Building a Better Teacher

In the article “Building a better teacher”, by Elizabeth Green she gives a call to action that we need to strengthen our teachers to be able to better educate our children. By the 1930’s teachers started to be mass produced. But what is being produced by these teachers is the question at hand. Though the teachers have the correct degree and the technical training to be in their field of work the students may still suffer. As the evidence in this article suggest that there is more to teaching then what is solely learned in the college classrooms.

There are many different methods and styles that are being tested to find the best way to move children forward. Deborah Lowewenberg Ball introduced a test called the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching; this test has given us a small window to look into the results of the quality of teachers on the quality of students. There has been studies that show that how a teacher fairs on the M.K.T. test, his or her students will follow suit. The children have of a likelihood of scoring lower on standard tests if their teacher also scored low. Ball believes that to teach you must not only know the material but be able to know how your students might also come to the wrong answers.

There are also many different opinions on whether teachers need continuing education or if it should be considered just throwing money away. It is stated that another educational expert Jonah Rockoff, feels as though there is no evidence that having teachers take continuing education classes would increase the knowledge of the student’s under their care. Some schools have tried to introduce a compensation package or merit pay to be able to stay competitive with other professions.

Doug Lemov has been one of the leaders in the field of training teachers. He has videotaped teachers in their classroom which has helped him to become an expert in this field. He has used what he has discovered to introduce 49 techniques called taxonomy soon to be released in a book. He travels to provide training workshops and lectures to teachers. The many different ideas that Lemov has come up with are simple and easy to be used and implemented. “Central to Lemov’s argument is a belief that students can’t learn unless the teacher succeeds in capturing their attention and getting them to follow instructions.” Lemov has seen his taxonomy put into practice and the results have been raised scores.

“Lemov and Ball focus on different problems, yet in another way they are compatriots in the same vanguard, arguing that great teachers are not born but made.”