On Fri, 30 Aug 2002, Jim Mork wrote: > It is disheartening to see a discussion that has > gone on SO long with so little productive > accomplishment. So many people claim teachers > don't teach well, yet almost NEVER do I see the > slightest hint of what this "inefficiency" is > about.
There are a number of institutional problems in the public schools, of which ineffective teaching is but one. > How can we hold a learned discussion of teaching > if we don't even have a clue what good teaching > is? Some claim that offering vouchers to allow > kids to go to schools with higher test scores > would solve the problem. But until you have > DEFINED the problem, how do you know its true? > Perhaps the better school only works due to some > aspect of its student population. The problem is that many students fail to learn [problem defined]. That is, they progress through primary and middle school unable to read, do simple mathematics, or speak fluent English [problem specified]. Teaching plays a role in this, but the primary problem is structural. There's not much that you can teach a student in a middle school history class if they cannot read and not much you can teach them in a math class if they can't add, subtract, multiply and divide. One reason that these conditions exist is because our district does not insure that students master basic skills before proceeding to the next grade level, i.e., they still social promote students beyond their academic abilities [problem partially explained]. These are all issues that I've dealt with in previous posts, but let's discuss teaching specifically for a moment. It is well known what constitutes good teaching. This research has been around for years, but because it tends to contradicts some of the current educational dogma not much is done to implement it. 1) Expert teachers have extensive knowledge and understanding of their subject matter that goes beyond a rudimentary understanding of facts. What are the institutional restraints on this factor? Most generally, we don't test teachers on their knowledge of their subjects. Why not? Because: a) Teacher training programs haven't emphasized content knowledge, rather they emphasize general teaching methodology grounded in progressivist educational philosophy (which has never been shown to be effective empirically); b) The teachers unions have traditionally opposed standards and the testing of teachers. 2) Expert teachers, from the first day of class, establish structured and disciplined classrooms. Through out the school year they apply the same rules fairly and consistently. What are the institutional restraints on this factor? a) Contemporary educational philosophy holds that discipline and structure inhibit student learning. They cite extreme examples from the past and fail to acknowledge research showing the positive outcomes of structured classrooms. b) Liberal public school administrators are unwilling to tarnish their careers by supporting individual teachers in disciplinary actions. 3) Expert teachers have extensive practical knowledge of what works with students in a classroom setting. I believe that this involves both personality and experience. What are the institutional restraints on this factor? Primarily, we don't have a good system for weeding out the teachers who never get it. Bad teachers don't quit, they just stay on till retirement. The unions ,weak-kneed administrators, and an unconcerned public are responsible for this problem. > I would be shocked if no one in education > research has zeroed in on the reasons for poor > school performance, but if you read the debates, > they might as well not have. Everyone jumps > right to their favorite nostrum without really > ever defining the problem for which they are > prescribing the remedy. If you're not shocked yet, let me know and I can cover these issues in more detail. Michael Atherton http://QualityEd.US Candidate for Minneapolis School Board Prospect Park ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prepared and paid for by the Atherton for MPS Committee. 156 Orlin Ave SE, Mpls, MN 55414 _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
