How can we determine who would make the most effective classroom teacher? At present, anyone who wants to major in education can sign up. People choose their college majors everyday. The process of choosing a college major and following a prescribed curriculum map is traditional.
1. Why is the system responsible for training our teachers failing?
2. Why are new teachers experiencing a very high attrition rate?
3. How can we construct a model (method) to identify great teachers?
Teenagers complain that they are "bored" in the classroom. This may give us a little insight into what is the root cause of a.) people not responding to a "call" to teach and b.) teachers leaving much sooner than they probably should be leaving.
This compliant shouts loud and clear the true problem. When most people hear this comment, the first reaction is to stockpile the classroom with more "stuff." In actuality, the child is not bored with the work (which he may be failing), but rather this is a cry for help.
In every classroom, there are more future teachers. Children pay very close attention to adults. If the adult in the room is having problems organizing a scheme to control the class, then some children voice "fail." by indicating that they are bored. Also, this is a signal that the teacher may not be qualified to be in the classroom.
Children (at all ages) recognize if a teacher is really equipped with a depth and breath of knowledge. They know this because each of their teachers is different. When they meet with the "best" teacher, they naturally hold all of the other teachers to that standard. And, this invisible ruler can last throughout the child's entire time of being in school.
The training institutions need to take a more proactive step in following some of the guidelines set forth by entities which take people in who feel they would like to pursue a vocation in the religious life. This is by no means advocating thaat all teachers become priests or nuns, but to use the screening process to determine if they have a calling to teach.
It is my strong belief that great teachers are people who respond to a call to teach. Teaching is a vocation, not a profession.
New teachers who enter the classroom today ae entering at their own risk. Sure, schools and training programs claim that the teachers are "ready." But, no one is teaching the truth about today's classroom.
That is a part of the problem. The other part is the institutions don't think they have to change anything. Yet, new teachers leave at an enormously high rate. And, researchers have shown that teacher turnover rates affect student achievement.
I would say - we have created this mess.
The exit door is available for those who would like to listen. How do we get out of this viscous cycle? To do so would mean that we would have to admit that some criteria now used to groom teachers are wrong. Fix them!
Until we get people who are called to teach, we will continue struggling to educate our children and closing the educational gap between minorities and whites. At this point, the numbers are too significant to ignore.
(Need professional development for your teachers? Contact me at calltoteach1@yahoo.com)
Answering the call to teach: a novel approach to exceptional classroom instruction
- a Rowman and Littlefield publication
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