Take a look at this interview between Charlie Rose and a past Teacher of the Year? What choices did she make to become this kind of a teacher? Does NCLB have any connectivity to her success?
http://www.charlierose.com/features/the-education-series
It is the second interview from the top.
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Charlie Rose’s interview with past Teacher of the Year award winners provided a wealth of information on the important qualities of a successful teacher, what changes need to be made in order to improve our nation’s schools, and the impact of NCLB on our nation’s schools. The teachers discussed what factors drove them to want to become a teacher and how they have been able to succeed as teachers. One of the teachers discussed the fact that he entered the teaching field because he wanted to make a difference and to be able to use his creativity. He also discussed the fact that he found it very rewarding whenever a student was inspired to learn more on their own outside of class. The teachers also discussed how rewarding it was to watch their students’ progress throughout the course of the year.
The teachers in the panel also discussed which changes they think should be enacted in order to improve the quality of education in schools. The teachers emphasized the importance of achieving equality for all students. One of the teachers suggested that good facilities and teachers are of the utmost importance. He stressed the need to challenge and reward teachers who perform well, and he also emphasized the importance of transitioning consistently poor performing teachers out of the profession. This would help to ensure that teachers who perform well in the classroom feel as though their work is being adequately appreciated. One of the guests discussed the idea that teachers need more sufficient professional training to prepare them for the classroom environment. She also discussed the idea that observing other successful teachers can be beneficial. One of the guests argued that teachers must also understand the needs of the individual students. The teachers also argued that it is important to inspire students by using techniques which are relevant to the students’ lives.
The teachers also discussed the impact that NCLB had on themselves and on our nation’s schools. The teachers on the panel think that NCLB has led to some tangible improvements in education, but they also recognize that the legislation is not perfect. These teachers seemed to accept the fact that a greater deal of importance was being placed upon standardized test results, but they did not allow NCLB or the existence of standardized assessments to greatly impact the way they manage their classroom. The teachers praised NCLB for helping to improve teacher quality in certain schools and in certain areas. One of the teachers who taught ESL also stated that NCLB had helped her students greatly and had allowed them to join in additional classroom activities and to learn English more effectively. Some of the teachers suggested that teacher effectiveness should not only be based on student performance on standardized tests. They stressed the idea that the standardized assessments often focus on a narrow skills set, and social studies and science are often not even tested. This has hurt the social studies, science, and art programs across the country as these programs have been limited or eliminated in some schools. One of the guests declared that he has witnessed that creative students are in some cases being frustrated by the current system.
This interview demonstrated that there is no single definition of what a good teacher is. The differences between these teachers, their teaching styles, and their experiences were all great, but the end result was the same in all of their cases. They were able to interact with their students in a way that stimulated their minds and helped them grow as students.
One of the teachers talked about how she new from her earliest days as a student that when she grew up she wanted to be a teacher. While another found his calling to be a teacher from being in schools that had many less privileged kids with in them. Both of these sources of motivation worked to drive these teachers to excel in their fields and also enabled them to connect with their students in a way that others may have struggled.
When asked what the most important things were in a child's education, the teachers responded over overwhelmingly that good teachers are vital to make good students. They also made it clear that these quality teachers needed to be in every class room in America. From private schools to inner city schools. All students should have the equal opportunity to share in a high quality education provided by the highest of quality teachers available.
This brought the group to the discussion of the NCLB law and its impact on their teaching and its impact on education in the US as a whole. The majority of the four teachers believed that these laws although enacted for good reasons still feel short of what needed to be done to help spur the advances needed in our education system. This does not mean that some benefits have not been seen thus far, as they were quick to point out.
Improvements in our education have been seen since the implementation of this new law. The distribution of quality teachers, although still not nearly equal across the country, has begun to move towards equality, and help is beginning to reach places that it is most needed. This however, is at the expense of having to deal with standardized testing to a much larger degree than previously. These teachers realize the change, but also realize that if significant changes are going to be made to the present system, tangible data is going to play a large part initially.
Overall, it seems that these teachers don't love the NCLB law, but certainly do not hate them. They see this law as a stepping stone to better legislation in the future. It appears to me as though just like any good teacher, they are all very optimistic in both what their students can achieve and what the education system in this country can become.
These interviews were incredibly interesting considering the panel included the most nationally notable educators and their stories and views were vastly different and yet many aspects similar.
The first gentleman discussed his previous occupation as a forester and transitioned into teaching because he wanted to have a greater impact on the world and embrace his creativity as an individual. The others either knew or were inspired early on to become educators. Obviously, since they are all the best in their field, they discussed the rewarding aspects of the profession and the differences they felt that they have made on the students; however, they also admit that there are numerous challenges plaguing the teachers as individuals and as a profession.
