Introduction
When we read articles in the United States education section found in Wikipedia the free online encyclopedia that states “The United States is poorly educated in comparison to most developed countries, although more educated than most developing countries, with a reading literacy rate at 86-98% of the population over age 15.” We start to take a hard look at our educational system. When we do it is not difficult to see where the problem lies. We need better teachers, laws such as the No Child Left Behind act (NCLB are a step in the right direction; however it is not enough to simply put highly qualified teachers in the classrooms. We need to change how we teach.
Since President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB in 2002 school reform has been on the rise, specifically the push to place highly qualified teachers in the classroom has been at a frantic pace. No one is disputing the fact that the NCLB act has made strides to improving education in this country; however the methods used to determine who will be a good teacher leave something to be desired. What makes a good teacher is someone who teaches each child as an individual. A teacher who incorporates each child’s individual learning style in his or her teaching strategy will have successful students.
The issue at hand is the government is focusing on the professional development of teachers, instead of the students needs in an instructor. Just because a person is an expert or has worked in a certain field for a long time does not qualify her to teach, and as Toppo, G stated; “The skills tests that most public school teachers must pass to get a job are poor predictors of whether they'll actually be good teachers -- and in some cases may even keep good ones from entering the classroom, new research suggests.” (2006)
Exams such as the Praxis are required by prospective teachers to take are not very good at determining who will be a good teacher. A couple of studies done disagree on the effectiveness of said test and have nothing to do with determining good teachers. The article goes on to say that one can get the same results from a teachers SAT and ACT scores as he or she can from these tests. They say how smart a teacher is does not mean that they will be a good teacher. Furthermore that these tests are part of a push for highly qualified teachers due to the NCLB act and that 48 states now require this testing. There is also mention of how much is spent on these tests. The tests used are the same for all states however they do set their own pass and fail scores. They try to set the scores high so they can get rid of bad teachers however they more often get rid of the good teachers. Suggestions are that they use more options in addition to the tests. Finally the article suggests that new teachers should not be required to have such high credentials but to retain their job and earn higher salaries the requirements should increase. (Toppo, 2006)
A teacher is a special breed; she must be a cut above the rest. She must inspire, uplift, motivate, educate, nurture and help guide a student to academic success. She must challenge them to think in new and exciting ways and foster in them a love for lifelong learning. The Teaching Professor gave this “…noted scholar Paul Ramsden. In the case of what makes teaching effective, he writes, “…a great deal is known about the characteristics of effective university teaching. It is undoubtedly a complicated matter; there is no indication of one ‘best way,’ but our understanding of its essential nature is both broad and deep.” (p. 88–89)
Ramsden sets forth a set of principles that a good teacher will need to embody to be effective in educating her students and inspiring them to succeed. The first of these principles is Interest and Explanation. When a student is interested in something he or she will learn better and are more involved in the learning process working harder to get it right. They like to work hard developing a sense of ownership. Making the subject their own and using it to shape their ways of learning and growing. Along with trying to make the content relevant to the student’s teachers need to work on explaining the material in a way that the students will understand and use as opposed to simply memorizing. All this can be done by bridging the gap between what they know and new material they are being introduced to, teachers need to be able to recognize when a student is getting it and when he or she is not. To make the content relevant to what they already know. (2006)
Principle two is Concern and Respect of Students and Student Learning. The role of a good teacher is one who makes the student feel confident in the fact that he or she will be able to get the subject he or she is studying. A good teacher is one who will instill confidence that he or she can understand and learn concepts quickly. (Ramsden, 2006)
Principle three is Appropriate Assessment and Feedback. Here Ramsden says that assessments should be varied and be designed to show what a student has learned in such a way that is not simply memorizing facts then forgetting them. (2006)
Principle four is Clear Goals and Intellectual Challenge. Here the teacher will need to set the standards high and be clear on what he or she expects his or her students to accomplish. The student needs to be aware of what is expected. (Ramsden 2006)
Principle five is Independence, Control, and Active Engagement. Ramsden, P says “Good teaching fosters [a] sense of student control over learning and interest in the subject matter.” (p. 100). A good teacher can relate to a students individual learning style and plan goals and lessons that will work with the individual students learning style. This allows the student to better understand the material and excel in the subject.
Principle six is Learning from Students. Ramsden, P says; “Effective teaching refuses to take its effect on students for granted. It sees the relation between teaching and learning as problematic, uncertain and relative. Good teaching is open to change: it involves constantly trying to find out what the effects of instruction are on learning, and modifying the instruction in the light of the evidence collected.” (p. 102)
Simply having knowledge of a subject and being able to pass a battery of tests does not make a teacher. A teacher must be able to relate to the student, understand how each student learns and discover what will motivate that student to succeed in his or her academic career. A good teacher needs to be available to her students to provide feedback and additional support if needed. A good teacher’s job does not end when the afternoon bell sounds nor does it begin when the morning bell chimes. As Kunzman, R., Intrator, S.M say “We believe that effective professional development and the powerful teaching it can cultivate require an inversion of Maslow's pyramid. We need to begin with the soul of the enterprise, the passion and purpose that animate teachers' ongoing commitment to students and learning.” This is a constant job that extends to her personal life. A good teacher’s students become more like her own children; she becomes invested in their future just as their parents are.
There has been much argument over what makes a good teacher. Laws like the NCLB Act are a good start but they go in the wrong direction. More testing is not what is needed A universal guide needs to be developed for Teachers and how they can become good teachers. There is yet to be one standard method for producing good teachers.
