Accomplished

The Shawshank Redemption is filled with iconic scenes. One of which is Red (Morgan Freeman) honestly reflecting on the crime he committed as a young man, not because he thinks it is what the parole committee wants to hear, but because it is how he feels.

Red’s brashness with the parole committee is entertaining. Specifically, calling out the hollowness of the word “rehabilitated.”

As we approach the end of the school year, what if a teacher took a Redish tactic when discussing Standard V with their principal on the year-end North Carolina Teacher Evaluation?

PRINCIPAL
Please sit down.

TEACHER
(sits down at wobble stool)

PRINCIPAL
Ms. J. Honey.  You've been teaching at Crunchem Hall Elementary for twelve years.  Do you feel that you deserve to be marked accomplished on Standard V, Teachers Reflect on their Practice?

TEACHER
(shaking her head)
Accomplished?  Well now let me see.  You know I don't have any idea what that means.

PRINCIPAL
Well it means that after lessons you reflect upon what went well, what could be improved upon, and next steps.  It means that you align trainings from the school and county to your Professional Development Plan.  It means that you are a lifelong learner, and continually adapt your instruction to meet the needs of students.  

TEACHER
(interrupting)
I know what you think it means, sonny.  To me it's just a made up word.  An administrator's word, so that young principals, like yourself, can wear a suit and a tie, carry a walkie talkie, and have a reserved parking space.  What do you really want to know?  Do I actually change what and how I teach based off of how students respond?  Not just teach the same stale lessons year after year?

PRINCIPAL
Well, do you?

TEACHER
There's not a day goes by that I don't think about what I could do better.  Not because it's on some state rubric or because it's a part of our School Improvement Plan (SIP).  I look back at myself, sometimes a naive overzealous teacher who thought her students were ready for a Socratic seminar.  I want to talk to her.  I want to try to talk some sense into her.  Tell her that you haven't taught enough prerequisite speaking and listening skills for students to have meaningful dialogue about Esperanza Rising.  But, I can't.  That unit's long gone and End of Grade testing is all that's left.  I got to live with that.  Accomplished?  It's just a bullshit rating.  So you go on and finalize your Summary Evaluation Form, sonny, and stop wasting my planning period.  Because to tell you the truth, proficient or accomplished, I don't give a shit.  

PRINCIPAL
(scribbles notes down)