The most controversial topic included NCLB, which was strategically omitted until the end. They all have some success stories since the implementing of the program. For instance, one teacher talked about the hiring of an experienced and talented educator to a remedial class, which normally was neglected, in order to assure that the students made progress defined by NCLB. However, all of the teachers discussed the fallacies of the national program, and it's ambiguous language and goals. I enjoyed their thoughts about the standardized tests ignoring many subjects, which result in the growing number of drop outs that were talented in more creative areas of study.
I agree with their observations and their view about finding a medium in this debate of federal vs. state rights in education. Also, the manner in which to assess the merit of teachers through an array of categories rather than simply the scores of their students.
One final note, I really enjoyed their lack of an answer about McCain's views on education while embracing Obama's centrist stances. Something to think about...
I heard a few comments throughout the video regarding the choice to become an effective teacher. Kim Oliver said that she knew early on that she wanted to have a job that she would love. It is interesting later that Michael Geisen said he was in a completely opposite profession before he got into teaching and he said that each morning when he would wake up he just realized that he was not doing anything to "change the world" before his teaching profession. Kim also touched on the fact that she wanted to do something that would make a difference in the lives of others. And lastly, she said that being a teacher allows her to bring passion and creativity to her classroom.
Joel Klein discussed three major points that defines a "quality" teacher. First, students need to know that the teacher cares and is there to inspire. Second, teachers have to be able to engage students in subject content. And the most important aspect of good teaching, in Joel's opinion was that you need to know your subject matter.
NCLB does have connectivity to the success of these teachers through some degree. The one principle of NCLB regarding accountability means that schools and teachers have to increase their efforts or else the students will not be prepared when it is time to take a standardized test. Michael Geisen says near the end of the video that NCLB was created with the best intentions, but has a narrow focus and is limited to judge actually how educated a student truly is. Jason Kamras brought up the point in the final minutes that principals were forced to put their best teachers in the worst classrooms in order to meet NCLB goals and that in his opinion is a great change for equal rights in our schools.
I like what Michael Geisen argued against standardized testing by saying that it diminishes a child's ability to tap into creativity. The students who seem to be the most creative and free thinking are the ones who reject the way school is being conducted and typically drop out or do very poorly in school.
Standardized tests also do not measure a child's ability to collaborate with other students. There is no way to measure a students ability to communicate and it is imperative to be able to work with co-workers in the working world. Also, students need to become better human beings in addition to better educated individuals. Michael and Jason both brought up these two points.
One point I really liked was a comment made by Jason Kamras. He made the statement that why do we continue to pay teachers more money based on continued education when 9 times out of 10 additional education does not always indicate an overall better quality teacher. In my own personal opinion, I agree with the idea of merit pay and that principals should get feedback of students and parents to determine increased pay increases.
PKlyle...interesting observation regarding the McCain /Obama position. I will digress just a bit as I heard a UPENN professor make the comment that Obama is reviving a sort of Booker T. Washington agenda for the A.A. population. In other words Obama is asking the AA population to accomodate to the prevailing systems in place that keep them in lower functioning schools and poverty. I disagreed. Obama's message as I understand it...turn the TV off, read to your childeren, don't abandon them, take responsibility (he reminded me of Bill Cosby in his recent tour to urban zones). Anyway this AA professor seemed to posit that Obama's postion on education "talked down" to the AA in the lower socio-economic groups. Has NCLB left the Harrisburg School District in any better shape...(they ranked last in PSSA scores)...or are their larger cultural / economic issues to fix first before the "test" is material to some of these kids. Great comments so far...I think Charlie Rose did a great job with this conversation. Mark
The interview with the Teacher of the year award winners allowed me to see what qualities make a great teacher. One point that struck me is that you have to wake up in the morning and love what you do. It is important to choose a rewarding profession and not focus on the monetary aspect of your profession. It is obvious that these teachers love their job. Effective teachers need to be creative, passionate and inspiring. I can't think of a more rewarding job than becoming a teacher and building relationships with students.
The teachers discussed the changes needed to improve the quality of education in school. One comment I found interesting was to reward teachers who perform well and transition teachers out of teaching who do not perform well. My thought is to help teachers who are struggling and have on-going mentor programs in our schools. Schools should focus on hands-on professional development to encourage great teaching. I think it is imperative to have authentic learning at all times. I read an interesting article that suggests students are not dropping out of school because they do not understand the curriculum; they are dropping out of school because they are bored. Teachers must be aware that students learn differently today verses twenty years ago. Today’s learner is tech savvy and is use to multi-tasking. Perhaps we need to rethink how we are instructing our students?????
I found this entire interview tremendously informative. I was pleasantly surprised, for example, by the realism expressed by all four teachers. I was expecting the sort of teacher that doubles as a sort of education cheerleader, but they all had very realistic views of the profession.
