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Investing
in the power of teachers
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Project
#11 May 1996
Summary
This project was conceived as a way to aid teachers in developing a more responsive teaching approach by viewing and orchestrating the classroom as an ecology of complex connections and patterns. It eventually focused upon the efforts of three teachers involved with an innovative high school program. Beginning in Fall 1994 and continuing until June 1995, several teachers gathered to discuss, reflect and write about their experiences as they taught grade nine students in an alternative high school environment. In attempting to understand what was transpiring among teachers in the program, I gathered materials from the teachers which they had prepared for dissemination among themselves and the school. Such materials concerned the objectives and intent of the program, evaluation practices, and program guidelines. While teachers provided some reflective writings it was through conversation that most reflection occurred. Several themes relating to teaching as an ecology were implemented in the grade nine program. Teachers attempted to create low threat but high challenge learning situations, use thematic instruction, engage students in more experiential less abstracted learning situations, elicit more community involvement, not subordinate learners' initiatives to that of others, and focus on more cooperative, less competitive activities. One major activity, Stranger in a Strange Land, centered on the immigrant experience. Teachers provided an opportunity for students to explore and link subject area concepts (for example, English, mathematics, social studies, health and art) by exploring what it would be like to be an immigrant in Canada. Students researched their own "roots" by creating a time line and doing a family tree. They chose the country, and then researched and planned for a family coming to their city from another country . Research into the country helped students gain an understanding of immigrants' origins. Students interacted with guest speakers who originated from other countries, created map and other informational materials, and accessed materials from the city's main library. As one of the teachers commented:
One of the more frustrating and complicating realities for teachers during their attempts to teach and develop the grade nine program in an ecological manner was the tension felt between the demands of the larger, more traditional school setting surrounding the grade nine program and the grade nine students and their program. This "school within a school" situation produced conflicts in regards to teacher time tabling and assignments. Feelings of isolation were evident at times among the grade nine teachers. At times they felt they had been allowed to begin a program which required significant changes in objectives, time tabling and staffing, but were not being supported by other staff. Their solidarity with each other allowed them to deal with this perceived lack, and they continued in their attempts at program innovation. Students benefited from the grade nine program in several ways. Teachers and students had opportunities to become very familiar with each other; teachers developed a good understanding of each student's needs and issues; and there was less opportunity for students with difficulties to be overlooked in the daily rush of school. Perhaps the single most important feature arising from this research is the teachers' understanding of the importance of their common preparation time and place. With such access to each other, teachers were more able to jointly respond to each other, to students and to program needs. Teachers' ability to share power, responsibility and decision-making relied heavily upon this opportunity for frequent communication and joint action. Through such meetings, teachers better understood the tendencies of each other. This helped in developing an ecology of innovation, caring, and shared responsibility. The trust and openness which developed allowed teachers to seek help from one another on personal and professional levels. Teachers became a team in a deep and meaningful way, despite their different concerns and understandings of the grade nine program. As the following comments indicate, the sharing of each other's time, energy and caring was very important to the teachers.
Looking back, I think teachers developing the grade nine program would have benefited from several extended planning sessions beyond their regular daily meetings and the extra time they spent after school hours on preparation. While teachers consulted with each other regularly, they seemed to lack time to consolidate and more thoroughly understand what was going on with their program. The need for such time was evident in our research meetings. These meetings were intended as opportunities for teachers' reflection on their personal and professional situations, but often they became the opportunity to explore program-related issues which moved beyond the teachers' purely personal situations. Teachers felt a strong need to address wider ranging program issues. If this research project was to be attempted again or continued, I believe several changes in approach might enhance the experience for those involved in an effort like the grade nine program, as well as promoting the research endeavor. The use of student writings and observations about their experience as students in the program might serve teachers well in considering their own practice and program involvement. Such writings or information do not have to be specifically concerned with the teacher, but might be focused on a students' class experience in general. This alternate perspective might provide teachers with a fuller, richer assortment of information which they might consider while making alterations in their practice and program. In addition, information from staff not directly implementing the program might also prove useful. This more distanced view might allow program teachers another frame of reference with which to examine their efforts. It might also draw other staff members into a fuller awareness and consideration of alternative programs and alleviate some of the difficulty of the "school within a school". Teachers must be encouraged, by each other and other supporting groups, to pursue research activities. This support must come not only in the form of words, but in the form of authentic opportunities supported with time and resources. Teachers must build confidence that research conducted by them will be of benefit for their students and their schools as well for themselves. Part of this confidence-building occurs when research projects provide teachers with opportunities for research. The "Teaching Ecologically" project was initially conceived as a way to aid teachers in developing a more responsive teaching approach by viewing and orchestrating the classroom as an ecology of complex cultural and linguistic connections and patterns. The project's objectives were to provide teachers with the opportunity for collaboration which would (1) support the development of reflective-practitioner abilities, (2) support teacher exploration of their culturally embedded patterns of thought and behaviour in relation to their classrooms, (3) help develop more responsive or ecological learning-teaching situations, and (4) make teachers' personal practical knowledge available to other educators. Involved in this research were several teachers and an outside researcher. Beginning in Fall 1994 and continuing until June 1995, several teachers gathered to discuss, reflect and write about their experiences as they taught grade nine students in an alternative high school environment. As the group examined issues pertaining to the development of the program, several themes and tensions became evident. These emerged from personal and group attempts to negotiate a more responsive or ecologically aligned teaching-learning situation. The program is midway into its second year, and so the story of the program and those involved with it continues to emerge. This report relates some of the stories of this experience in teaching in a more ecologically aligned manner, with teachers engaged in clarifying their personal practical knowledge, as they experienced the theory-practice tension emerging from their involvement in the grade nine program. It must be noted that any description, whether in science or literature, is inherently an interpretation and therefore is some blend of objective and subjective understanding. So it remains for readers to form their understanding from what follows, realizing that they are creating their own interpretation of an interpretation. It is hoped the following writings will help the reader to gain a better understanding of the teaching-learning process. Education is an important feature and function of patterns of learning and enculturation. It has a central place in propagating either more or less healthy patterns of thought, emotion and action. Teachers are responsible for a large part of the processes of education and its resulting patterns. Educators such as Bowers and Flinders suggest a predominant belief concerning teachers that understands teachers as transmitters of culture, wherein teachers' practice reflects their patterns of involvement with the world. For Bowers and Flinders, educators have a responsibility to encourage a mental ecology (beliefs, values, and analogs of social practice) that will not exacerbate growing world-wide ecological and social crises. Like them, I believe it is important for teachers to reflect and act upon such ideas which affect both teaching practice and theory. The original thematic concern or problématique of this research project focused on helping teachers develop more sensitive and responsive ways of teaching in pluralistic situations containing politically and ethnically related choices. I use the terms politically and ethnically in a wide sense referring to the values we hold and act upon whether in a private or professional context. Such choices might be seen in the selection of content or perhaps preferred ways of communicating or in types of interactions with the students. For this research, this meant an initial focus on the individual teacher's practice. However, as teachers' concerns emerged, this focus became less resolved and gave way to a broader less specific view (exploration) of three teachers' involvement in a new grade nine program. While not an evaluation project, this research was open to reflecting upon the ecology of the program. The research came to include investigation of the tensions that existed within the program, between it and other school contexts, and what ideas and actions of the teachers were to the grade nine program and in relation to each other. The research project, while initially intended to operate with individual teachers within a traditional teaching context, merged with the unique texture and flavor of the practical situation of the grade nine program, resulting in a research direction different than originally planned. With this development, I was left to seek out the direction the teachers wished to go as a group, both in terms of the grade nine program and the research project. I hoped teachers would remain open to examining their ideas and actions in the context of the grade nine program, and that I could accommodate their efforts to explore the aspects of the practice they chose. So it was that teachers focused on investigating the larger dynamics of their practice in terms of the grade nine program while I attempted to interpret their actions in terms of the grade nine program as an ecology of interactive connections and patterns. Such alteration in the research path is not unexpected and the negotiating of this path is meaningful in several ways. A following section will detail the evolution of the research. During this exploration, the original objectives of the research project were maintained as teachers had the opportunity to examine their ideas through meetings, discussion and writing. While written accounts were gathered frequently, more often rich and lively conversations among participants allowed for personal expression, questioning and