish" concerns that I have in a space where I am identifiable? If I am worried about parents, shouldn’t I, too, be worried about administrative response to this space? Teachers have doubts and frustrations, just like everybody else. Shouldn’t we be talking about them?
Obviously, personal information about students is a no-no for this space — but what about general examples for the purposes of illustrating or attempting to better understand my work?
This could very quickly become crippling. #
Bud,
Frustration is something everyone deals with, and unforunately, is not an easy thing to release, especially into a publicly viewable medium. Although, it is public, and as an American, you stand under the first ammendment of free speech, and this is written off school time; comments that could come from students, parents, and administrators are just that, comments, as long as you stick with not mentioning names.
And, being uncomfortable is portrayed and felt as being wrong because of the certain society most of us live in, but it’s just another form of adjustment to something new, or a change.
The fact of secrets and privacy, though, are on personal basis and personal opinion, and goes hand in hand with the idea of being uncomfortable. Your comfort level to share a secret, or something private may differ from someone elses comfort level. Just like something I say could be beyond someone elses comfort level.
The problems that are being brought forth are ones of opinion and personal levels of the ideas. My suggestion is to go with the flow, see how you feel, and go on the feedback.