It’s that time of year when there is a lot of focus on school. At least here in the US. Certainly here in my house.
Most schools in the US still operate on the traditional school calendar. This allows us to really engage our children in the chores of home throughout the summer. They can harvest the wheat, plant the tomatoes, or paint the fence along the pasture. Oh, you don’t have a farm either? Well, then they can go to camp, swim at a pool, sit in front of the TV, and drift through pangs of boredom.
While summer may feel like a long time off (after all, spring just started this past weekend), schools are busy working toward the end of this school year and planning for the next. This preparation has added a heaping to-do list for me, as I’ve just completed the daunting task of navigating our local public school system. This took NIH level research and unanticipated hours observing in classrooms at various schools.
This diligent effort has paid off. My daughter will be attending an acceptable public school, which unfortunately is not a tax-payer right in our fair city.
I could take this school discussion in innumerable directions, as I have with my friends and neighbors. But, I’ll leave that for you in the comment section. I’ll just say that I am grateful to have the time, wherewithall, and resources to traverse our school district’s confusing website, conflicting school policies, to gain understanding of our few but precious unstated options.
This hoopla has me keenly watching President Obama’s Race to the Top school reform with which he hopes to tackle the widening achievement gap. He is proposing to reward teachers for “excellence in the classroom”, which hopefully will not be measured solely by test scores. Test scores alone do not reflect the excellence of a teacher. (read Bill Maher’s piece, Let’s Not Fire the Teachers When the Students Don’t Learn — Let’s Fire the Parents and John Legend’s rebuttal, Bill Maher, You’re Wrong on Education)
All of this buzz has me wondering about your thoughts and situation. How do you recognize excellence in a teacher? What do you like to see in a classroom or school? Is it enough that your kids are happy in school, or are you looking for more?
Related reading:
Interesting. I am a parent who does and is very fortunately able to place my children in private school. I am the daughter of a state recognized teacher. And I am also a student pursiung a double major in special and bilingual education. I do not value test scores over results but I think Bill Maher’s views are short sighted. I do not believe that a child with “bad” parents is a lost cause and I fully believe that an excellent teacher can be savior to said child. There are so many socio-economic issues involved that determine “good” and “bad” parents (I use the terms lightly). To create “good” parents requires a complete overhaul of government and public policy. I majored in social sciences before changing my major to education because I see much more opportunity to change children’s lives as a teacher than a social worker. I also firmly support studies that have shown parents, though influential, are not solely responsible for the values and level of success a child will grow to have. Other adults and peers with whom a child forms relationships play a huge role in helping shape a child. I tend to agree more with John Legend. Read his rebuttal to Bill Maher at:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-16/john-legend-bill-maher-youre-wrong-on-education/
Thanks for sharing the link with John Legend’s rebuttal. I wished I had seen that while I was writing this post, but have added it to the post now. I understand where Maher may be coming from, but agree more with Legend’s philosophy. I’ve also added a link to a fabulous NY Times piece called, Building a Better Teacher. Thanks to another reader for that link!
The NY Times article investigates what makes a good teacher. It turns out that’s a hard one to pinpoint. But, many folks are trying. Doug Lemov of Uncommon Schools is one of them. You can read the lengthy article to gather specifics, but I was pleasantly surprised by one of his findings. He states that a good teacher’s techniques depend on her close reading of the student’s point of view, which she is constantly imagining. Yes! The child’s perspective! It makes otherwise average teaching and parenting excellent.
As a social worker I first have to say that social workers can make a huuuge difference in the lives of children equal to (if not more than, in some cases) a great teacher. OK. My social work plug there.
But anyway- I think Bill Maher is, as always, taking it to the extreme, but as someone who regularly sees kids in my office who don’t have A BOOK in the house and watch TV DAILY, its hard to disagree. I do think that education starts at home and that parents have a great deal MORE influence than educators do. That being said, I see Tamara’s point that when parents are not doing it, a good , committed teacher can make ALL the difference for some children.
I think that the emphasis on testing (NCLB) has been the most disheartening for teachers hoping to work within a more creative, imaginative framework , and in our clinic (mental health clinic for children) we’ve seen a big jump in kids being seen for anxiety disorders where parents cite stress over “EOG’s” (big end of grades tests) keeping kids up at night, in tears worrying they wont’ pass, etc. Not only does it provoke a great deal of anxiety when so much is geared to the test, it squashes so much of the natural learning that could be happening otherwise, and really limits teacher time and creativity, (and autonomy).
I know I’m mostly preaching to the choir, but those are my thoughts for now. Although we are probably going the route of public school for our daughter,I think the current emphasis on testing is what bothers me the most.
I hope I didn’t offend you, I have nothing but complete respect and admiration for social workers. I should have clarified that I have more potential and feel better suited to teaching than social work. You have a very vital and difficult job indeed!
I agree with your views completely. You give an example of parents trying to be involved and whom some would consider “good” parents. These parents are so concerned with test scores they may actually be causing their children to score poorly due to lack of sleep.
I think everyone who reads Emily’s posts likely agrees that education begins at home and that parental influence is huge. That is part of the reason we follow this blog, and what a wonderful blog it is! But I’ve seen the transformative power a teacher can have on a child’s life who every one else thought was a lost cause. To make “good” parents requires addressing some very difficult issues I’m sure you are more aware of than I am.
I’ve thought a lot about the public schools where my 3 boys attend (including a public school Liberal Arts College). And I teach in them myself! But as the kids approach high school I see their interest begin to wane, esp. in boys. I do believe things need to change for boys. The system and maybe the parents as well, are failing them. We see them turn to drugs and drinking and have no meaning in their lives. Not all of course, but more than any one could believe. I’ve tried to give my boys meaning through peace organization we’re part of, but they could even use more inspiration!
Good point, Betsy. This was a regular topic of conversation among the staff at the school where I used to teach. We began to think about (and hopefully address!) the different learning styles and needs of the children, but it takes some child development and child psychology experts in the room too. And I might even want an occupational therapist there too!
[...] asking all of you last week what qualities you look for in a classroom or teacher, I have been creating my own mental list. I thought I’d use this post to begin putting it [...]
I am a strong believer in the importance of public schools, yet I know there are enormous failings in many of them.
However, when we as parents are looking for the right school for our child, I think two of the key things to pay attention to are the principal and the level of parent involvement. The principal is the leader, and much of what happens in the school will stem from the type of leadership that person provides. And a school with strong parental involvement means that the principal and the teachers will be held accountable for their effectiveness more so than in a school with weak parental involvement.