Discover Teachers’ True Feelings about Guiding

Would credentialed teachers truly feel happy and fulfilled taking the job of guides? My dataset suggests that only 20 percent would be comfortable in that new role.

Consider the differences:

Guides are in-person coaches in schools that use AI adaptive software instead of teachers for academic instruction (in technical terms, the Flex blended-learning model).

Teachers are the primary source of knowledge and instruction in classrooms. They deliver lessons, assign work, plan learning activities, and provide direct instruction.

This brief quiz helps adults evaluate which of the above roles suits them best.

Strategy question⚡

Suppose an alternative, charter, micro-, or private school is hiring guides. Who will be happiest on the team: certified teachers or adults without teacher credentials?

Opinion A

One leader of a Flex microschool network told me he strongly believes only the latter. He says teacher credentialing instills habits and beliefs that make graduates unsuccessful as guides, and thus unhappy. He discourages Flex schools from hiring certified teachers. 

He has a point. Consider, for example, the following selection of Texas Administrative Code for Middle School Classroom Teacher Certification Standards, each of which conflicts with the role of a guide:

"Grades 4-8 classroom teachers must:

• develop lessons that build coherently toward objectives based on course content, curriculum scope and sequence, and expected student outcomes;
• organize curriculum to facilitate student understanding of the subject matter
• teach both the key content knowledge and the key skills of the discipline
• (and many more)"

In contrast, Flex programs use AI adaptive software for academic instruction to teach at the right level and free up learners to pursue other goals with their windfall of time. Guides in Flex programs so not do any of the standards on the above list.

So, can conventional teachers unlearn the standards their Educator Preparation Programs taught them such that they are happy as guides?

Opinion B

A second school leader I spoke with was more optimistic. He told me that roughly 20 percent of the guides he’s hired have backgrounds as certified teachers. “Roughly a fifth of our guides have a teaching credential but are relieved when they discover our school,” he said. “They say they always wanted to be more of a guide than a teacher and felt discouraged during their time in conventional classrooms.”

So, should schools hire certified teachers as guides?

If you’re a teacher, would you be happier at a school where you play the role of a guide?

This simple quiz can help you answer that question for yourself.

Takeaway

Conventional schools are the right choice for many students, particularly if they’re fortunate to be in safe places and have top-notch credentialed teachers. But in other circumstances when this ideal is not accessible, you’ll find relief and joy by turning to Flex models and staffing them with caring guides.

I hope these two leaders' perspectives and the quiz help you develop your own strategy, whether for your school project or for your own career!

I'm so passionate about this movement. Thanks for being part of it, whether as a casual observer or a hands-on builder.

About the photo

The photo accompanying this post features my 3rd-grade classroom. I loved this teacher! I wish every student had access to a top-notch teacher in a safe, reliable location, as I did in 3rd grade. But the world has changed. I'm grateful for the Flex model because it offers a viable solution, and the surprise is that it's even better than the conventional classroom in some ways. And so we press on . . .