That said, I loved watching the teachers debate their differing perspectives. I think that sort of openness is precisely what attracts so many different people to teaching. There are a few rare beings who know from an early age, but there are many others who take up teaching after giving up other professions. Those who have attempted other careers, such as the teacher who was formerly a forester, bring unique perspectives brought on by outside experiences.
One commonality that all four teachers had was the desire to make a difference. One discussed the rewarding nature of ESL work, which is doubtless incredibly challenging. Yet another talked about the look on a kindergarten student's face when they finally figure out that they know how to read. I think every teacher, regardless of how late they come into the profession, enters it just to see that "Aha" look.
Honestly, I did not see that NCLB had anything to do with the success of any of these teachers. NCLB did benefit them, but only in that it drew more attention to issues in the educational system and helped to spotlight those educators who were doing exceptionally well all along. These teachers would have done a wonderful job with or without any standards telling them what issues need to be addressed. I do think that NCLB has helped some classrooms, such as the example given of a remedial classroom. The teacher assigned to students who genuinely need extra help is now the best teacher in the building instead of a "warm body" to throw behind a desk. Special education is also receiving extra attention, but that is mostly because NCLB attempted to lump that in with general education and failed miserably. I must say though, my hat is off to Charlie Rose for managing to not mention NCLB until the very end. Had that been brought up any sooner, nothing else would have been covered. Issues like merit pay, universal pre-K, and assessment styles have been debated in educational circles for years and have gotten considerably less attention in the wake of the government's botched attempt at standardization.
Even though this has nothing to do with the prompt, I must say that I agree with PKyle about how amusing their responses were with regard to the presidential candidates. That could have something to do with the fact that McCain has been slightly less than forthcoming about his views on education. Actually, while leafing through a copy of NEA Today (a close friend is a member) a few months ago, I came across an article that broke down the stances of all the candidates at the time. Out of all the candidates mentioned, only McCain's entries consistently came up as "unknown" because he never returned the questionnaire that the NEA sent. Again, just a thought.
The Charlie Rose interviews of the four previous winners of the Teacher of the Year award was a very valuable source of knowledge for aspiring teachers. The four teachers demonstrate the best of the profession that we are all aspiring to join. It was interesting to have these four future collegues to aknowledge that they feel that they are not genuinely respected as professionals and often within the piece it was made evident that many teachers feel that they are not regarded as professionals. Also the panel mentioned that a major issue is the pay rate.
It was also interesting hearing the difference between these four teachers, which demonstrates the fact that there is not a cookie cutter image of the ideal teacher. It was refreshing to learn that Kathy Mellor realized her passion early in life in kindergarden and still feels that her job is important and meaningful. Jason Kamras realized that the profession he was doing prior to teaching was not providing a way for him to leave a lasting impact on the world. However I highly agree with Jason Kamras believe that it is not important how a teacher becomes a teacher, but what they do in the classroom. I think this is a idea that is often lost in the changing atmosphere in education. We have become a society that favors the gpa over the charisma. In my opinion a lot of teachers with enormous potential have been lost to other professions because they could not secure a 3.0.
Perhaps one of the most important elements of the current education system to be discussed was NCLB. The teachers in the panel seem to respect and believe that at the heart of the law it is a great idea. Yet the execution of the NCLB program was poor. Kathy Mellor mentions how it is hard to gauge success with only one test. In regards to whether the NCLB has made the teachers better I disagree I think it has just made it has shifted who has access to these "good" teachers. As Jason Kamras said where once a warm body sat in a low level math class, now one of the best teachers actually teaches. It allows students who once may have been written off to be given an oppurtunity to learn from better teachers. It was interesting that they ended this topic so quickly. I believe it would have been beneficial to hear from the panel if they believed that the law negatively affected higher performing students.
As Chelsea said, "There is not a cookie cutter image of the ideal teacher." The past winners of the Teacher of the Year award were different in age, sex, subject area, and their reasons for becoming a teacher. I think this is very important to understand; being a teacher means there is no mold or formula to follow. Just as each child is unique and an individual, each teacher must learn to change their style of teaching for different students.
Jason Kamras was discussing this point in the beginning of the video as he talked about equal opportunities for all students. Different students absorb knowledge differently and its the job of the teacher to try to present information in different ways so all students feel included and involved.
Just as everyone else as said, and the professionals agreed, the NCLB act sounds good on paper but it hard to follow. I was watching another interview and the Chancellor of the D.C. school district said that one of the most important things to change in schools is to get better teachers. This seems like the opposite of what the NCLB act asks for. Teachers should some sort of accountability, but how much is still up in the air.
I was incredibly impressed with the varying personalities involved in this interview. Each of these extraordinary teachers came from a different background, subject, motivation and overall path in life. To observe such diverse personalities all sharing a love of teaching was very refreshing.