reflection. Teachers struggled with gaining a clear understanding of what change meant both in the context of teaching in more ecologically aligned ways and with educational change in general. From these conversations and teacher actions several themes and tensions emerged. The following vignettes of the teachers involved in the research are presented for the reader to develop a richer appreciation of interactions and connections in the research project. All teachers demonstrated a high level of concern for their students and each other. The negotiations regarding their different philosophical and practical positions during the program in which they were involved, is an important feature of this research, as is the need for developing better ecologies of teaching and learning. Stacey Stacey is an experienced science teacher who moved to Saskatchewan from Ontario. For the last four years, Stacey has been teaching biology, chemistry and junior sciences and enjoying the experience. By admission, Stacey is conservative and is wary of change for changes' sake. While not avoiding change, Stacey often questions the need for and utility of proposed changes to the status quo. Stacey believes students are generally having fun in school, doing interesting things, and for the most part, engaging in meaningful activity while in school. Stacey attributes much of this to the opportunity the area of science provides for students to do activities. Despite differences between each teacher's beliefs about the grade nine program, Stacey, like the other teachers, has a great deal of respect for each colleague. Like Sandy, Stacey agrees with the need for students to develop responsibility, respect and caring, but unlike Sandy, Stacey firmly believes schools have little impact in this area with the main responsibility for such things arising in the home. Kim, in appreciative tones, describes Stacey as being the "firm one" and "the disciplinarian." Stacey has assumed this role though it is clearly one that is not enjoyed, but seen as necessary. Stacey is married and has two step-children. Kim Kim has been teaching various grade levels of math at the high school for several years before teaching the grade nine integrated program. Kim is married with young children, and like Sandy, has many family commitments. Kim has a deep need to make mathematics relevant and meaningful for students and looks for opportunities to develop materials and activities in this regard. Students like Kim for at least one reason, among many others; Kim is very patient with students. Kim is open to student requests and will attempt to negotiate rather than dictate. Kim has used phrases like "chart person", "time tabler", "technical person", "time line person" and "negotiator" to describe past roles with Stacey and Sandy. Kim admires many of Stacey's abilities, understanding Stacey as a teacher who is firm and more of a disciplinarian. Kim understands Stacey to be more conservative and Sandy to be more flexible and liberal. The negotiator's role between Sandy and Stacey is Kim's self-described role in the group. Like Stacey, Kim has a strong concern for the immediate utility or effect upon student achievement that any change in the teaching-learning situation may elicit. Stacey and Kim tend to desire evidence of immediate benefits to students if there are any changes in curriculum and instruction. On this issue, Sandy is less concerned with seeing immediate and quantifiable outcomes with students, and is more concerned with providing the opportunity for learning. Sandy Sandy has taught elementary and secondary school for over 10 years. Sandy appears to be a highly reflective teacher who is open to change and believes other teachers should exhibit a similar level of commitment. Married and with three adolescent children, Sandy's desire for change to educational structure goes beyond the professional and is grounded in personal concerns. A pressing issue for Sandy is a perception that many students are apathetic and unmotivated due to many of the restrictions the educational system places upon the teaching-learning process. Sandy is concerned with the development of lifelong, motivated and caring students. Creating a caring educational community, which more fully involves students, teachers and parents, is important to Sandy. Sandy's initial experiences were teaching special education and English. Stacey describes Sandy as "having a large capacity to accept, to be open and to be vulnerable." Sandy has been involved in the planning of school wide programs and special events and is currently on the planning committee for a new high school. While all have assumed leadership roles at various times in the program, Sandy is seen by Stacey and Kim as the instigator, proponent and leader of the grade nine program. This section presents some information concerning how the research evolved and took its final form. My intent is to provide some insight into the successes and difficulties of this research project. Evolution of the Research During the latter part of June (1994) I sat and talked with several teachers at their school's grade 12 graduation. I had been invited to address the graduating class and this situation also provided me with the opportunity to tell them of my intentions to carry out some research at a high school in the city. As we talked, it became clear their involvement with the grade nine program might be a unique opportunity to conduct research. I had taught at this school several years before and was familiar to most teachers. As we discussed the possibilities, there was a sense of excitement and anticipation. I related to them what I proposed for the research and how I had secured funds for teacher release during the project. After a while, with them having shared what was to happen at their school next fall and my explanations of how the research project would take shape, Sandy tentatively agreed to take part in the project. While I had planned to send out a request for participants on a person by person basis throughout the local school board area, it seemed opportune to have this group of teachers, many of whom I knew, gathered together teaching in the same school program. I hoped, given my familiarity with them, they would be open and willing to participate. I approached the teachers with several ideas about what direction the research project might take. Central to the research was the need for teachers to engage in reflective practice and to consider the direction of their program. I had planned to have teachers delve into their beliefs through story writing and later, reflective writing. However, teachers had related slightly different interests and concerns. I wrote at this early time:
The original focus of examining each teacher's cultural and linguistic stance in regard to teaching became secondary to how they were to develop the grade nine program in practical terms. While I saw teachers' concerns as connected with the type of reflective activities I hoped they would attempt, it seemed less clear to them. The move to focusing on teachers in relation to the development of the grade nine program caused me to consider teaching ecologically as a guideline with which to appraise, in the fashion of a connoisseur, what was happening with teachers. Clarifying a Starting Point Further to focusing on the grade nine program, this group decided to look at a project within the program. This finer focus involved the planning and implementation of a project called "Stranger in a Strange Land." There was continual movement back and forth between the specifics of this project and issues concerning the grade nine program as a whole. Teachers' discussion and questions fluctuated between cause and effect understandings of their teaching situations, and a more holistic intuitive and understanding of the teaching and learning. For example, teachers might discuss the obstacles and problems in doing the "Stranger in a Strange Land" project, referring to specific problems of how to ensure required curriculum materials were covered, while attempting a more open thematic teaching approach. Into this they would weave positive comments about how the grade nine program as a larger system of relationships helped in carrying out such a project. Tensions and issues emerging from discussions of specific events, practices and individuals often expanded into these larger systematic concerns about program intent and utility. This recurrent focusing on aspects of the program leading into consideration of larger issues happened often. It also happened while going from systematic concerns to specifics. Because of such movement, I chose to consider teachers and the grade nine program on a broader scale, looking for broad themes and detailing specific events less. Opportunities for Reflection In order to aid teachers in reflecting on their practice, I arranged for several types of activities during the research. These activities involved bringing in reference materials relating to teaching ecologically (books on cognition, thematic learning and responsive teaching), reference materials on action research, guides to journal writing, open-ended question sheets about their teaching activities and copies of transcripts from group conversations and group meetings away from the school. Teachers appreciated the time we took away from the classroom to discuss their issues. Several other staff members, who wondered why Sandy, Kim and Stacey were getting time away from class, expressed interest in participating in similar research activities. The opportunity for reflection did seem to hold value for teachers. During the research, I provided Sandy, Kim and Stacey with guide sheets to elicit reflection and feedback concerning their experience with the grade nine program. Teachers explored their concerns in different ways and to differing degrees. This endeavor emerged differently than I had envisioned. Kim and Stacey were less inclined to write in journals or on the guide sheets I had provided. Kim and Stacey had engaged very little in this type of activity previously. They suggested that writing in this manner was not one of their strongly developed abilities, and therefore, they were uncomfortable pursuing it. Several situations seemed to affect teachers' attempts to systematically explore their practice with writing. These included a perceived lack of time for such activity, their own self-doubt concerning their ability to regularly keep a journal, questions concerning the utility of written reflection in terms of its benefit to their students and a favoring of verbal conversation with the other teachers. Kim spoke directly to this situation: "I verbalize or think about my practice all of the time. I am in the process of change and constantly thinking about all I hear and see, at all levels of my teaching." Despite their lack of writing, teachers encouraged their students to keep journals and provided time in class for this activity. Sandy completed several writings, apparently motivated by recent university experiences with journal writing. The lack of teacher writings was disappointing as I spent considerable time creating written materials to which they could respond. These were intended to help clarify the research situation and provide opportunities for reflection. In retrospect, I realize this may have been too much to expect from these teachers. Kim and Stacey seemed to question the value of their own teaching knowledge in terms of how it could help them in this new grade nine program. At times they seemed to underestimate the quality and utility of their knowledge. Kim on several occasions requested some demonstration of how things should be done in the grade nine program. I avoided the role of outside expert; however, I suspect that I was viewed in this way at times. I worried that assuming such a stance would hinder teachers examining their own actions, and exploring possibilities which originate with themselves. Kim understood my desire to avoid such a situation, but also mentioned many teachers want guidance, "and are begging for help, as opposed to the teacher who never tries to change and doesn't bother to listen to other ideas." When teachers
did write, the writing revealed interesting and useful information
on their personal practical knowledge of education and teaching.
