To be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to approach this article. Mainly because “being political” is not something I’ve ever been inclined to be, or do, persay. This is not to say that I am not interested in knowing about political issues, etc., just to say that I’ve always been a left-brained concrete kind of girl, appreciating the practice much more than preach.
In general, having encountered an education system (based on NCLB principles) which seems to do a lot of theory talking, I’ve been looking forward to the day when I can literally do all the things that we have learned about this past year and a half. I am looking forward to when I can see for myself how district, state, and national standards effect my classroom; how scripted curriculums meet the needs of my students; and how I am able to collaborate with other teachers to create an integrated classroom. Perhaps once I have had these first-hand experiences, I will better recognize the significance of an educator’s role in policy. And perhaps I too will become involved at the political level.
All this being said, I have truly enjoyed my student teaching placement this year for this main reason: (the no. 3 key aspect of Literacy Policy listed in the Edmondson article) Who is likely to benefit?. Being in my classroom this semester and having some experiences with individual students, small groups, and whole class, I have developed more compassion for the needs of my students. I have gotten to know some of them very well and have been able to track their progress throughout the semester. Therefore, I have found myself thinking of them during PLC and Literacy Training meetings.
For example, during a PLC meeting when discussing the books to be included in Guided Reading , I immediately think of student A and student B who have no interest in these mandated books and will therefore most likely not develop the skills introduced through them. Or during a Literacy Training meeting when discussing the increased amount of time mandated for Writing, I immediately think of student C who has trouble focusing on Writing for more than a short amount of time and will likely become disengaged.
Needless to say, even with my limited time in the classroom, I have been able to observe the effects (negative and positive) of national/state/district policy on my students. This, I think, has been a lesson learned in preparation for next year.
Melissa Eller - Student Teaching Blog 
Like yourself I am not one to be political or take a certain stance on an issue. Even though I read the article, I still don’t feel that I would be able to take a side. Having experience in the school systems are giving me a better understanding of the policies that one has to follow. I agree with you and your experiences in PLC and Literacy Meetings, I think that I am getting to know my students much better in the classroom and the needs that are required for all of them to succeed. The readings this week were very helpful and helped me look at my class as a whole.
Hi Melissa!
I completely agree with you when you say you haven’t yet experienced how different educational policies effect you. I hear of them often, but have yet to “feel them”. I think it will be a lot different for us when we have our own classrooms and feel limited in our teacher creativity by educational policy. I feel like we are trained to be these great teachers, but then in the actual real world, we are limited by policy. I am anxious to see just how much I feel limited by and how much I can shape my own curriculum in the classroom.
Melissa,
I would like to argue that politics has influenced you in the classroom whether you attribute it to that or not. Both fortunately and unfortunately, our political system does govern the way public schools are run. From the NCLB ordinances to who is elected as the members of your school’s Board of Education. It is all very political, and the decisions these people make very much impacts your classroom; from math curriculum to the EOG’s. I think what you are not feeling is a school culture that is pervaded by a division into two political parties. Teachers have similar goals. They want to work in a school with students. They have to plan out what they will teach each day. Politics may not go into account for what they teach at all. They may not preach their own ideals or even think about what political party they are aligned with during the school day, so you may not feel that in the school atmosphere. Nonetheless, I think that education changes the way students view politics and has a huge impact on their political involvement in the future. It’s really amazing to think how interconnected education and politics really are.
Interesting post!
Anna Gus