As the discussion turned to NCLB the conversation varied no less than on any other topic. The consensus seemed to be that NCLB is a respected piece of legislation with great ideas behind it, however it is poorly executed. I was very interested by the quick discussion about standardized testing. While one teacher seemed to encourage standardized testing as a method of evaluating teachers and students progress, most others seemed to disagree or to avoid the topic all together. On the topic of NCLB I agree with Chelsea. I think that the topic was quickly brought up and quickly passed by. To hear more dialogue on the effects of the legislation on varying classrooms would have been very interesting.
Overall, I see eye to eye with Amanda in her statement that these teachers would be exceptional educators with or without NCLB. While NCLB has helped some classrooms, I am very interested to see studies (decades from now) on the adverse effects that this system may have on average and gifted students.
Charlie Rose's interview with his panel of successful teachers hit very close to home. Each one told stories of how they were inspired by past educators to become one themselves. I myself can relate to this panel as I too was inspired by a high school teacher to follow my dream of one day becoming a teacher. Each spoke to some degree of how they did more than simply teach, but strove to inspire their students to be curios, creative, and to begin learning on their own. All are exceptional and effective teachers, but teach different subjects and use a variety of techniques. Because of this I still believe it to be hard to have one solid definition of what a highly qualified teacher is.
The panel brought up many key issues and points that could potentially resolve the education problem that our country faces. Jason Rameres brought up a point of how there needs to be a greater emphasis on being an effective teacher, rather than the process of becoming a teacher. Potential teachers face many rigors from maintaining high gpas, to passing crucial exams such as the Praxis. However, simply maintaining a high gpa or scoring well on a competency exam will not necessarily make you a better or effective teacher. Jason's point of putting a strong focus on actually teaching seems a much better way of creating effective teachers, rather than simply having to make the grade.
I also found the panels view on how assess teachers. While this part of the interview did not speak of NCLB, it is related to it. Under NCLB a teacher can be assessed through exams or government standards. While federal oversight on teachers is a good thing, the panel stated that there are much better and more authentic ways of assessing teachers. Michael Giesen stated that it should be put to students and parents to help evaluate teachers. This seems incredibly effective as students are the ones interacting with their teachers every day. Kim Oliver also stated that "good teachers know other good teachers." Teachers should observe other teachers and collaborate on ways to improve their own methods.
When NCLB came to question, the panel had mixed feelings. Many believed the legislation to be a move in the right direction and huge step for civil rights. And in many cases it is. Raising the standards for all students, no matter what kind of school it is (urban, suburban, rural) is a great step for education. However, the methods of assessing students seems rather flawed. The panel believed the tests were to narrow and were hindering students from being creative. Testing is not necessarily the most accurate way of determining the intelligence of a teenage student.
The Charlie Rose interview gives good examples and situations along with qualities that are important in becoming a successful teacher. I believe it also shows that all teachers have different styles of teaching and they can relay the information to the students in many different ways. I strongly believe it is important to love what you do. I think this is huge when it comes to teaching. If someone does not love being a teacher, how can they help a child love to learn? As a teacher it is important to show interest and passion for what you are teaching and be excited about it. That will be beneficial in becoming a successful teacher. From the interview, and from everyday life, I learned that some people feel as if they are born to teach and that is their calling. Others may have other career paths and then decide they want to get into teaching.
As many others mentioned in their posts, NCLB once again sounds good on paper and sounds like a good plan, but is greatly flawed. I believe it is a step in the right direction but needs a great deal of revision done to become successful. They have found that NCLB has greatly benefited some schools and students, but has diminished others. The standardized tests seem to focus on math, reading and writing and tend to leave out the social studies and sciences. This could cause the students to not focus on these topics because they are not tested on them. One person mentioned that it is not right to judge the scores after one test. I agree and believe to actually see a child learn deals with watching them in the classroom, looking at their projects and not just focusing on standardized tests. I definitely agree with some of the previous posts, that with or without NCLB in play, many teachers will continue to be great teachers no matter what. I believe government is trying to help the schools as a whole and will continue revise and adjust this act in order for it to be successful.
The interview with the former teachers of the year was interesting in many ways. They covered a number of topics from the issue of how they became a teacher to those of merit pay and all year schooling. They all had very well thought out and well supported opinions on each subject. But it was not until the end that they directly addressed the issue of NCLB. There were a few time that they were skating around the subject like when they were talking about the subject of grading a teacher on the standardized test. This then transitioned the conversation into the idea of merit pay. I found it interesting that they did this a number of times as if they would rather not talk about it at all. I think that this maybe because they are all so sick of the subject and what it has done to the profession that the four of them had chosen. When it finally was brought up at the end with only ten minutes left to go it still seemed as if they would really rather not talk about it. It seemed like most of them with the exception of the teacher from D.C were totally opposed to it just for the simple reason that it does not work. They all agreed that it was good in theory but lacked implementation and that it was entirely to narrow in what it judged. So I do believe that it altered the way that they had to teach their students and how effective they could be in getting the students to really take a grasp on what it was that they were learning. But I don’t think that NCLB had any positive aspect on their success with their students except as the math teacher said that his scores showed a 40% increase but NCLB had noting to do with it. He explained why his students scores went up, it was from knowing his students and NCLB has no effect on that unless to discourage it, because teachers are to busy trying to make sure that those students have seen the material on the test and it leaves very little time for the teacher to create a solid and trusting relationship with their students. So in all reality I believe that NCLB has had no real positive effect on the teachers and how well they perform.
