Why are so many teachers ditching their desks?
Does not having a desk make you a great teacher? Are you somehow better than those of us who use their desks? Does a desk symbolize all that is wrong with education? Did Joe Bower tell you to ditch your desk so you did? Did Michelle Rhee say somewhere that desks are amazing, so you ditched your desk in protest?
A few years ago I started A Teacher’s Desk to highlight an aspect of a teacher’s life that rarely is mentioned. I have always been interested in other teacher’s desks and workflows, wondering if I could get some insight into a better way to be organized or more efficient.
The first year of A Teacher’s Desk was incredibily successful! Every month, teachers from around the world would send me a snapshot of their world to me and I would post it HERE. Last year, I tried to start the blog again HERE, but did not manage and promote it sufficiently because of the birth of my son and my mom being in the hospital for three months.
I also believe that, as James Joyce said, “In the particular contains the universal”. The little knick-knacks, pictures, momentos, and office passses on and around our desks reveal much about who we are as people.
This summer, numerous people encoureaged me to reboot A Teacher’s Desk. After much thought and discussion with my wife, I decided to reboot the blog using Tumblr so teachers can submit their pictures via email.
When I have extended invitations to participate in A Teacher’s Desk, half of the teachers have been enthusiastic and have begun posting.
Unfortunately, the other half declined, essentially stating the same thing: “I don’t have a desk, I ditched it, so I can’t participate! Sorry!”
I seriously do not get it! Where do you get your work done? Do you grade, err, assess standing up, while talking to students? Do you lesson plan standing up? Are you blogging and tweeting standing up? What do you do at recess or during your conference period?
DO YOU EVER SIT DOWN AT ALL AT SCHOOL OR AT HOME WHEN YOU ARE WORKING?
I sit at my desk at random times during the day. True, I hardly ever sit at my desk other tan during my conference period, before and after school. Most of the time I am standing at my computer cart, walking around asking questions, talking with students, stretching…
Side note – when my students are working together or solo, I do a few “laps” around my room to help out students. But then I either stand at my computer cart or sit at my desk and read a few essays. You see, I don’t want to hover around my students; I want my students to work with each other first, and then come to me after they have exhuasted their collective brain power.
I have reminded those that have declined that they can post pictures of their “desks”: couches, counters, and coffee tables! Look, A Teacher’s Place Where They Get Work Done does not make a good blog name!
I encourage you to participate in A Teacher’s Desk and show the world where you get your work done! You can even post pictures of your entire classroom (unless you have already ditched that!)…Sorry, um sort of, for the sarcasm between the quotes! If you still want to participate, send me a DM on Twitter!