Sandy had done writing as a part of previous university work and
seemed aware of the potential of such writing as part of professional
reflection and development. Sandy would have liked to write more.
However, while tape recording might have been useful for collecting information, it might not have had the benefit of encouraging teacher reflection that could be revisited, unless teachers took the time to listen to the tapes or read transcripts. Some transcripts were provided for each teacher to read, and these seemed to interest them; however, they did not seem to use the guides accompanying the transcripts to create written reflections. During the away-from-school meetings, teachers talked with emotion and insight about their teaching and the program. By far, the largest amount of information came from conversations with teachers recorded in my field notes or as transcripts. I recorded notes at various times to compensate for the lack of journal and guide sheet writing. I also kept a research journal which included notes on all aspects of the research. I did not spend equal amounts of time with the teachers. Much of my time was spent in conversation with Sandy. I visited Kim's classroom several times and actually substituted in the class on several occasions. I also substitute taught in Stacey's class. Most of my time with the teachers occurred while they were together as a group. This complemented their interest in the broader issues of the grade nine program but gave less opportunity to explore what was occurring with each teacher. More recently, I have spent time alone with Kim and Stacey. These interviews have been insightful. It may be that at this time, they are more open to reflective writing. There was little reading of the information books on cognition, thematic and responsive teaching, which I had provided to teachers. Teachers seemed so involved with the practical issues of their teaching they had little time and energy left to read such material. The influence of the immediate and practical was so strong, that my initial desire to use their ideas of nature as a lead into examining their understandings of themselves in the world, did not materialize. With it went the specific focus on teachers' culturally and linguistically shaped assumptions and action. This was perhaps a weak point in the research. However, my approach avoided coercion, leaving teachers to act on the opportunity provided and to use it as they could, in a constructive way. As mentioned, the demands of the school on teachers' time and energy seemed to create an "atmosphere" of anxiety concerning the utility of writing journals or reflective pieces. This atmosphere seemed to undermine teachers' willingness to undertake systematic written reflection. I am reminded of a colleague's words, "Any individual acts within a sphere of possibilities, which proscribe some actions, but dictate no action in particular." While I provided the opportunity for a particular type of reflection, teachers could manage to accommodate this to a limited degree. Data Sources As I attempted to understand what was transpiring among teachers in the program, I relied upon certain materials more than others. I gathered materials from the teachers which they had prepared for dissemination among themselves and the school concerning the objectives and intent of the program, evaluation practices, and program guidelines. Sandy also provided documentation, written in the year previous to Fall 1994 concerning the intent of the program. Other information included transcripts, field notes, and research journals. As I considered these materials, I began to select what might be common or recurrent themes and tensions. I created small research cards relating themes and tensions evident with each teacher. It seemed important to provide some description of the teachers to complement the presentations of themes and tensions. Personal stories were told continually in an informal way, especially during their common preparation time. There was an acceptance of each other among the teachers and validation of each other's stories. This acceptance and validation did not necessarily mean agreement, but there was little experience of threat among teachers and so sharing was very open. In this storying, all were personally validated. As mentioned previously, I consulted quite often with Sandy, and this is provided the central relationship during the research project. I verified perceptions with the other teachers, but often relied on Sandy's views concerning the state of the program. My experiences indicated that the teachers knew each other well, and I rarely encountered any disagreement about the teachers' portrayals of each other. This consistency speaks to the intimacy and involvement each teacher had with the others through their common and regular meeting times. The Grade Nine Program and the Research Project This research has come to focus on the themes (tensions and workings) emerging from teachers' efforts to reflect upon their practice in the grade nine school program. The program involved three teachers out of a possible five who were teaching four core subjects (math, science, social studies and English) to grade nine students in an urban high school in a prairie province. These teachers appear in this research as Stacey, Sandy and Kim. Their classrooms were relocated to the second floor of the building so teachers were easily accessible to each other and to students. Every grade nine student participated in what was termed the grade nine program. This program was initiated in response to a concern that many students, while attending school, appeared to have "little commitment to learning." As Sandy wrote:
Teachers attributed this situation in part to a perceived mismatch between "the way our minds work and the way high school is organized" (Sandy); a lack of involvement of the community with the school; and teachers' belief that they typically held limited power to effect changes in the form and function of their teaching-learning situation. To address this "non-involvement" of students, a program was initiated which attempted to create an outcome-based, learning-centered situation, where students saw fewer teachers and where teachers were able to focus on fewer subjects in any given term. Each teacher involved was a subject specialist in a core area of study (i.e., mathematics, English, science or social studies). The school day was blocked into a 3-hour allotment, where students spent part of the morning and all afternoon involved with their grade nine peers. The research group of three teachers found itself organizing around common preparation periods and so an informal grouping resulted. Teachers involved in this research met regularly during their common preparation time. The entire group of five grade nine teachers met less frequently. The purpose of the program was "to create a structure that encourages connectedness, coherence, and wholeness for more outcome-based learning" (Sandy). More precisely, the grade nine program aimed at creating self-directed learners who could collaborate, communicate, think in complex ways, and contribute to the community both within and outside the school. The teachers also wanted to become a team that could create a better environment in which students could learn. The goals of the team focused on creating a block of time by reorganizing the school day, integrating curriculum, taking a team approach to planning, implementing and evaluating the program, building a sense of community, and establishing a common preparation time. In terms of theory, the teaching-learning situation of the grade nine program appeared to fit the understanding of teaching as an ecology of communication, sharing and caring. Several themes relating to teaching more ecologically were implemented in the grade nine program (for example, attempts at creating low threat but high challenge learning situations, using thematic instruction and more experiential less abstracted learning situations, seeking more community involvement, and focusing on more cooperative, less competitive activities). Meetings After some initial informal meetings in June of 1994, there were a total of eight teacher meetings connected to this research, beginning in late August 1994 and continuing until December, 1994. Meetings continued during the spring of 1995, culminating with a year-end writing session at the end of June. There have also been further meetings during Fall 1995. Through these meetings, several things have been accomplished:
Teaching Ecologically in the Grade Nine Program This section is an interpretation of aspects of the grade nine program. The activities and situations of the grade nine program have emerged through the interaction of people and environment (surrounding social and physical context). In separating them for description, it must be understood that peoples' behavior and surroundings are intertwined, each influencing the development of the other. Enriched and Challenging Learning Situations Part of a good ecology for learning is orchestrating teaching-learning situations which are motivational and challenging. In the grade nine program, there were attempts at such orchestration. These attempts were manifested in several of the activities teachers orchestrated for their students. Some examples of the learning situations created include:
These approaches to learning allowed for student interaction with people outside their age group in different settings. It allowed interaction with technology systems not usually available to students (for example, on-line information retrieval). Through these activities students were positioned to take more responsibility for the direction and depth of their learning, and to construct their knowledge more actively, instead of assuming a more passive role as an educational consumer. Teachers attempted, in cooperative and thematic activities, to go beyond purely subject-oriented learning and integrated subject areas using a common theme. Such integrative activities related directly to the reality that people learn best when they are emotionally and intellectually involved with what they are supposed to be learning. These activities also seemed to provide students with opportunities in which their learning was not subordinated to that of the teacher. Teachers had varying accounts of the success of their efforts. One major activity, Stranger in a Strange Land, centered on the immigrant experience. Teachers provided an opportunity for students to explore and link subject area concepts (for example, English, mathematics, social studies, health and art) by exploring what it would be like to be an immigrant in Canada. Students researched their own "roots" by creating a time line and doing a family tree. They chose the country, and then researched and planned for a family coming to their city from another country . Research into the country helped students gain an understanding of immigrants' origins. Students interacted with guest speakers from various countries, created maps and other informational materials, and accessed materials from the city's main library. Stacey provides a perspective on this teaching-learning situation.
