Virginia DeCesare, NBCT

Think for a moment about a particular teacher that impacted you over the course of your life. Most likely what stood out was that he or she did something different – something that other teachers before or after had not done. Whether through method or personality, this teacher was unique. It is this uniqueness, this individuality in great teachers that I fear is at risk in an age of standardization and collaboration in education. There has been a major push towards standardization in instruction over the last few decades. This standardization has shown itself in many forms, from use of…