I found this interview enjoyable. It is great to see that this profession is bringing in people who have thought about being a teacher from such a young age to those who started off in another field.
Though there are different backgrounds to each of the teachers in the interview, each seemed to share one particular quality of wanting to see the progress children make.
Someone mentioned earlier about the quote that it's not how the teachers get to be a teacher, but it's what happens inside that teacher's classroom. I believe that latter part of the quote to be very important. A quality teacher needs to be able empower their students and make them want to learn.
It was great to hear the different opinions on what should be done in the classroom and outcomes from the policies already in affect the classroom. One of the major impacts I noticed the teachers mention was the lack of creativity for both the teachers and students. Several times the talk of the narrow minded tests the students are forced to take lead right back to the creativity aspect that has been lost.
I agree with the thought of teachers watching other teachers. There is only so much one can learn to become a better, more qualified teacher, and watching another teacher first hand seems to be the best way to gain more knowledge.
For a brief moment or two, there was talk about what NCLB has done for them as teachers, and for the ESL teacher, she mentioned that it brings the accountability into factor and the ESL kids can no longer be ignored. For the most part, I don't believe that this act has had an impact on their successes. One teacher even said that act demoralizes teachers with the narrow focus on reading, writing, and math. With the way these teachers responded and their positions, I believe they are successful because they have the students needs at heart and love to teach and are rewarded when their students make progress. It's also nice to note that none of these teachers are the same and proves that to be quality teacher, there isn't any set standard to follow.
I enjoyed the conversation between the past “Teacher of the Year” winners and found it very informative. The most important topic that was discussed was that there is no single silver bullet that will solve our education problem. What needs to be done is a single effort to by the United States to discover how education as a whole can be reformed. By doing this, the entire issue is being tackled instead of just small aspects of the whole problem. This then would be the silver bullet, not one single topic, but the issue of education as a whole.
It seems pretty obvious that most of us (and the teachers) agree that NCLB is a strong piece of legislation that has been poorly implemented. I will emphasize though that blame cannot always be solely placed with one entity, in this case, NCLB. While I do not think that NCLB has done nearly enough to help the current situation, it is not the only factor that plays into our predicament in public education. There needs to be support from all aspects of a student’s educational life. This includes, teachers, principals, parents, school board members, and peers. No one should be left unaccountable for the success or failure of a student or the public school system as a whole.
the one that really got me was the first science teacher. I watched what he said and thought to myself "thats it - that guys got it!" I don't know whether hes the guy who thinks like me who I'm the guy with his idea of education, but perhaps the most telling statement was when he declared that teaching isn't really about cramming as much "knowledge" in to the skulls of adolescents so they can retort it on some test (standardized or otherwise). To do that would be impossible. Our primary goal as teachers, in my opinion, should be to strive to get kids interested in your class - to inspire them at the very least to think that (in our case) History or Social Studies is more than just a subject kids have to take in high school - that it represents the thousands of stories by individuals, groups of people, or entire countries to make sense of the world around as they see it. Like art or music, history in its most basic sense reminds us that we're human. And in that regard, we are all the same.
This video was interesting in that the teachers all saw many good sides and bad sides to our educational programs. With concerns to NCLB the teachers seemed to have good and bad things to say about it. In one vision they saw it as sort of a step in the right direction because it does force good teachers to teach some of the lower achieving students in the school. When this occurs these students will improve because they are getting proper instruction. In another vision it was seen as a very ununified movement. Each state having its own standards really splits up who is doing well? or who's standards are to easy?
The teachers did seem to have some positive experiences from the NCLB movment. The only issue with this is these are some of the best teachers out there, so how have these issues treated the middle of the road teacher? Have they improved thier skills to teach or are they just being thrown with a "smart" class and being left alone. educational policies is a topic that will continue to be debated. Hopefully we can come up with the proper solution so every student can have the proper instruction.
I thought that the interview was very insightful. And I had to agree with the one teacher that I was amazed that they made it 50 minutes without talking about NCLB. I especially liked their response to standardized testing which is a direct tie with NCLB. Being a social studies teacher, one does not have to teach to the test, but we are still affected by it. Prompt questions are distributed in PSSA or other standardized testing format and the children are forced to ahear to that format. The testing in general limits the creativity of students. Teachers, no matter the subject are forced to comply with the testing protocol and thus both teacher and student become limited. It is my experience that students preform better when they are given a goal but are left to determine the way in which to get there. They are able to incorporate the things that interest them and thus are not bored and thus learn more in the process. However because the testing focuses on math and english the other subjects are being left behind.
