It was early in the second week of school. I returned to the classroom
after lunch to find the CT and another teacher angry about a new school
policy. My CT, who is the building rep for the union, was fit to be tied.
So I asked what they were mad about (mistake #1) and my CT angrily states
that the high school teachers now have to include "behavioral objectives"
on their lesson plans. She stressed the second syllable of behavioral as
though she thought this new directive was the stupidest thing imaginable.
I remembered in my education classes that Bloom's taxonomy is now
considered to be outdated since it's based on behavioralism and not
constructivism, the new fashionable theory of learning, so I mentioned
something about that. I was assuming she was angry because she disagreed
with behavioral theory. (Big Mistake)
After I spoke, it's like a light went on for her and she instantly become
silent and started moving around papers on her desk signaling the
discussion was over. The other teacher, who was a nice person, said "Oh,
I love Bloom's taxonomy. Maybe this is just about that."
My CT just pursed her lips and was in a foul mood for the rest of the day.
When she fired me shewrote that I was knowledge deficient in 3rd grade
math (yet I received a 180 out of a possible 200 on the Praxis) and on my
last day she said she thought I could teach college. Go figure.
Looking back I realize she didn't know what a behavioral objective is and
she thought it had to do with classroom management, i.e. good behavior in
the classroom. My statement about Bloom's Taxomomy exposed her ignorance
in front of another teacher, and that was a mortal sin.
My advice is to keep your mouth shut as much as possible.
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