Over the years, I served as a junior high and high school teacher, college level teacher educator, staff development specialist for practicing teachers and administrators, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, educational service center director, and school improvement specialist. I genuinely believe that that range of experience has given me a good picture of the state or quality of educational practice in the USA.
In my reasoned judgment, no more than 1 practicing teacher in 5 is a highly effective teacher. What do you think are the factors contributing to that mediocre level of performance? Let’s compare perceptions.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Overwork/underpay.
waitingforgodo
Level 8
July 25, 2021
0
Rhat is an over-sisimplistric answere. There are much more improtant factors.
Ann's statement is extremely relevant to your question. I agree with her that only one in five doctors are highly effective as well. I don't believe that can be attributed to lack of workplace perks, prestige or salary. All of those things usually motivate highly competitive people yet there will always be factors that will allow one person to be more effective in their job than others.
More than likely you could bring the numbers up to two in five with more prestige ,salary and benefits for teachers. I do agree that the Unions should spend some of their time on motivation for excellence. This tactic would add to the prestige of the unions nationwide in all vocations.
Lorajay
Level 9
July 24, 2021
2
Only 1 in 5 doctors is good, plumbers, auto mechanics, dentists, etc etc etc likewise.
Everybody is on a Bell Curve.....
AnneWimsey
Level 9
July 24, 2021
1
I'm not a teacher but I've heard that teachers work long hours in overcrowded classrooms using out-dated teaching methods and frequently have to pay for school supplies with their own money from an inadequate paycheck. Those all sound like factors that would deter many potentially good teachers from pursuing such a career. Also, government funding of public schools seems to get cut again and again which has resulted in the U.S. being somewhere around #30 in education among nations of the world. We are actually below Estonia in education... which is a country most Americans couldn't even find on a map.
Charles1971
Level 7
July 24, 2021
2
What you are saying is true. Also burdening teachers is assignments outisde of the classroom, such as hall duty, overseeing estra-curricuklar and atchlic events, and more. Also a contributor is lack of effective staff development activites desiggn to help teachers to acquire more effective teaching techniques. and, there are more factors external to the classroom which are inhibiting performance.
Still there is a lack of commitment to excellence in personal performance among too many teachers. Ajnd, teachers' unions are much more about protecting all teachers than fostering tteaching as a true profession.
You agree in part with @Charles1971 but you appear to want teachers unions to do what educators should be doing.
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