This sort of activity is ecologically sound in that it attempts to move students beyond a socialization and interaction environment formerly limited to their peers and teachers. It also attempts to support students' innate desire and potential to learn by encouraging a student centered approach where students hold substantial power to choose the course of their project. Students leave the classroom and travel outside the school, moving outside the typically confined settings of the classroom. They make decisions regarding what is to be included in their project and what is of importance to them. There is the opportunity for students to engage in a wide range of activities related to the project. Teachers were also challenged in preparing for this activity. It challenged their beliefs on the utility of such activities and whether or not students would derive any benefits. Since this activity had not been undertaken before, teachers spent considerable time communicating about the objectives, format and evaluation of the project. Teachers had to let go of some control and power as they allowed students to engage in the project. Lowering Threat While classrooms are generally safe places in a physical sense, there is much that can occur which can be perceived by teacher and learner as threatening. Teachers attempted to alleviate such threats in several ways. One was to hold special home room times in which activities, aimed to have students gain confidence in themselves, were attempted. This attempt utilized a program called "Quest", which engages students in various activities for self-esteem and self-concept development. Unfortunately, it met with less success than teachers had hoped. Stacey's comments illustrate her frustration with the attempt.
Such an outcome is not surprising when an attempt is being made at reflection and change of deeply rooted beliefs, understandings and behaviour in a school context. The experience might be summarized by saying that schools are more about learning "stuff" than necessarily learning about self, though the activity of learning about self is often presented as of equal importance. Most high school situations, whether intentionally or unintentionally, minimally address the need for students to learn in low threat situations. Threat is a prevalent feature of schooling for students who feel inadequate or unworthy. There is no simple solution to such realities, yet issues of threat cannot be avoided. Helping in the development of positive self-esteem, self-confidence and identity requires considerable commitments of time and energy from individuals, school and community. This is an obstacle to many teachers who see the need but are unsure how to respond to the sometimes overwhelming personal needs of students. Partial solutions have been found in the pursuit of activities such as extracurricular activities. In addition to this, facilitating personal change may mean the dissolution of various boundaries between school, community and social agencies. Such dissolution, while opening a way to help students' change in positive ways, also presents issues concerning the rights, expectations and responsibilities of all involved. It seems inevitable that for some students, schools will need to develop practices which help in lowering threat by helping to develop students' self-esteem and self-concept. Another attempt at lowering threat in the grade nine program was to have fewer teachers involved with students. It was hoped that teachers and students would get to know each other more thoroughly in several contexts and that insecure students would feel more secure and more willing to take risks in learning and to meet some of the learning challenges offered by the teachers. It was also hoped that with increasing familiarity, teachers could be more supportive of students as they gained a greater understanding of how each student thought, and what comprised each student's situation beyond the school. While teachers
sought to assist in the development of independent and motivated
learners, they also understood the utility and necessity of structure
for the students. The use of rubrics with students during some activities
attempted to provide a structure which afforded students common,
but not restricted learning options. In such flexible approaches,
there was less coercion of students by teachers, yet students were
still held accountable. In using rubrics, there was a proscribed
area of possible action, which still allowed students flexibility
and ownership in how they would complete an assignment. Guidelines
for performance are established which are divergent and less restrictive.
Clear levels of achievement or effort are Communication Teachers held regular meetings which aided in the development of the program and in finding solutions to problems they were encountering. Though their classrooms were separate, there was essentially a "no walls" situation among the teachers. They developed a large measure of trust and cohesion that reduced feelings of threat in relationship with each other. Teachers would seek each other to discuss a student's situation or perhaps share ideas about an activity. They spent time discussing their beliefs concerning the program and what they accepted or refused as their responsibility. This happened in a hallway or a classroom. Conversations often involved discussions of what was occurring in each other's private lives and how to deal with these stresses. Stacey, Kim and Sandy were highly responsive to each other. There was constant communication among them which helped develop a strong cooperative group. Each teacher had a "voice" that was heard by the others. The size of the group contributed to the sense of intimacy and caring which emerged. Along with this frequent and rich conversation, there was shared decision-making and responsibility for development of the program. Teachers shared program initiatives, planned lessons and evaluated students together. Often teacher conversations were witnessed by students. Rarely did teachers halt their interactions because students were present. While teachers did not discuss confidential topics in front of students, teachers discussed such things as upcoming activities and problems with content and instruction. There was a sense of openness to these conversations which allowed for students to observe and participate if they so chose. Such discussion and negotiation was frequent among the teachers. A Reflection There remains a need for a more seamless connection between the grade nine program and the surrounding school setting. This need goes beyond the range of decisions that can influence individual teachers. The grade nine program is located within more traditional school and system-wide structures. Such structures are top-down in terms of the way they allocate power and make decisions. The effects of this structure were felt by teachers and their students. While traditional structures will give permission and support for alternative approaches to schooling, it may be that truly fundamental, lasting change can only be realized with major changes in the structure of the school system. This need for profound change complicates developing approaches to sharing power and decision-making on a more lateral basis. With the successive layering of decision-making and resource allocation away from the classroom, the development of diverse supportive interconnections between teachers and their classrooms is more difficult. This is not to suggest efforts attempted by school systems are not sincere or without effect; however, the actual structure of the systems may limit more ecologically aligned teaching situations. Discipline issues were a concern for all teachers. Although teachers remained frustrated with the attitudes and conduct of some students, they were not exactly sure how to address these concerns. The classroom was often viewed in terms of a management unit. More ecologically aligned understandings of the teaching-learning process try to approach such situations as complex negotiated realities which cannot be solved by understanding the classroom as some type of business or management unit. Writers such as Bowers and Flinders discuss the limitations of the managerial view, and how it influences what can happen in a classroom or school. They suggest that teachers who hold an image of themselves as classroom managers are less likely to be comfortable with examining their role as a cultural gatekeeper. Teachers with this self-image would also be less likely to understand learning as a negotiation process involving themselves and students "who bring to the educational moment different backgrounds of knowledge, experience, and expectations." This managerial self-image was evident to some degree in the teachers. Attempting to establish a set of guidelines with students for their classrooms as a learning community might be an example of such negotiation. These co-created guidelines might offer alternative opportunities for learning. The demands of the school beyond the program were constantly brought up by teachers as limits to what could be attempted in this way. It was evident that teachers struggled sometimes with having to "control" or "discipline" students and attempting to create a real conversation with students as a way to resolve issues. Attendance and discipline "problems" were at times considered the sole domain of the administration. Discipline problems were often attributed to home and upbringing or they were considered a student's natural state (i.e. unchangeable through learning). An ecological approach might seek to explore the complexity of such problems through communicating, sharing and caring with all involved on a regular basis. A dialogue is essential in such an endeavor. If this did not seem possible, then some alteration of the schooling situation might be attempted so as to encourage dialogue. Building trust in such situations is essential to real cooperation and communication. Group Solidarity Teachers in this program had the opportunity to meet daily during a common preparation period. These meetings occurred in teachers' classrooms or sometimes in their staff room. The importance of these meetings was frequently mentioned by teachers. The organization and scheduling of these gatherings were informal and the frequency of meetings and relative ease of accessibility to colleagues had several benefits for teachers. Teachers shared concerns about particular students (for example, home problems or class behavior); they shared and discussed activities and resources, solicited reassurance from each other for a particular action or judgment, shared personal issues, relieved stress through humor, vented frustrations through sharing each other's experience, questioned the purpose of particular activities and coordinated events across classes and with outside resources. Teachers' involvement with each other resulted in a high level of intimacy and cohesiveness which transcended solely professional boundaries and involved aspects of each other's personal lives. Teachers achieved an openness which allowed each teacher to interact with the others in non-threatening ways concerning their goals, strengths, beliefs and values. Even during disagreements about specific actions and purposes, these teachers exhibited a high level of responsiveness and caring for each other. This was typified by their use of supportive language and action. Kim describes the dynamic between Sandy and Stacey as one where Stacey "softened up" while Sandy "reluctantly toughened up." After one particularly disappointing staff meeting where hoped-for changes in the school operation were voted down by other members of the school staff, teachers helped each other work through their disappointment and frustration. It seemed the common preparation period was crucial to the establishment and maintenance of the strong connections between teachers. This coming together of teachers provided the opportunity for the competencies of individuals to be utilized by others. Kim relates its significance:
