The Feb. 25 issue of Time Magazine has an excellent article on making better teachers. Among the things the article tells are these:
"It takes at least two years to master the basics of classroom management, and six to 7 to become a fully proficient teacher."
"A third of teachers quit within their first three years on the job and as many as 50% leave poor, urban schools within five years."
Many teachers leave the profession because of poor salaries, but an equal number cite issues related to working conditions: too little time to prepare, too heavy of a teaching load, too large of class size, student behavioral problems, and lack of influence in schools.
A sidebar by Linda Darling-Hammond tells of the success of other nations in keeping teachers, guiding students to success in the classroom, and providing teachers a respected place in community. The article, How They Do It Abroad should be required reading by every teacher, every administrator and school board member in America. We are falling behind and failing to engage our children by failing to give teachers the encouragement and support required for their success. I also have to note that Sweden and Finland are among the top schools in both the keeping of teachers and the success of their students. Is it any wonder that Sweden and Finland were the birthplace of educational sloyd? Finland and Sweden are among those nations in which sloyd handcrafts are still a part of their national school curriculum. It is not just a coincidence that they would be so much better than us, hands down.
I've got to agree with the premise of the article and with yours. After teaching in urban settings for over 30 years (boy, does that ever make me feel old) sometimes I wonder why I stayed. But I love the work, and enjoy seeing students progress.
ReplyDeleteMario
Mario, by now, you've mastered the early hard part, and now the challenge can be like that of a lion tamer. You get out the whip and snap it once in awhile to keep the idiots at bay who would take the fun out of it. Many teachers suffer from burn-out before they get a chance to pass along the things they've learned and mastered. One of the things I liked about the Time article was the suggestion of mentoring new with (I won't say old) experienced. But then if administrators have to acknowledge experience, would they have to pay you more?
ReplyDelete30 years to master the hard early part. Wow. Well, that makes sense, since in the early days I had a sneaking feeling that I was just an impostor and not a real teacher. But today was one of those days when I felt more like an orchestra conductor when everything went right and students were participating.
ReplyDeleteMario