Reforming Education: Part 2 Teachers

Teachers.  They are one of the most important aspects of a child’s education (I say one of because I feel that parents have a role in this as well).  A good teacher has the potential to reach the disenfranchised, to challenge each student, to lead each child towards success by honing their talents.  A bad teacher has the ability to undo all that.

Teachers today have more than ever on their plates:  overcrowded schools, over-testing, less time to fit in an expanded curriculum, more paperwork, more requirements.  Most teachers leave the job within the first 5 years.  Why?  The complete and utter lack of support and the judging eyes of, well, the country.

The heart of school reform needs to start with the teachers.  First of all, we,  as a society, need to realize that someone is not “just” a teacher.  We need to stop thinking of teachers by the statement, “If you can, do. If you can’t, teach”.  It is demeaning, condescending, and is completely untrue.  This is not to say that their are not many bad teachers out there, teachers simply biding time, collecting a paycheck, phoning it in, differentiating between those worthy of our attention (“the good kids”) and those not (the “unreachable/troublemakers/poor students”).   However,   many of our teachers are innovative, educated, and highly talented. These wonderful teachers deserve our respect and honor.

That being said, the question is how do we retain teachers and give them the support to become a force in the classroom?  Many education students leaving the hallowed halls of their institution are well aware of the theories, the ideas, the methods.  They have practiced them in their student teaching assignments, under the expert care (if they are lucky) of a skilled cooperating teacher.  But this assignment  is alot different than having your own classroom.  Many veteran teachers (particularly older teachers) treat you like a rookie, looking down on you as if you have nothing to offer.  Administrators don’t have the time or patience for questions or “on the job training”.   So-called “mentoring” programs for first year teachers (and beyond) are sorely lacking.  If we want to retain teachers, we need strong mentoring programs that involve the best and the brightest in the building.  We need to offer these teachers a safe place to voice their concerns and their troubles without fear of looking “inferior”.  We need to have teachers willing to open their files and share their creations and ideas with other teachers, rather than all first year teachers having to create everything from scratch.  This will give new teachers the opportunity to focus on the students and their technique, rather than working themselves to death creating what already exists.

Furthermore, we need teachers that think outside the box  and administrators that support them in doing so.  Education, in order to be successful, needs to reach as many students as possible by reaching each of those students through their own talents.  To do so requires innovative, differentiated instruction, and may look nothing like a typical classroom. We need teachers and administrators that are not afraid of some organized chaos in the classroom.  We need teachers to attend training that is truly useful to them, rather than just trying to fulfill some requirement.  Then we need to give them the time required to prepare and implement this training in their classrooms.

We need to support teachers facing burn-out.  I know alot of mediocre teachers that were once great.  It isn’t that they lost their ability or  simply don’t care.  The fact of the reality is that they care too much, burned the candle at both ends, and have little left to give.  The system, in all its terrible ways, has created this problem.  We need to support them, back them up, and help them find the fire they once had for the job.

We need merit pay.  I may be the only teacher out there touting this, but I firmly believe it needs to be done.  I understand the arguments against it: how will we determine merit, who determines merit, will it be based solely on test scores, and how can you compare those scores from inner city to middle-upper class suburbia?  I understand all the arguments, and I have to say,  find a way and figure it out.  Merit pay should not be based solely on test scores.  It should be based on in-class observations by not only administration, but also other teachers that are in the same trenches.  We need to honor those that are going above and beyond, searching to find ways of reaching each child, and taking risks in the classroom.  The merit pay does not have to be in place of the current step system, but can be done in bonuses throughout the year.  Good teachers should be paid more for their work, and it should be used as incentive for others to become better.

Finally, it is time to put those teachers that are just “phoning it in”, not trying, teaching the “good kids” while writing off the “non-compliant”, hiding behind their tenure, their notice.  Tenure is not something to hide behind, not something to protect you at all costs.  You were hired to teach.  Teach.  Every student.  To the best of your ability.  And if the best of your ability isn’t good enough for our students, and you don’t have the drive or the ability to learn to be better,  it is time to stare at that reality and find new line work.  It may be harsh, but it is what is best for our students, our children, our future.  And, after all, isn’t that why we entered this profession in the first place?

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If you found this interesting or moving, I am going to ask for your support.  I honestly think that we can start to solve some of these probems with a grassroots movement.  I have named my Dream (Photography) Assignment here.  My goal, if given the opportunity, is to find wonderful, innovative teachers creating real change in their schools, camps, and communities.  I would photograph them, interview them, and document it all on a website.  My hope is that through this website, teachers can find inspiration, share ideas, share stories, share content and share techniques that will make them better teachers.  If you think that this is a worthwhile project, please take a moment and vote for me here.  Thank you so much.

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