What Makes A "Good" Teacher, Anyway?

The Washingon Post just published a manifesto on what kind of teaching will work in urban schools by Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee, and other city superintendents. Their solution? Stop using seniority as the mark of teacher quality, and help teachers use technology to teach students whose skills differ in the classroom. Hmmm...

Let's play this out for a minute with my own experience. I graduated near the top of my class with a history degree and got a Masters in teaching at Columbia University. But when I got into the classroom, I needed help. If it was not for some excellent veteran teachers, I do not know how I would have improved. It was not a smartboard or using podcasts that made my teaching better (although I love using technology in the classroom). It was experience. I got better every year by getting to know my students, their families, and learning from other teachers.

An effective teacher for Klein and company is simply one that raises student test scores. To them, this need not be tied to experience. An interesting approach, given that the most important thing a teacher can do, according to Yale professor James Comer, is to connect with students' social, emotional, and cognitive needs. This is especially true of struggling learners.

 Comer, who has been working with and studying teachers and children for over 30 years, argues that "where teachers address children’s individual emotional and social needs, you’ll see students doing challenging work at their own pace, either in groups or individually, as the teacher actively monitors and encourages their progress." This kind of approach to teaching can improve academic achievement and narrow the achievement gap, according to Comer.

If school districts were persuaded that the social-emotional-cognitive approach raised test scores, they would probably hammer down the doors of anyone who was able to help them do it. Why don't they? It has worked in places like Asheville, North Carolina, which has seen jumps in test scores using Comer's approach.

Pressure needs to be put on state education departments and schools of education to change how they do things so that teachers can gain the skills they need to be effective teachers.

This is not a matter of becoming more adroit using a computer in the classroom. Comer argues for a much more robust approach to teaching, one that will address all of the needs of children while also improving academic achievement (if you agree that can be measured through test scores).

Let's tell Joel Klein and his fellow superintendents to adopt Comer's approach and expand their definition of effective teaching. Sign this petition and let him know we want more out of our teachers than better use of technology.

Photo credit: familymwr