Despite such a statement, Kim is not a weak teacher. Kim sees the possibility for improvement by utilizing colleagues' abilities and experience in such areas as discipline, contacting parents, documenting events and maintaining enthusiasm. This type of interaction was frequent among the teachers. The need for and importance of teachers sharing a common time and place was apparent to all involved. There was a sharing of time, energy and power in decision-making. This opportunity typifies what Schön refers to as "reflection on action." Schön believes there can be no development and improvement of the teaching-learning process without such reflection in action and reflection on action. The following selections relate the teachers' belief in the desirability and importance of sharing a common place and time for the purpose of improving the teaching-learning process. Inherent in such instances are moments of reflection:
While the opportunity for teachers to interact during a shared common time and place does not guarantee the development of a vibrant, communicative and effective team of teachers, without such an opportunity, such development is less likely to occur. Teachers' views and my own come together in a pronouncement of the utility and desirability of such sharing. This sharing is a vital and prominent feature of what it is to teach in more ecologically aligned ways. Teachers shared, cared, brainstormed, communicated and problem-solved, collaboratively. Sandy stated there was a need for professional development which addressed how to establish places where sharing and problem solving could occur. Sandy, Kim and Stacey seemed to have an intuitive recognition for the need to share and be connected in this teaching-learning endeavor. This is a good teaching ecology. School Within a School Among the various problems, issues and concerns related to the grade nine program, two seem to stand out. The first concerned the relationship between the grade nine program and the other school programs. Sandy referred to this as having "a school within a school." Second, there was concern among teachers, about activities and situations which were beyond the grade nine program, yet impacted the grade nine program. One of the more frustrating and complicating realities for teachers during their attempts to teach and develop the grade nine program was the tension felt between the demands of the larger, more traditional school setting surrounding the grade nine program and the grade nine students. Several instances illustrate the complications of attempting to operate an alternate, some times contrary, curriculum within the bounds of a more traditional school setting. Almost immediately, the physical location of each teacher's classroom area became a concern. The classrooms were not in the same general area of the school. This hampered communication between teachers and movement of the students. The problem was resolved when Sandy moved from a first floor location to be closer to the math and science areas on the second floor where Kim and Stacey were located. This allowed for more interaction among the teachers and less travel time for students moving between their classrooms. The ability of teachers to locate each other quickly, and talk briefly about their concerns, was a positive aspect of this situation. They often commented on the desirability of this feature. Subject area teachers sometimes had difficulty linking their area of expertise to broader themes undertaken in the program. This was a problem for Kim, who felt the stress of meeting math curriculum requirements while linking mathematics to projects and activities in areas where it was not usually considered that much mathematics is done. At times, Kim found integration difficult. Mathematics became more focused on numeracy than more complex aspects of mathematics (for example, algebra) while general math concepts could be addressed, more advanced mathematics was not easy to fit with attempts at teaching by theme or project. Despite this, Kim was not entirely unhappy about attempting the new program. As Kim relates:
For Kim, being involved with the grade nine program meant less opportunity to teach higher level math classes with senior students. Kim had been assured, by the school administration, that the opportunity to teach geometry would occur. However, other teachers in the department declined to change their timetables, and Kim was unable to teach any geometry. Kim had been counting on support from the math department and the lack of it was disappointing. In this situation Kim once again relied upon Sandy and Stacey for support and understanding. This situation also illustrated the disruption felt between people operating at cross purposes. The other mathematics teachers functioned in fairly traditional ways, and it appeared an inconvenience for them to alter their established routines. Of the three teachers involved in the grade nine program, Kim may have felt the most stress in regard to other school programs and practices impinging on the grade nine program. Stacey shared the science area with three other senior science teachers and was teaching some senior biology. There did not seem to be the same issue of teaching some senior classes. Time tabling situations also caused problems. Again Kim provides insight, "We had lots of frustrating time crunches, trying to adjust our program (on top of school wide time-upsets)." Early in the year students in the grade nine program were on a different schedule than other students in the school. This eventually caused problems with students moving between areas during other students' classes. With such movement a certain amount of disruption emerged. Situations developed during student break time and teachers had to be in the halls monitoring this activity. Without the regular structure of bell-ringing, there was some confusion for students and teachers both within the grade nine program and in other classes. Stacey, Sandy and Kim soon returned to the traditional school pattern though they kept their blocks of time with the grade nine students. Despite this experience, the program was altered at times to allow special projects to be undertaken. One example of this is the allotment of two long blocks of time on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings for work on the Stranger in a Strange Land Project during the spring of 1995. At different times, all the teachers made statements suggesting they believed that other school entities (for example, departments or the administration) questioned the need and importance of the grade nine program. It seemed teachers perceived they had been allowed to begin a program which required significant changes in objectives, time tabling and staffing, but which had not been fully supported. As teachers began the second year of the program, all teachers in the grade nine program were saddened by the loss of their common preparation time. Differing Views There were philosophical tensions evident between teachers. Through conversation, writing and observation, several differences emerged between teachers' understanding of their practice and the purpose of the grade nine program. While Kim, Sandy and Stacey were committed to working with the program, their belief about the utility of the program varied. Surprisingly, this did not seem to hamper some of the alternate activities the teachers attempted. Despite the differences, teachers were closely connected. Stacey was the most vocal in voicing support for the maintenance of a more traditional view of programming and practice, and often questioned the need for change. Stacey was very concerned with obtaining some level of assurance from others that students would benefit from proposed activities in the program. Such benefits would be evident (at some time) in either increases in student knowledge or better behaviour (personal and social). There was an undercurrent of anxiety concerning accountability to others beyond the classroom. This anxiety was shared to some extent by Kim. However, Kim's main concern did not centre on achievement as much as how the program might offer an opportunity for students to relate to mathematics in more utilitarian and personally meaningful ways. Sandy assumed a more holistic, perhaps general view. Sandy was concerned with the process, the general welfare and learning experience of the student rather than, for example, an increase in scores or increased or observable changes in student behaviour. While such differences existed between the teachers, teachers seemed to have a moderating effect on each other. Stacey believed students needed to be marked on everything or they would not value the work they were doing. This view was held less strongly by the others. Stacey understood what Sandy hoped to achieve in the grade nine program (responsibility, respect, caring for others) but was less convinced the grade nine program could really help change students. Despite this skepticism, Stacey remained involved and undertook whatever the group decided upon. Teachers' beliefs differed as to the degree to which any teacher or the educational system should change to accommodate students who were less motivated and involved in learning. To quote Stacey:
