In light of the U.S. Education Secretary's recent push for tougher teacher training standards, many teachers are a bit defensive about being under an even sharper microscope. For example, commenter Stuart candidly said:
"The last thing I need is for a know-nothing administrator lurking in my classroom and leaving comments about petty things that have absolutely nothing to do with teaching especially when many of these schmendricks have been out of the classroom for eons.
I have been teaching for 41 years and I do not need some one who was being toilet trained when I started teaching telling me my business."
While Stuart's viewpoint might have been expressed bluntly, I'm sure it echoes the concerns of many classroom teachers. Do you think teachers need more rigorous standards to enter the profession and closer observation once on the job? Would you welcome the scrutiny or resent it?
Comments
I worked as a school teacher for 6 yearw. I always welcomed professional, insightful, objective input. I encouraged parents to join us in the classroom (and called on them to provide adult input to the class discussions and exercises). With over 30 years as a corporate trainer and training manager, I always strive to provide that objective input for my staff.
As a parent, I want the teachers reviewed and assessed so that they can identify strengths and weaknesses. EVERY teacher can benefit from objective input.
6 years? Wow. I know why you can talk with such authority on the issue.
There is always so much new research and evidence based student learning processes that a teacher that doesn’t want someone to evaluate them is simply worried that their current practices are out dated. For example, directed teacher instruction is a thing of the past. Yet, some veteran teachers still manage to spend the entire class period flapping their jaws at the kids without any flexible grouping, cooperative grouping, or individual conferences occurring. In fact, their inability to analyze student work appropriately is what inhibits their ability to manage a classroom in this manner. Teachers, as with any profession, don’t operate in a vacuum. They should be open to constructive criticism and provide feedback to their colleagues as well on a regular basis. The national board for professional teaching standards states that teachers should know the subjects they teach and now HOW to teach those subjects. Pedagogy is ever evolving and without an open door policy of observations and evaluations, we are simply denying our students the best education they can possibly receive.
It is unfortunate that administrators and those responsible for teacher training have not learned simple management techniques. Nor have they learned the value of experience or how to use it. You do not start with a public evaluation of the person needing the help and that is exactly what teacher evaluation programs are doing. Can anyone responsible for teacher training visualize a teacher standing in front of a class of students who have just read an article on school improvement ware the emphasis is on improving the quality of teaching? That is what has been happening every day for the past ten years. Human relations, basic psychology, self actualization must be at the forefront of all school improvement projects.
Jpatrick
Author,”Prelude to Chaos”
Pean4510@ao;.com
To Ron–and other ‘veteran teachers’ who sarcastically mock those with less years under their belt: Did you ever think that the outdated teaching methods of the past 30 or so years may be a reason American students lag behind so many other countries?? I am a new teacher (3 years), and I welcome constructive feedback. I may not heed everything that is suggested, but I listen to it professionally. Students’ learning methods have changed in this past generation. With all the multi-media stimuli around our kids, old-school lecturing, rote memorization, and drill/kill just don’t maximize their learning. I am a new teacher, but not a new professional–I am 43, and chose to change careers into the elementary classroom where I can share what kids really need to know in the real world.
Veteran teachers don’t always realize how lucky they are, especially those in teacher unions. In the ‘real world’, sub-par performance by teachers would not be tolerated. If a teacher would not welcome suggested improvements, he/she would be let go in every other industry. I find it very annoying and embarrassing actually when my tenured colleagues sigh, act out, and file grievances for every little change they are asked to do–changes that alot of research says may help. You say you are a professional, so act like a professional.