Because the testing limits the focus on some diciplines it is up to the teachers, while sticking to the test protocol, to emphasize the use of these skills and interests. This is one point that the panel made about being a good teacher. You have to understand your students. You don't have to know their life story, but one should have a general sense of whether they like your subject, their creativity level and how they like to do projects, sports, etc.
Overall, the teachers liked the idea behind NCLB, which I think everyone does, but it is the way that that goal is trying to be reached that no teacher likes. However, with NCLB in place and probably not going anywhere for sometime, teachers are compensating. They are coming up with new ways to encorporate NCLB but still teach their students the required information in their diciplines in new and interesting ways.
The discussion among the four teachers on this panel was very informative, and I enjoyed listening to it. All of them got into the field because they wanted to impact kids' lives and "make a difference." I think that's really important. Teachers must be in it for the kids. Without a caring attitude toward students and a desire to see them succeed, I don't think a person could be an effective teacher. One thing that really struck me was when several of them talked about the merits of standardized testing and rewarding teachers based on student performance and improvement. I agree when the one guy talked about how he didn't think that one standardized test could adequately measure students' learning. There are many skills that are taught in the classroom that are more difficult to measure in that way. The emphasis on content standards will only be useful if the students can then take the content and apply it using problem-solving, critical thinking, communication skills, etc. And it's far more difficult to measure these kinds of skills on a standardized test. The discussion about using standardized tests to measure teacher accountability was interesting too. I like the idea of fellow teachers observing each other and offering input, both for the accountability issue and to help with professional development.
I think another theme that ran through the entire discussion is that schools must become much more flexible than they are right now if they want teachers and students to be more successful. Not every system will work as well for every student or every teacher, and there is no one right way to set up a school. Schools cling to the structure they've always had because it's easier that way. It would be hard work to rethink the US public school system. But if we want to improve student learning and teacher effectiveness, maybe we need to rethink some things.
Two items really stuck with me from these far reaching interviews. First, the topic of falling behind other countries this century is very potent. As a social studies major and current news buff, I have been watching China and India gain strength over the past decade. It is concerning to think that China and India can produce so many professional, brilliant students that will directly compete with our students. It is great that these countries are progressing, but it is troubling to think that our current educational system cannot keep up with those countries if we continue on our current trajectory. One of the greatest gifts we as teachers can offer our students is the ability to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it critically and creatively. I believe it is fair to say that as we continue to focus on standardized testing, our ability to foster creative growth in students diminishes. American creativity is the one characteristic that will enable the U.S. to remain as the superpower it currently is and enjoy offering global leadership. If we continue to suppress that ability of students to think outside the box, we will be on the sidelines as the new Asian powers via for the top spot in the 21st century.
Secondly, I thought it was exciting to hear the possibilities for change if a president gets in the White House that truly decides America is going to reclaim the educational system and make it work. A valid point was made that NCLB had some great qualities, such as a focus on civil rights, but there is so much more to be done. The importance of standardized tests has to be reduced and learning beyond math and reading has to be allowed to flourish once again. It is exciting to ponder how an active and effective government could change education for the better. Perhaps as teachers and unions we need to become more active and insure that education is viewed as not only a domestic issue, but as a matter of national security.
There seems to be a common theme in regards to why they became the teacher they did. They all want to be there for the student. They are not there for personal gain. Day in and day out, they are there for those they wish to help. All of the past Teachers of the Year show that they have their own unique way to reach out to their students. I guess what they stress overall is being flexible and adapting to their environmental factors in the classroom. Above all else though, the teacher must inspire those around them, engage their students in critical thinking, and be a subject matter expert.
On the subject of NCLB, they all seem to agree in the spirit of the law, but not the execution. There is a feeling on resentment that it has affected their successful style somewhat negatively. It is just a minor inconvenience with the implementation, yet a better education system is sorely needed and this is just one pathway to it. For the most part, they are all optimistic on the overall end state that can be achieved through better teachers.