A main theme in Stacey's understanding of problems with students was the effect of home life on student behavior and motivation, as well as a belief that schooling practices have little influence on older students. Stacey questioned the time and effort required to change the "mold" of schooling for those few students who did not fit such a "mold." At first glance, Stacey's stance seems hard and distancing, but it is also a response to the increasing demand on these teachers to deal with increasing numbers of at-risk students. It seems Stacey feels pressured to take responsibility for changing students' social and emotional behaviour. Although schools have not traditionally been concerned with such change, there seems to be increased pressure on schools to attempt it. Stacey does not believe this is the role of a teacher and is vocal about it. Stacey, like many teachers, seemed unsure what should be done when facing the reality of societal change, and the behavior of students. Stacey's activities in the classroom appeared to be carried out in accordance with the idea teachers could affect the emotional and personality development in students. Yet, this is in contrast to some of Stacey's previously stated beliefs that students are the way they are going to be, and are generally immutable to personal development activities provided by schools. This type of thought contrasts with Sandy's ideas and hopes. Kim seems to be caught between the reality of the practical (typical of Stacey) and the desire for something more and better (typical of Sandy). Stacey's beliefs run counter to Sandy, who believes schooling can help students make significant changes in their lives, not only in intellectual terms, but also in terms of their socialization and psychology. Sandy is more willing to assume some responsibility for creating opportunities for the socialization of students that will result in a student ethic of caring and sharing. The intent of the grade nine program allows for such opportunities. Sandy would like to see programs centred more on the student, and less on maintaining a "mold" for students, or at least a "mold" with more plasticity. The following
transcript illustrates the beliefs of various people about the impact
of school on student behaviour and the purpose of schooling. It
demonstrates the tensions teachers feel as they guard themselves
emotionally while attempting to remain open to student needs. This
conversation introduces two other teachers who teach the remainder
of the grade nine program and who participated in some of our group
discussions. Their names are Cassidy
There is little disagreement among teachers as to the existence of motivation and behavior problems with some students but differences arise in responding to such concerns. Stacey, and to a lesser extent Kim, see such problems as beyond their influence, grounded in the effects of students' earlier childhood and home experiences. They believe less strongly their practice should have to change, to accommodate opportunities which might affect students' social behavior. It is simply not a teacher's job to elicit such change. This understanding seems to extend to the larger educational context as well, where the utility of large scale change is questioned. Classroom and school problems are seen to reside more with non-motivated students and not with the system within which the students reside. This interpretation may be a response to the frustration felt by teachers. It seems Stacey and Kim believe less strongly than Sandy that a lack of student motivation might be a result of current educational structure and practice. Generally, Sandy is not satisfied with aspects of the larger school system and believes the inherent processes of the system actually de-motivate students. Sandy believes there should be change at all levels of the education system and it is incumbent on teachers to change also. In response to comments by Stacey, relating that school is fun, meaningful and interesting for most students, Sandy suggests, "I wouldn't say it's a lot of fun for a lot, Stacey. I would say for a lot of kids the socialization of school....they do what they have to cause they know they have to be there. So they are accepting. I am not sure that it is fun." Despite Stacey's description of school as "fun" and "interesting", Stacey also talks of students enduring school because they are "supposed to do it." For whatever reason Stacey goes no further, perhaps to question the desirability of students enduring an education versus thriving on education. However, it may be exactly this type of questioning stance which is important for teachers to establish in order to negotiate a way with the teaching-learning process which results in a meaningful educational experience for all involved. My last conversation with Stacey indicated some change in perspective on the utility of reflection and change. While Stacey found the introspection part of the educational process "scary", several personal changes were detailed. Such change included: "being less heavy handed", "being aware I am conservative and defensive" in terms of change, being more flexible with students and not getting too upset regarding the changes resulting from the grade nine program. Stacey now feels less stress teaching this program. At times Stacey and Sandy seem to be opposite in their orientation on how the classroom should function, yet they work together despite differences. The trust developed with each other and with Kim seems to be grounded in their common experience of daily communication and shared program. Despite differences in perspectives, it is clear they hold a common belief and understanding that their common time together is useful, valuable and necessary for an effective teaching-learning situation. Students Students benefited from the grade nine program in several ways. Students had teachers who became very familiar with them on a one-to-one basis. In addition, these teachers, through their frequent and regular meetings, developed a good understanding of each student's needs and issues. There were fewer "cracks" through which students with problems might fall. Students experienced continuity and similarity in their program as they interacted with teachers who knew what was occurring in the student's other subject areas. There was also the opportunity for students to observe a group of adults working together on events in which the students were involved. The students had the opportunity to engage in some thematic activities which took them beyond the classroom. Such activities also allowed for the employment of alternative methods of evaluation. These benefits resulted from teachers' group planning meetings. Teachers Perhaps the single most important feature arising from this research is the teachers' understanding of the importance of a common preparation time and place. Through access to such times and places, teachers were more able to respond jointly to each other, to students and to program needs. Teachers' ability to share power, responsibility and decision-making relied heavily upon the opportunity they had for involved and frequent communication. This frequent communication also allowed teachers to better understand the tendencies of each other. This helped in developing a strong ecology of caring, sharing and taking responsibility (from which they could act). The atmosphere of trust and openness which developed allowed teachers to seek help from one another on personal and professional levels. Teachers became a team in a deep and meaningful way despite differences which existed and persisted. They valued the experience of meeting regularly and did not want to lose it. Teachers' understandings of themselves and the program have changed; however, the achievement of such change has required a very large commitment of time and energy. The change has included a better understanding of what is involved with more thematic teaching and the type of activities which lead in this direction. Teachers' involvement with each other and the program has encouraged them to consider alternative views of teaching. Despite the teachers' change, the grade nine program remains couched in a more traditional setting. There are aspects which align with teaching more ecologically. The physical setting is acceptable. Teachers had fairly immediate access to each other and each other's students, but plans for a different timetable succumbed to the pressures of the large school context. Time tabling issues will most likely remain a large concern. There were aspects of the program which can be described as more ecological; however, although the favoring of approaching learning through traditional subject disciplines remains, it is less evident now. While the need to create a caring educational community remains, this objective does not seem to be achievable through such activities as the student personal improvement modules the teachers attempted to use. It seems more likely students will adopt what they see modeled by teachers and others as they experience everyday situations, rather than adopting what is explained to them as desirable (for example, acting in responsible and respectful ways to themselves and others). This modeling speaks to the need for teachers to examine their own mental ecologies and actions. Students did have opportunities to experience more ecologically aligned teaching. They were challenged to learn in low threat situations, taken beyond the classroom setting repeatedly, allowed to interact with other people besides their peers, given opportunities to link real life experiences with school activities, provided with more experiential situations (less abstract), and given opportunities for their own reflection. The evolution of the teaching-learning situation into a more ecologically aligned process seems dependent upon how much the teachers will push beyond the sphere of traditional practice. Sandy, Stacey and Kim all describe their efforts at change as time consuming and energy draining. They were not only creating change within their classrooms, but to do so, they had to attempt to change structures beyond their classrooms (for example, other teachers' perceptions of the grade nine program). It also meant reflection on a personal level. The change emerging from implementing the grade nine program helped teachers explore, reaffirm and consolidate features of their teaching experience. Research Through this research project I wished to provide an opportunity for teachers to reflect upon their place in the world and their teaching practice. I desired to background teacher reflections with ideas concerning what it was to teach in ecologically aligned ways. The research was to be an individual pursuit, using ideas of "teaching more ecologically" as