The Best Teachers Produce the Best Students
Posted: Friday, April 16, 2010
by Carol Allen Anfinsen
AnfinsenArt
Teacher's Unions and state legislators around the country are grappling with the issues of pay increases and bonuses. At issue are the budget deficits states are facing, and their need to slash spending across the board, including funding for education.
Teachers expect to be compensated for their time and the moneys spent in earning degrees and participating in continuing education and certification. Legislators are facing growing unrest in the public and private sectors over declines in student testing and performance while trying to cope with budget shortfalls.
I don't have a dog in this race, but common sense tells me there's something to be said for measuring performance and using that as a leading indicator of success. In every other profession, competition and performance are the measuring sticks for profitability.
Take manufacturing. Companies face ever increasing government regulation and taxation. If they produce an inferior product, they are fined or there are lawsuits from consumers. In other words, there are checks and balances.
The construction industry is no different. The latest rash of lawsuits over Chinese drywall is a good example. Builders and suppliers who got caught in the middle are losing money, profits, and customers. Housing production is at an all time low.
Construction companies are measured by these criteria: quality, timeliness, performance, and the end product. They are not measured by how many years they've been in business, or by how many titles or degrees they have earned.
Attorneys, doctors, grocers, restauranteurs and retailers only receive a bonus or a profit when their products or services sell. Inferior products or services can mean the death knell for any one of these professions. Why should it be any different for the teaching profession? The last time I looked, the product of teachers is their students, although, some even argue this point. The entire aim of the teaching profession is to produce educated people who can drive the engine of our economy in the future.
Doctors and lawyers charge hourly wages based on their education and experience, but whether they receive those moneys is dependent on competition, reputation and results. The teacher's influence on a child should never be underestimated, but as with any profession, there must be measurable ways to determine individual success. After all, the end product is children's minds, and the future of our nation and way of life hang in the balance. Why should teachers be put on an untouchable pedestal, above reproach and devoid of accountability?
I come from a long line of teachers, and take pride in having five teachers in our family today. I revere teachers and respect their profession. As the mother of six children, I had a lion's share of parent-teacher conferences and PTA meetings. Over the years, I've seen good teachers and bad teachers. There must be a way to separate the wheat from the chaff so that our children don't suffer. Measuring a child's performance is certainly one way.
Just like being a child's best friend is not a realistic way to measure good parenting, so being a friendly fun teacher, a teacher my child may like is not the way to measure good teaching.
Ms. Morrell was my English teacher; a stern spinster, and the butt of many jokes and complaints from her students. But without her, I may never have become a writer. She knew her stuff! She was firm, but patient. She insisted on good behavior and was a hard task master when it came to grammar. But she could see past the jeers and bluster of her students.
She encouraged me to enter the school's literary contest and I won. She saw in me what I couldn't see in myself. I remember her to this day, not as the frumpy spinster with the stern look, but for what she taught me. Lessons that stayed with me throughout my entire life.
Mr. Holmstead was my History teacher. A fun-loving man who walked a shaky line between likability and control. Somehow he managed it; not because of classroom rules or rigid authoritarianism, but through his own charisma and passion for his subject.
Whether you liked history or hated it, you were bound to love how Mr. Holmstead told a story. He captured our attention and made history seem relevant and wondrous. The test questions were easier to remember because of the performance and the theatrics he tied to each fact. Those who thought history was boring were in for a big surprise.
By noon, Mr. Holmstead already had a five o'clock shadow. By the end of the day, his tie had been loosened, his jacket hung on a chair and his sleeves were rolled up. We loved history because he loved history. His teaching was infectious.
And then there are the not-so-great teachers. I met one of them at a parent teacher conference. She was irritated by my energetic son. " He fidgets too much at his desk, " I was told.
" And why does he fidget, " I asked? Turns out my son finished his work before the other students and then he became a distraction. He even turned over his paper and doodled on the back, of all things, making his worksheet messy and dirty (the nerve).
By the time I finished listening, I knew there was nothing I could say or do to change this teacher's mind. I did suggest that she give my son another sheet of paper to doodle on while he waited, but she refused, saying that she didn't have time to cater to one student. Oh, the " mind is a terrible thing to waste! " ( Negro College Fund Slogan).
I never met a more stubborn teacher who was determined to get this bundle of energy (my son) to conform, to sit still, and to bend to her will. It never once occurred to her to harness that energy, either to help her in the classroom or to do an extra project. Teachers like that don't belong in the teaching profession.
Here is the flip side to that story. In my son's sixth grade year, he had a teacher named Mrs. Bush. The children loved her, not because she was lenient or friendly, but because they knew what to expect from her. Her discipline was consistent; her style full of expectation and follow through.
My son was still the same wiggly, talkative child, but she used that enthusiasm to both his and her advantage. When he sat fidgeting after finishing his work, she showed him how to use the classroom camera. He took pictures of designated materials under her supervision. And wouldn't you know, the envious other children began to work harder to finish their work so that they could use the camera.
At one point, during their study of China, Mrs. Bush showed him a tiny picture of a Chinese dragon and challenged him to see what he could do with it. She gave him some brushes and paints and turned him loose on the classroom window. By the end of the day, he had completed a giant, colorful dragon; an exact replica of the original drawing.
T hat painting amazed not only me, but the entire school. Mrs. Bush saw a glimmer in my son and harnessed his active mind and body. A true modern-day miracle worker. Teacher's like this never scream for recognition or pay, but they deserve it. They simply do what they do best: teach children. I say God bless them!
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