A few weeks ago, I listened to the first few episodes of a podcast that essentially said, "Everything that teachers are doing is wrong." I won't name the podcast. I'll call it Sold a Scandal instead. In terms of tone, it was giving true crime podcast and the overall vibe was one of moral panic. It lacked depth and complexity and nuance.

I was immediately concerned because I've seen this oversimplification occur before. Look for an easy scapegoat. Offer a quick-fix solution. Then blame teachers for failing to implement said quick-fix solution with fidelity when that solution doesn't work.

I sat down and made a short post on Instagram and I had a number of conversations in my DMs about this very topic of how we define best practices.

But it has me thinking about the danger of defining educational practices through the lens of battles and wars. I typically write about creativity, project-based learning, deeper learning, and what that looks like in a generative age. However, I wanted to share something I wrote a few years ago about the danger of viewing educational practices as battles.

I'm really fortunate that I get the chance to work with teachers all over the country (and to a certain extent around the world). Last week, I was in Fullerton and Seattle. This week, I'm in Bentonville, Indianapolis, and New York City. But I also spent Monday in a local classroom working with a member of my cohort in her fifth grade classroom in Oregon.

And here's what I notice . . .

It doesn't matter if it's rural, suburban, or urban. It doesn't matter if it's a wealthy elite school or a Title I school. It doesn't matter what region it's in. There is this common thread I see and it's this: teachers are doing amazing work. Every. Single. Day.

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So, with that in mind, I want to reshare an older blog post on the idea of "wars" within education.

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Let's Work Together!

I would love to work with your school, district, or conference! You might be interested in keynotes or workshops on deeper learning, PBL for all students, and empowering students and improving student agency

I currently have some dates open in January and February and later in the spring (though my calendar is filling up). I'd also love to do something more in-depth throughout the school year and summer.

My workshops include access to my self-paced courses so participants can continue their professional learning after the day's event.

Please reach out to me at john@spencereducation.com or fill out the form on my speaking page, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I can send you a PD catalog with all the details.

Dr. John Spencer

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