a starting point. As it evolved, and teachers took control, the research became more focused upon what occurred with the teachers as the group engaged in an alternative, more thematic or holistic teaching-learning situation. So the research agenda moved from a focus on the individual to group interactions and to the program in terms of the teaching-learning situation as an ecology. Teachers shared their experience through conversation rather than through written materials. Teachers seemed to feel more comfortable with this type of sharing. Despite providing several written guides and books to prompt some reflective writing, teachers remained wary of this approach. Teachers cited lack of time, lack of journal writing ability and disbelief in the utility of writing as obstacles to sharing and reflection in this form. The lack in this area was compensated for by tape recording conversations and making transcripts, recording field notes during conversations, and observing teachers. Despite the less systematic approach to reflection by teachers, they benefited from their conversations with each other. Part of the teachers' difficulty with reflection lay in the ambiguity of what teaching ecologically meant for them. They desired specific teaching strategies while what was offered were wider less focused statements concerning the structure and processes of the teaching-learning situation. This tension between the theoretical and practical remained throughout the research. Complicating this was the further refinement of what it meant to teach in more ecologically aligned ways. This refinement occurred as the teachers and myself were developing understandings of how to proceed with the project. A major tension in this project was the degree to which the research direction was left open for the group. I did not want to foreclose on the motivation and initiative of teachers to choose some aspect of their teaching or program and examine it; however, I did want them to consider such reflection in terms of teaching more ecologically. Therefore, several months of conversation and observation passed before the group agreed to examine the project, Stranger in a Strange Land. Even after this decision, it seemed teachers' interests remained focused on the program as a whole rather than on the specifics of the project. Paradoxically, despite Kim's and Stacey's concerns for practical solutions and approaches, the broad reflection on the program kept them from closely examining immediate practical teaching-learning situations. Sandy was more at ease with such reflection and this theory-practice tension was less evident. It seems necessary for the continuance and development of programs such as the grade nine program, that teachers involved continue to have the opportunity to meet regularly (daily) to allow cooperative planning, sharing and reflecting upon professional and personal issues. Teachers need to continue to orchestrate teaching-learning situations which have integration of curricula as a goal while remaining aware that educational innovation and change often require repeated attempts. Teachers involved in innovation such as the grade nine program, must continually communicate not only among themselves but with administrators, other teachers and groups beyond the program, ensuring support for the program. Such support would help minimize the problems of the school-within-a-school situation. While this may mean teachers would need to devote extra time and energy beyond the immediate concerns of the program, such contact would seem a prudent thing to maintain. Like a young seedling, the growth and development of the grade nine program is interdependent with the educational soil in which it finds itself. While a seedling eventually changes the soil in which it resides, such soil must initially be nurturing to such a seedling. In this way teachers in the program must not only tend to the seedling of program change but also the soil in which it is anchored. Teachers developing the grade nine program would likely have benefited from several extended planning sessions beyond their regular daily meetings and the extra time they spent after school hours on preparation. While teachers consulted with each other regularly, there seemed to be a need for time to consolidate and more thoroughly understand what was going on with their program. The need for such time was evident in our research meetings. These meetings were open to addressing such consolidation but were supposed to be opportunities for teachers' personal reflection. While it is impossible to completely separate personal from program issues, teachers need to address wider ranging program issues often superseded their need for reflection on their own personal practical knowledge. To say teaching is ecological in intent implies that teaching is more than some technical dispensing of knowledge; one-way and uni-dimensional. Teaching is a complex activity, and simple rules and guidelines, when followed, do not ensure equally simple results. To view teaching as ecological means understanding teaching as part of the teaching-learning process, which is a varied and complex phenomenon, where teachers orchestrate learning opportunities for students and themselves. Part of this teaching-learning ecology also means reflecting upon one's experience. At times teachers in this study struggled with this aspect of teaching ecologically. It seemed ironic that teachers, while engaged in highly reflective activities (for example, their group conversations), seemed unsure and unaware, at times, of the quality of their reflections. They also seemed unsure a systematic examination of their practice would yield meaningful benefits and were hesitant to give too much time to such an undertaking. A partial understanding of their confusion and reticence concerning reflection might reside in the pressing practical concerns teachers felt in response to the grade nine program. The work involved with the grade nine program appeared to leave teachers with little time and energy to record and ponder their understandings. Through their conversations teachers sometimes indicated an understanding of teaching as a technical pursuit, rather than a complex holistic process. Comments were sometimes made which seemed to imply teachers held their own personal practical knowledge as not just different from other teachers, but less valuable than knowledge gained by those beyond the immediate teaching situation. There is no doubt teachers felt pressure from themselves and those outside the grade nine program to demonstrate the success and continued need for the program. They often appeared to be attempting to convince themselves what they were doing was indeed worthwhile. Such pressures seemed to limit what might have been accomplished in regards to the research. If this research project was to be attempted again or continued, I believe several changes in approach might enhance the experience for those involved. The use of student writings and observations about their experiences might serve teachers well in considering their own practice. Such writings or information do not have to be specifically concerned with the teacher, but might be focused on a student's class experience in general. This alternate perspective might provide teachers with a fuller richer feeling for what transpired with the grade nine program and themselves. Using small portions of teacher transcripts, audio or video recordings might help keep teachers focused on the issues at hand. Given the effort required to begin a new program, it might have been better to provide teachers with a narrower choice of research topics instead of encouraging them to consider and choose among the many aspects of their practice. This imposition of selected topics by the researcher might expedite matters in arriving at specific issues for teachers to reflect upon; however, this action takes away much of the power for decision from the participants. This problem of focusing on a topic and having teachers find an issue important to them in the context of the grade nine program, continually re-emerged through out the study. This tension of searching for the issue was alleviated somewhat by extending the study several months longer. In this study, given teachers' difficulty in selecting a direction and their level of understanding of research using a reflective approach, extending the study over a period of two or even three years, might have provided teachers with more opportunity for gaining confidence and a firm belief in the utility of a systematic exploration of their practice. I think, generally, teachers must come to act and believe that seeking answers concerning their practice, from those beyond their immediate situation, is only one facet of improving their teaching and the learning for their students. They must be encouraged by others to pursue research activities, not only with words, but with time and resources. Teachers must build confidence that research conducted by themselves will be of benefit for their students as well as for themselves. Part of this confidence building occurs when research projects such as this one provide teachers with an opportunity for research. If real change to more ecologically aligned ways of teaching and learning are to occur it is important for teachers, administrators and others to proceed with research, no matter how tentatively. With those initial steps of systematic reflection come opportunities to enact meaningful and lasting changes which enhance the learning and teaching conditions for students and teachers. Teaching Ecologically - Understandings of an Evolving Concept The Term Ecology The term ecology is often used in reference to the study of relationships in nature . When so used, it refers to the study of relationships in natural systems, but the term can be used in another way. The use of ecology in the context of teaching refers to understanding the complex sets of relationships or patterns of this endeavor. For my purposes it also suggests: evolution, fluidity, balance, connectedness, diversity, holism and reciprocity. There are three broad uses or understandings of this term:
