Richard DuFour IN PRAISE OF AMERICAN EDUCATORS—And How They Can Become Even Better
Early in my first principalship, I had the opportunity to attend a Professional Learning Community (PLC) conference with administrative colleagues not once but twice. The featured speakers were Dr. Richard DuFour and his wife Rebecca DuFour. I remember clearly they held us all captivated. Their delivery conveyed genuine warmth, relatable humor, and a powerful conviction of what our schools could be if educators change our traditional teaching practices to improve learning for both the teachers and the students we served.
Almost ten years later, I selected Dr. DuFour’s last book, In Praise of American Educators And How They Can Become Better, nine months into a worldwide pandemic that is highly impacting students, families, and educators everywhere. As educators, we are encountering a pivot point. We are coming to realize our school systems will never be the same as we navigate teaching and learning through a digital screen.
A new normal is emerging and balancing needed innovation with familiar systems is incredibly exciting and totally exhausting for a principal. Guiltily I went to DuFour’s book looking for a bit of comfort and familiarity and found critical reminders no matter the instructional setting.
In the first part of the book, DuFour defends the American educator, “I am frustrated that members of the profession I love are receiving none of the recognition they deserved for what they are accomplishing in the face of incredibly challenging conditions” (p. 2). Happily, during the world-wide disruption, that mindset is changing.
A new respect is emerging for the intricacies of a complicated profession. Now more than any other time in our nation’s history, we have parents and families experiencing what it feels like to be a teacher. They are now responsible for having their child log into their virtual learning platform, participate in live sessions with their teacher, and completing and submitting assignments digitally. It is not an easy task but in partnership teachers, parents, and families are navigating the disruption and pursuing learning in a way that works for their child while away from school. It is truly inspiring despite the multiple hurdles.
As a champion for educators, DuFour reminds the reader in the second part of his book, despite the many obstacles and accusations with federal and state policies and mandates, faulty assumptions, and world-wide comparisons, educators have used their experiences for innovation and forward momentum. “While our current generation of teachers is getting the best results in the history of our nation, these results are not good enough...To achieve the goal of high levels of learning for all students, we must drastically reculture and restructure how schools have traditionally functioned” (p.98).
Now more than five years after his book was published DuFour’s five truths for educators in my opinion still hold conviction today during a pandemic. Developing the collective expertise of educators, improving, changing, and adopting instructional practices, being an active member of a collaborative team, and engaging in collecting evidence of student learning are critical components of school systems no matter the unprecedented setting.
As we close out 2020, we are indeed drastically restructuring how our schools are functioning including how we are supporting students learning. I am wondering aloud how DuFour’s would respond to the unprecedented experience educators are now immersed in. I am positive his warmth of delivery, belief mindset of educators, and conviction of five truths would be just as loud and clear.
