What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a teacher?
-routine, lack of respect, student apathy, and bureaucracy can wear teacher's down
-the joy of working with children caring colleagues, and intellectual stimulation motivate teachers
merit pay/pay-for-performance
attempts to make teaching more accountable by linking teacher and student performance to teacher salary
-better teachers earn more money
what are the satisfactions and the complaints of today's teachers?
majority of teachers are satisfied. many feel that better pay and more reasonable workloads are in order.
- teachers are concerned about student discipline problems and a lack of parental and administrative support; some committees pay well and offer pleasant working conditions and strong parent support
tenure
expectancy of continued employment; tenure has protected teachers from dismissal
is teaching a good fit for you?
salaries and free time are great, but answer lies as much as in your heart.
can we consider teaching to be a profession?
a better way to think about it is that teaching moves the world forward. semiprofession:
how has teacher preparation changed over the years?
19th century normal schools were established to prepare teachers. today; mixed. some schools require years of education, and superior performance is recognized through board certification. other programs emphasize alternative certification, a type of apprenticeship not unlike what was practiced in colonial america
normal school
reverend samuel established this; marked the beginning of teacher education in America.
- a two-year teacher education institution popular in the 19th century, many of which were expanded to become today's state colleges and universities.
horace man
instrumental in establishing the first state supported normal school in lexington massachusetts.
national board for professional teaching standards
goal is to award board certification to experienced teachers whose skills and knowledge indicate their high level of achievement
5 criteria of NBPTS
mastery of subject area, commitment to students, ability to effectively manage a classroom, continuous analysis of teaching performance, and a commitment to learning and self-improvement
two teacher education approaches
traditional and alternative
traditional
vast majority of teachers are prepared through traditional. students study teaching and subject matter and then do a teaching experience
alternative
focuses on learning how to teach through a structured apprenticeship, a sort of on-the-job training.
Teach for America
teach for two years in under-resourced urban and rural schools; created by wendy kopp
-college graduates who want to make a positive difference in the world by helping poor students succeed in school
teaching residency
emerging teacher-preparation program; recruits talented teacher candidates ready to commit to a career in the classroom that is longer than two years; they are undress supervision of a master teacher; expected to teach for at least five years
education professors want to prepare:
-teachers who are themselves lifelong learners and are constantly updating their skills
-teachers committed to teaching children's to be active learners
teachers who have high expectations of all their students
teachers who are deeply knowledgeable about the content of the specific subjects they will be teaching
urban legends about teaching
teachers are born not made
all you really need to know is the subject your teaching
teacher education students are less talented than other college majors
National Educational Association( American Federation of Teachers)
a national organization of teachers that is primarily concerned with improving educational conditions and protecting teachers' rights
what are some resources that are good for teaching?
education week and teacher magazine keep teachers abreast of educational developments
teacher's license
a teaching credential issued by a state government that grants the legal right to teach, not unlike a driver's license, which grants the legal right to drive. each state has its own requirements for licensure
suggestions for making yourself an attractive teaching candidate
1. plan your coursework carefully.
2.do not underestimate the importance of extracurricular activities
3. develop a resume and portfolio.
consider making your portfolio
purposeful, selective, diverse, ongoing(growth), reflective, collaborative
build your portfolio in three steps
1. collect items for your portfolio
2. select items for inclusion from this pool of artifacts.
3. reflect on what was learned from each activity. self assessment should serve as a powerful learning tool
4. begin collecting recommendations
Why is their furor about failing schools?
-americans tend to romanticize what schools were like when they attended as children
- americans hold unrealistic expectations
- schools today work with tremendous numbers of poor students, non-english speaking, and special education students who not be attending school at all years ago
- manufactured crisis:much blame is on the press, which has been all too willingly to publish negative stories about schools
pedagogy
the science of teaching
collective bargaining
a negotiating procedure between employer and employees for resolving disagreements on salaries, work schedules, and other conditions of employment. In collective bargaining, all teachers in a school system bargain as one group through chosen representatives.