These uses of ecology outline a broad set of complex patterns in the context of culture and nature. These relationships constitute the larger ecology of the world. Understandings of the world, typical of developed countries, have emerged from an emphasis on the importance of culture to the detriment of ecologies of the natural environment. Natural environments are often viewed solely as a resource and used in ways radically detrimental to such environments' integrity. Such use operates on the assumption humans will somehow remain unaffected by the radical disruption of the ecologies of nature in which they exist. This belief in the ability to control while remaining detached, and the denial of reciprocity between what controls and is controlled, can be found in educational settings. Such beliefs help maintain a status quo which continues the deterioration of natural systems. The teaching-learning process has, for the most part, been envisioned as an essentially culturally oriented endeavor often ignoring, isolating, or down-playing the importance of human connection to the non-human world. Educational situations now are often abstracted out of the lives of the learner. In addressing such problems, it is equally important not to view human activity only in terms of its biological or natural utility as if culture were less important. However, ignoring, losing sight or dismissing the importance of these ecologies endangers all. Further, I also suggest ecology can be used to understand the interconnections between peoples' intellectual powers and values. Value-sensing is our ability to attach ourselves with emotive bonds to things other than ourselves, and to place value and consider things beyond ourselves as worthwhile. Such valuing balances our ability to distance and disconnect ourselves using our intellectual powers. With a view of the teaching-learning process as a complex interaction of nature and culture, intellect and emotion, we find an understanding of humans as bio-cultural beings who affect the world by their actions, creating a more or less habitable earth for all organisms. General Understandings The following ideas represent some understandings essential to teaching in more ecologically aligned ways. The statements are couched in terms of the teacher's role in the teaching-learning process. They are intended to paint a picture in broad brush strokes. In a broad sense, to teach ecologically means seeking caring, challenging, interconnected and responsive ways of thinking and acting in teaching-learning situations, where teacher and learner act and react in a balanced way to the demands of culture and nature. Such a definition emerges from understandings of cognition, curriculum and cultural writings, ethics, and ecology. While reading the following, bear in mind the need for balance between cultural ecologies and natural ecologies. There is no perfect state where one can say "I am now teaching ecologically" and cannot continue to negotiate a path into the future. Each teaching-learning situation is unique and constantly changing. Each situation requires continual attention and negotiation to seek ways which are more ecologically sound. Ecological teaching-learning situations focus upon interconnectedness and reciprocity. The teaching-learning situation is seen as a complex phenomenon which resists simple behaviouristic understandings and remedies. The teaching-learning process is understood as a complex set of relationships that are interconnected and interdependent as opposed to management, technical, or behaviorist paradigms with their emphasis on efficiency, evaluation, accountability, management and rigorous control of how the learning-teaching process develops. Teaching ecologically, in part, means understanding the teaching-learning process as an "ecology of language processes and cultural patterns" which affords opportunities for participants to make deep meaning of both educational content and process. In an educational situation, individuals act within a sphere of possibilities, which proscribe some actions, but dictate no action in particular. What happens for individuals emerges both from their own dynamic structure and from the constraints of the environment. The intelligence of an individual is understood being part of the larger mental ecology of the classroom. In creating rich, connected and diverse learning experiences, there is the possibility for students and teachers to create much deeper levels of meaning than might occur in situations with strict predetermined outcomes. Teaching ecologically occurs in part as "designing and orchestrating lifelike, enriching, and appropriate experiences for learners...ensuring that students process experience in such a way as to increase the extraction of meaning." A balance is sought between the emotional, physical and intellectual development of those engaged in the learning-teaching process. The teaching-learning situation could be considered as an ecology of mind (relationship between natural and cultural ecologies) emerging from a combination of brain, body, (a natural ecology) and social experience (a cultural ecology). While there may be specialization in subjects, no subject is privileged over another. There is always a return to understanding the teaching-learning process as an experience which is dynamic, holistic and complex. Students and teachers are understood as complex entities involved in complex learning environments where there are no final optimal solutions, only a continual negotiation of the learning-teaching process which results in opportunities for meaningful learning. Such a holistic stance is foundational to more technical teaching or instructional methodologies, not necessarily an alternative to them. In teaching more ecologically there is a continual reframing of one's activities within the larger educational and cultural context. Teachers reflect systematically on personal and professional behaviors, understanding and exploring their role as a gatekeeper of what are culturally appropriate and accepted ways of thinking, feeling and acting. In this way the teaching-learning process is understood as a personal project where teachers' experience emerges as they are simultaneously shaping and shaped by interactions. Power is a shared experience within the classroom, not held exclusively by the teacher, but negotiated between the individuals participating. Such power sharing alters the teaching-learning process, aiding or dissuading the student's natural inclination to learn. Power is recognized as an aspect of the learning-teaching process and reaching just and equitable situations requires teachers to reflect upon their relationships with nature and culture. In conjunction with issues of power there is encouragement and action for an ethic of caring for self, others and community rooted in receptivity, relatedness and responsiveness rather than a strict adherence to "masculine" moral reasoning typified by laws and principles. Some Specifics Teaching ecologically means seeking ways which recognize and support humans' natural desire and potential to learn. Such a reality emerges, in part, when teachers orchestrate the teaching-learning situation in ways that encourage such development. Caine and Caine provide several examples of orchestrating dynamic learning situations. They mention, for example, establishing curricular themes, encouraging complex real projects of interest to students, providing multisensory experiences, telling stories and exploring myths, and using metaphors. They also suggest the employment of thematic and integrated instruction. Also important is an emphasis on creating safe low threat situations of high challenge for students. This is complemented with the creation of nurturing situations where individuals and learning groups have the opportunity to be involved in decision-making concerning their learning. There are similarities here to McInnis' theory that people learn best when learning is based on doing, when both intellect and emotion are involved in the learning process, when learners are involved in their evaluation, and when students are learning to learn on their own initiative. As one teaches more ecologically, one seeks ways which avoid confining students' bodies to very limited areas (for example, tightly controlled classrooms), limiting their activities and sensory stimulation (for example, the overuse of one particular teaching style), limiting their interaction to same-age peers and teachers, separating learning from living and doing (for example, emphasizing information instead of experiences), subordinating learners initiatives to that of others, assuming students' ignorance, and emphasizing their mistakes. Crucial to the activities mentioned above is seeking an appropriate scale of activity in order to comprehend and plan meaningful teaching-learning experiences. Each of these points can be elaborated upon further and others may be added; however, these provide a flavor of the intent of more ecologically aware teaching. The ideas presented provide an opportunity for reflection by individuals involved or engaged with the learning-teaching process. Altrichter, Herbert, Peter Posch and Bridget Somekh. Teachers Investigate Their Work: An Introduction to the Methods of Action Research. London: Routledge, 1993. Bateson, Gregory. Steps to an Ecology of Mind. New York: Ballentine, 1972. Bowers, Chet and David Flinders. Responsive Teaching: An Ecological Approach to Classroom Patterns of Language, Culture, and Thought. New York: Teachers College Press, 1990. Caine, Geoffrey, and Nummela Renate-Caine. Making Connections: Teaching and the Human Brain. New York: Innovative Learning Publications, 1991 Clandinin, Jean, and Michael Connelly. "Developing rhythm in teaching: The narrative study of a beginning teacher's personal practical knowledge of classrooms", Curriculum Inquiry, 19 (2), 1980. Cobb, Edith. The Ecology of Imagination in Childhood . New York: Columbia University Press, 1977. Doll, William E., Jr., "Curriculum Beyond Stability: Schön, Prigogine, Piaget." In William F. Pinar, Ed. Contemporary Curriculum Discourses. Scottsdale AZ: Gorsuch Scarisbrick Publishers, 1988. Donaldson, Margaret. Human Minds: An Exploration . London: Penguin Books, 1992. Marvin Olsen, Dora Lodwick and Riley Dunlop. Viewing the World Ecologically. Boulder: Westview Press, 1992. Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. Phenomenology of Perception. London: Routledge, 1962. Codin, Gordon. Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings: 1972-1977. New York: Pantheon, 1980. McInnis, N. You are an Environment. Troy Ohio: North American Association for Environmental Education, 1972. Noddings, Nel. Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics & Moral Education. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1984. Orr, David. Ecological Literacy: Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1992. Schön, Donald. Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey - Bass Publishers, 1990. Varela, Francisco, Evan Thompson and Eleanor Rosch. The Embodied Mind. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1991.
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