Welcome to the 21st Century! Yes, twelve years later. We're in "wake up" mode to make people aware that almost zero gain has been made in the effort to decrease our drop out rate and increase innovation in our country.
Yes, twelve years, we are still scratching our heads to ponder the question: how do we turn the corner?
When scientists face a problem that continues to linger, they always go back to the first step to analyze the procedure to determine if they are moving in the right direction. The next phase includes eliminating variables separately to discover at which step are results the weakest. It's important to note that great discoveries are made by understanding what DOES NOT work. Those results save a lot of time. These steps also make clear how to proceed.
In my latest book, Answering the call to teach, I take a look at the "first step." So far, most of our research has concentrated on examining how children learn and implementing just about any new idea that gets presented at state conventions.
Here's the thing - we have known how children learn for years. That has not changed. The dynamics of how we proceed with instruction is the dependent variable. We have changed modes of instruction too many times.
With the introduction of technology, experts thought that we needed to "improve" the methods used to teach children. Some of that thinking was not bad. However, the fundamentals of learning anything will not change. Of course, fine tuning can always be made. That's a given.
The book takes a critical look at how we train perspective teachers and the standards we use to govern their performance.
Teaching is a vocation, not a profession.
How do we identify people with the gift to teach? How do we support these people and put them in position to maximize their gift? These are central questions to solving our education dilemma.
Right now, teachers in our classrooms are trained - for the most part. If anyone has time to read the descriptions for college courses that potential teachers take, you will discover a large part of the problem. The preparation is not in line with the required passion necessary for awesome teaching. What we have in place does not give teachers tools for class management or how to provide insightful instruction. We have insightful individuals, but they are not meant to teach. It is our job to implement screenings akin to people who pursue religious vocations. For instance, potential teachers need more field experience. They should not be surprised when they walk into a classroom where more than half of the students cannot read on grade level. They should not be surprised when they are confronted with threats or resistance to doing anything outside of breathing. The minute someone signs up to become a teacher, he should immediately go into the classroom to do more than student teaching. They should jump right into co-teaching.
It's at this point, these individuals will know if their job is fitting to their character and personality. One of the points which is examined during religious training is the "discovery" phase. People discover their calling. No one is ever trained for a religious vocation. Sure, instruction takes place, but if a person does not feel a "calling," she discovers that during the rigorous process which has been tested.
This is by no means an endorsement for any religion, but it is an endorsement for immediately taking a closer look at how we can screen a person to determine if what we have is the perfect person for teaching our children. And, that's the goal - to get the perfect person for the classroom. I am not suggesting that we look for a perfect person. Those do not exist. I am suggesting that there are people perfectly made for teaching.
How do we answer the needs of the 21st century?
Easy - identify people with the call to teach.
(Reach Charlese at calltoteach@yahoo.com)
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