All of the teachers involved in the discussion with Charlie Rose had important ideas about the current state of education and where they believe education should be heading. All of these teachers made choices that led to their outstanding achievement as educators. I found it interesting that they all had different experiences when deciding to become a teacher, like Kimberly Oliver who knew she wanted to teach since she was a child, and Michael Geisen who never wanted to teach and made a career as a forester. All of the teachers highlighted in this discussion eventually became teachers because they wanted to make a difference in the world, one child at a time. When discussing what it means to be a good teacher, they all stress the importance of genuinely caring for their students and having a desire to teach them. Jason Kamras explained how he reached out to his students, like he played chess with one of his students, spoke with parents, and also taught his content to the students. Kamras also chose to work in an urban school, which shows a truly caring quality of his personality. I really liked the three things that Joel Klein, Chancellor of the New York City Dept. of Education, said makes a good teacher- caring about their students, engaging students, and knowing the content. All of the teachers also articulated that they learned the most about teaching by observing other teachers. They believe that collaborating with other teachers to discuss problems, concerns, and course material is essential to their success. Overall, all of the teachers highlighted in the program cared for their students, loved their content area, and still had a desire to learn about ways to be an even better teacher.
When questioned about NCLB, I believe Jason Kamras articulated it best when he said that standardized state tests are a necessary part of the educational process, but should not be the sole grounds to base education on. He said that there are inherent problems with standardized tests, but they are also important for monitor progress. Kimberly Oliver added that tests should be used, but there should be other ways to monitor progress as well. For example, a child’s mental growth and emotional state should be examined to see how they are progressing in other ways than purely educational. Kathy Mellor, an ESL teacher has seen improvements in her students since NCLB. They all agreed that NCLB has made some improvements in education, but the legislation is definitely not perfect.
All the teachers in the interview expressed that teaching was possibly the most importand and rewarding thing they could do with their life. Given they argue that kids that are so gifted and bright are often times not given sufficient resources to grow and become knowledgeable. It falls on the teacher to find ways to use what they are given to help every student acheive their abilities. Equity is perhaps a major part of NLCB and also a major part of life. Why is it that students on one end of the same town go to schools that are almost opposites? But schools most likely have teachers that give students something they can actually carry with them outside the classroom. A major part of being a teacher is to foster interest, and by guiding students in the classroom one can help guide them outside the classroom as well. This is mostly life lessons and information that they have learned as a result of how they were taught in school.
I thought that this interview by Charlie Rose was extremley well done and that many very important issues were discussed during the interview with past teacher of the year award winners. I believe that the description of a "good" teacher by Jason Kamras of Washingtion D.C. was very well worded and that many teachers in the United States are not really helping their students grasp the material and are not stimulating their students to succeed in the classroom.
Many of these teachers spoke of wanting to make a difference and feel like they were accomplishing something and that is why they choose to become teachers. They all love children and want to maximize student growth which Karmas pointed out as being an aspect of a good teacher.
I believe that the NCLB did play a role in the success of each of these teachers. They all spoke of how many students just don't succeed because they do not have access to the same teachers, schools, and resources as many of those "successful" students. NCLB is making it possible through its many programs to bring those resources to the teachers and students so that can be successful in the classroom. The one teacher spoke of how she had a heart for Language difficiency students and helping them learn and succeed at the same level as English language speakers is a very important aspect of NCLB. The goal is to make all teachers and student better learners and instructors and that is how NCLB has effected each one of these past teachers of the year.
The invterviews with the teacher of year winners gave alot of insight into what could be changed, improved upon and the benefits of becoming a teacher. First as to why they wanted to become teachers really came down to two main principles to have a postive impact on kids, whether it be their attitudes, equality, creativity, and just the sense of what school could mean for them. Secondly was creativity to be able to express knowledge in a funny and interactive way. That was the feeling I perceived from the interview.
Besides what the teachers loved about their profession and what joys and benefits they get from it they also talked about what could be changed. How some teachers shouldn't teach, because the kids need quality/good teachers not bad ones. Its about getting students the best education possiable. There was some talk on rewarding the good teachers and disciplinary action towards bad teachers. That is a tight rope. With the way the school systems are set up with tenure its hard to do such things and it would take a big change in education to have this come into effect, overall I didn't care for that idea, yes I would want to get rid of bad teachers but that process should be taken care of before they become teachers, because like I said once they gain tenure its very hard to get rid of a bad teacher. Another statement I liked and agreed with was that their really isn't a model for a good teacher. Each person is different in how they teach and interact with the students, it comes down to if you have it or not, that this is where you want to be and your happy doing it. Because I think if you enjoy what you are doing you have much better chance at getting students interested, and creativity goes a long way.
As for No Child Left Behind (NCLB) that is a hard call. For NCLB is very complex being comprised of nine different titles and more then 50 different programs designed to close the gap between the high performing and low performing students. It sounds all well and good but it wasn't planned out very well. It could have been a great program but for not. For some areas it did really well for example the English as a Second Lang. It did help the students and teachers as well. But one thing I do not care for is the fact how limited it is. When it comes to its standardized tests well as a Social Science major (history and geography) they are overlooked. But on the other hand there are so many subjects overlooked, but at the same time I don't want to stress students way to out with overwhelming information. Overall I gained some good knowledge from these interviews, and learned anyone can be a great teacher we just have to find our own way of doing it.
