Thompson: Shannon Hernandez Breaks the Silence

The climax of Shannon Hernandez’s Breaking the Silence is her response to an irresponsible and false charge brought against her. She had participated in a group hug with students celebrating their successful completion of the 8^th grade ELA test.

The hearing officer – the type of person that reformers often say is too soft on teachers and too slow to fire them – conducted a lengthy investigation, investing nearly a year to track down the student witnesses and their families. The hearing officer finally says, “Ms. Hernandez, not one student or their family would speak against you. Time and again, each one said, ‘Leave her alone. She’s the best teacher I ever had.’”

In one sense, the high points of Hernandez’s last forty days in the classroom are in the story of how test-driven reformers have stepped up their war on teachers, first making her jump through extra hoops to re-earn tenure. Later, they drove her colleagues into a rage with their preposterous value-added evaluation process. As she watches a final faculty meeting, Hernandez realizes that she is “witnessing the anger and frustration of my colleagues – a microcosm of the national climate around education.” She is brought to tears.

In another sense, Breaking the Silence is an explanation of what teachers REALLY want. (emphasis is Hernandez’s) Teachers want to “interact with other adults in supportive and collaborative environments.” Teachers “want to become better teachers.”  Teachers “want to be treated like humans – humans who are heard, nurtured, and respected.”  Teachers want relief from “the top-down education system [that] has robbed us of our voices.”

In still another sense, the memoir is about students who “are sick of being classroom lab rates who are tested every other month in every class so baseline scores can be established, knowledge gains and losses charted, and pilot tests revised once again.”

Breaking the Silence also is an explanation of why educators should, once again, be allowed to “teach students, not subjects.” It describes the joy that comes with veteran teachers letting go, allowing classes to evolve organically, and “going with the flow of student energy and interest.” It explains why teachers must “live in the moment,” and teach students “to understand the world inside them” and be “better prepared to live in the world around them.”

So, reformers should read Shannon Hernandez’s great memoir in order to understand the damage they have wrought. Teachers, parents, and administrators should also read about her last forty days in the classroom and share the joy and love that is teaching and learning.-JT(@drjohnthompson)

Comments

[derrick james]

thanks for sharing this quality information.Breaking the silence is the best education related books in the world.This books have explain three type of senses.The breaking the silence is show best value in education is called as "Teach students,not subjects.
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