References
Colgan, C. What makes a good teacher? American School Board Journal. 191 (3), p4-5,
2p, 1c Mar2004,. Retrieved April 23, 2006 from EBSCOHost
In this article Colgan, talks about the studies that are being conducted on what makes a good teacher and how they can develop testing and training to produce quality teachers that will satisfy the every constant need to quality teachers.
Crabtree, S (2005), Youth Poll: What Makes the Best Classes Different? Majority Credits
the teacher The Gallup Poll pp 1-4. Retrieved April 22, 2006 from EBSCOhost
This article is about a poll that was taken by a group of high school students on what they thought contributed to a good education. Findings discussed lean toward how good a teacher is but not necessarily how much they know on a subject.
Education in the United States: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Microsoft Internet Explorer
Retrieved May 14, 2006 from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States
This article discusses education in the United States and how it measures up with other similarly developed countries. In the article education is broke down into sections regarding student attendance and education programs and education development in the United States and how it compares to other countries.
Effective Teaching: Six Keys to Success. The Teaching Professor, 20 (3), Retrieved April
14, 2006 from EBSCOHost Ramsden, P. (1992). Learning to Teach in Higher
Education. New York: Routledge.
In this article of the Teaching professor they break down the six keys of being a good teacher as is in the book Learning to Teach in Higher Education by Paul Ramsden. Each key is defined and discussed in this article
Hargrove, K. What Makes a "Good" Teacher "Great"? Gifted Child Today Magazine,
Winter2005, 28 (1), p30-31, 2p. Retrieved April 22, 2006 from EBSCOHost
In this article Hargrove is shows the difference between good teachers and great teachers. He describes the necessary qualities it takes to make a great teacher. He provides facts based on his claim and explains why these attributes are necessary to being a great teacher.
Ling, L. Y. What makes a good Kindergarten Teacher: A pilot interview study in Hong
Kong, Early Childhood Development and Care (2003) 173(1) pp. 19-31 Retrieved
April 23, 2006 from EBSCOHost
In this article the focus is on the teachers and how they plan their days. It discusses the findings of a study done on kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong and how they view what makes a good teacher.
Toppo, G. Skills tests for teachers miss mark, studies find. USA Today.
Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 14, 2006).
In this article the Toppo, G is covering the Research associations meeting on education and good teachers. He share the findings of studies conducted on the test required for new teachers and how they are not good and determining or defining what a good teacher is and is in fact managing to keep some of the good teachers out of teaching. He also quotes some of the experts on what they think would be more beneficial for finding and retaining good teachers. Furthermore he list some facts on what it costs states to have these exams and what is the driving force behind the search for good teachers.
Introduction
Included in the list
Add a comment
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
-
I think the school ssytem puts too much emphasis in tests period. Yes tests are important. It does measure knowledge. I don't think it is so important on what the child knows. What is more important is how has the child's learning and knowledge improved and expanded without memorization. I am a teacher aide and I assist in a special education classroom. I also teach reading and writing skills to three individual students. These students have some problems with their reading whter it is vocabulary, comprehenson, spelling or writing. I work on all of that with them. Tests are based on thre concepts they know and once mastered, the child moves on to the next step in the reading program. The reading program I use is called Wilson Reading. It is used to improve anyone's reading level no matter if you are a child, teen or adult. The students I have been teaching the last two years have gone up a reading level a year from where they were when they started. I think I have met the criteria of what makes a good teacher.
-
This piece is excellent! You know, a lot of teachers are hired too young and aren't given enough classroom experience. I had one that hated children...so she didn't go into the right thing. Though everything shouldn't be in tests, I think they are still necessary. There should be more ways to determine good teachers from bad and the scores should be averaged in order for them to graduate to teacherhood. There are five people in my class of twenty that excel in classes, 10 are average, and 5 are below average. I know this due to their moods for the subjects due to the teachers' attitudes and bringing forth of the subjects. Out of my Spanish class of 8, 2 people excelled...but the other girls did not understand or respect the teacher at all. Therefore, he kept slowing down the lessons and we only got through a few chapters. I agree with you for the most part here, but a lot of jobs might be lost if everyone went strictly by this write. I loved how you had sources though...Keep up the great work and good luck with this message!
-
Powerhouse write!!!!
Go girl go! One problem you might want to consider though:
bolding your font.
I say this because due to the bg being notebook paper, some of the blue lines are 'marking out' parts of the column
Rae -
I agree with you. My daughter has had the 15 page packets that she was assigned over the christmas break! it was unbelievable she had absolutely no family time. Plus they send a 15 page math packet home every summer since she first entered kindergarten. I think that is rediculous.
-
I agree that we need to set our standards higher for our teachers.
However- the standards need to be set higher for our students as well, and the No Child Left Behind policy is not the way to do it.
The law basically promises the same education for the poor as it does the rich within the public school system.
My daughter spent her entire school day during 3rd grade (the first year students must take the standardized testing- in and of itself flawed) prepping for testing. She came home with a homework packet on Monday that was 15 pages long- front and back- to be completed and turned in on Fridays.
Her teacher didn't teach that class- she prepped them for testing because if the school failed to meet government criteria- they lost funding, of which they already had precious little to begin with.
I shouldn't even get started on that...
The IDEA of NCLB is a good one, the execution, however, is an abomination.
There are many things to be done to get better teachers. I'm for insanely high pay increases. Basketball players are paid millions and most teachers (at least in my area) start around 32,000 a year. That's not even a living wage in southern California.
These people are shaping our children's minds and educating our future leaders- shouldn't they be paid what they're worth?
This is a good post and I'm glad I read it. Thank you for sharing.
Adding your comment:
1 - 5 of 5