I am a very experienced special education teacher with 40 years of experience. I’ve also maintained my certification by attending classes, training sessions and workshops and I am appalled at how I am treated by administrators. Teaching to the test has made administrators frightened to teach to the child. I am told to use only Wilson to teach a child to read when I know that is not the most efficient way to reach him. I am told that it is not my responsibility to ask a child how he or she feels because that is not my “domain”. I am not allowed to suggest something that the OT or PT has missed, again because it is not my “domain”. No one ever says, “Good job!” I only get positive comments from the parents of my children who see a change in their child. When I was moved from a self contained class to the resource room, my parents wrote letters to my principal praising me and asking that I not be moved. Did my principal congratulate me? No, she asked me if I had asked the parents to write those letter. I didn’t even know about the letters until she told me about them. If anything, there is a bias against the experienced teacher in many cases. Younger teachers should be grateful that we run to the union with a grievance; someday you will need the precedents we set to protect your job from some over bearing administrator.
As to the quality of new teachers; I am appalled at many of the students I see in graduate school. Many cannot think for themselves or extrapolate an idea and present it. Many cannot speak English properly (and I speak of the native speakers): “Me and her went to the park.” We are role models….role models???? Ofcourse children do not speak correctly; they don’t hear it correctly at home or at school.
As to sarcastically mocking new teachers, I’ve not seen it nor done it. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. I love their fresh new ideas and enthusiasm for teaching. I have, however, found that many are not as open to help or are too frightened and end up too rigid but we all went through that.
Teaching is more than research and high stake testing. It is an art and we all have to be on the same side; a side which is often something our administrators are not on.
Wow, ok alot of different point of views have been said and I can understand each one. I feel a little of each comment, I have taught now for 10 years and never saw myself doing anything else with my life. I was happy being a teacher but now think of other jobs I can do with children. I still love to teach but with all the red tape getting in the way coming down from the administrators it gets difficult to keep teaching the way I know is best for students learning.
Yet, I do agree with objective input, I even welcome it but only if its done correctly. What do I mean correctly, well I have yet to seen it done in a way in which it influences my teaching in a positive way. My principal enters my room and in less than five minutes exits with enough info to fill 2 pages of what I have done wrong, what she does not see in my room up on the walls and every other thing she can think of to fill the mandated report she has to fill out up to 10 a week and up to 200 by Christmas brought down by her higher ups. My principal is so filled up with paper work she does not even know what to do. Yet, she enters and exits and again I get a so called evaluation that I have to read and find some way to show her that I am changing things in my classroom for the better.
As a teacher I do not stay still I know that there is always things to change and to keep up with the best practices. I attend classes given by our union and go to the latest conferences. I spend my own money buying what my students need, I read the latest books on reading, writing, etc. I am dedicated to my students but wow it gets harder every year learning a new test we have to give them, spend more time on testing, going to meetings on how to spend more time on testing because reading instructions is still reading time, right? I do not have the answers but I truly miss teaching the way I was taught in school, I remember having fun in school and so wanted to bring that to my own students but I feel it getting less and less each day.
The last thing I will say is YES I am scared to bring up issues I have in my classroom, things I need help with, seeking out other teachers or dare I say my administrators for help in areas that I feel I can do better in. Teaching is one field I see every year with each new teacher coming in, every new teacher saying and asking for help but so scared to come forward because we are expected to know everything and when you do ask you only get more grief than help. In my ten years of teaching I went to my principal for help, my class this year is so far behind in reading and math. I am teaching third grade this year but have reading levels starting at first grade and ending in the end of first grade and I am expected to pass them onto fourth grade! I have never had a class this low before so I went looking for help, I need more teachers in my room, these kids need to be seen in small groups for reading daily. I need the help, well my principal answers me “we will set up a meeting next week with the assistant principal and take a look at your teaching.” After that meeting my life has been hell at school, I never received the help I asked for but only more and more meetings looking at how I teach. They have yet to find anything that they feel I am doing wrong, which I already knew I just wanted more bodies in my room so my students could get more one on one that they need. Its really sad and I am getting more and more frustrated. I wish someone had the answers because I sure would be listening.
I am not a teacher yet, but I feel I must respond to the comment that the United States is behind other countries in education. It is my belief this is because we waste so much time being “politically correct.” We have to be sure to include all the cultures, all the religions, and don’t forget about including the gay and lesbians. Why don’t we concentrate on subjects and let the parents and society do the rest?