Reviewing the Charlie Rose video was an enlightening experience to take a look at these great teachers and how they were creative in teaching along side NCLB. The kind of choices required for these educators to become teacher of year demanded them to look at teaching as more than a job, but a tool that would improve other people's lives by promoting learning in and outside school. Besides making that devotion, these teachers made the choice not to be paid well for a job that is demanding on your character and your energy.The Teacher's of the year also made themselves accountable for what was going on around them as Michael indicated. Not just teaching in the classroom, but really being aware of how children are doing and if other educators may neeed a helping hand
I think it is difficult to make the argument that a standardize test is showing significant student progress. But to attribute to the Teachers in this video, the testing stressed by NCLB did give some indication that these excellent teachers are doing their job. NCLB does make teachers feel more accountable than they have been in the past. It may not be quite adequate enough to test children, but it is encouraging people to brainstorm some ideas to holding teachers more accountable and pushing people to find better solutions to educational issues.
Jason made a good point during the video that effective teachers want to work under effective leadership and along other high performing teachers. NLCB does not focus on what kind of principles are running these schools and what environment the teacher must work with.
So overall NCLB while laking in fairly assessing progress and possibly overlooking many aspect of a good educator. It did promote some change in the mind of teachers and hold the educators to some sort of standard that they did not have to be concerned about a decade ago. NCLB may not make a good teacher, but it can make one better.
I really like what the first man had to say about holding eachother accountable, in regards to teacher to teacher accountability. It is true that teachers are really empowered in that way, that they can step up and say, hey, this teacher isn't doing their job correctly, and needs to step up their game and be assisted. I also agree with him when he says the accountability system isn't successful completely, and this is where those teachers who step up and say, I'm accountable and you aren't, so lets help this teacher out should be awarded for doing this.
In regards to funding for schools, it isn't there the way it should be, but a good teacher should remain focused and try their best to educate under the worst circumstances. One of the teachers of the year talked about not needing associations or administration to get things done. She spoke about being empowered to get things done on your own as a teacher. I really liked what she had to say, because she was positive and you could tell she cared and is clearly a good teacher.
I agree that the flexibility of pay should be something that is restructured. The teacher of the year told her story about flourishing in a school that had failed in recent years to meet standards and good test scores. She mentioned that the one size fits all system to pay teachers is a disadvantage, and I agree that it doesn't work. I don't know the best way to pay a teacher, but I know that teachers who are out there doing their job well sometimes aren't being rewarded and recognized the way they should. With my personality, I would be much more satisfied to receive an award like teacher of the year in a school or district and be recognized, in comparison to a small pay raise. I strive to do the best in everything I do, and would be honored with such an award. I personally would be happy knowing that I have done my job and really helped students achieve, without anothers recognition. Perhaps if we cannot find a way to pay teachers based on their performance in the classroom, that really is efficient, then we can at least start recognizing teachers more often. Good teachers deserve at least that credit.
I found this interview quite interesting because although all the teachers in this segment did agree that there needed to be accountability in the classrooms, none seemed to buy into the the way NCLB goes about it. It was amazing that it took 47 minutes until NCLB was brought up. It shocked me because that is usually the first thing brought up when education is the topic.
I liked this piece because it provided a lot good insight as to what good teachers are made of.
If NCLB had anything to do with the success of these teachers it ended at certification. It seems none had anything good to say about the actual assessment part of NCLB. I heard words like "narrow focus" and there is more to assessment that just "one single measure"
I feel these teachers were successful because they saw it as rewarding, and they themselves had teachers that inspired them. You could tell that each had a job that they loved, which led to the quality of their life's work.
I also heard many good statistics in the piece especially the stat that mentioned 50% of kids in poverty will not graduate high school and only one of ten will graduate college. If a group of people are concerned about finding food, shelter, and clothing how could they have any time left to think about school topics. Topics such as freedom or socialist democracy, these are usually but not always, beyond their rationale.
I found this interview to be quite informative. It was interesting to hear the opinions, outlooks and ideas of teachers who have been recognized for their success and contribution to our educational system. These teachers were diverse, shared a wealth of experience and knowledge from all over the spectrum of education and came from various educational backgrounds. Some of the teachers, such as Kim Oliver, knew that they wanted to become teachers from early on. The teachers she had when she was a young student inspired Kim, and this contributed to hear becoming a teacher with an aim for success. Michael Giesen was involved in a profession that was completely irrelevant to education, and it was his sense of civic duty that guided him into the profession of teaching. I would relate my motivation to become a teacher with Michael Giesen. I yearn to have a position in society that ultimately benefits it as a whole.
All of these teachers shared common qualities that elevated them to such distinguished educators. They remarked on being passionate about the profession, and how it takes constant motivation and work to improve the quality of any student’s education. Relationships were also talked about, and they are very important. It is not only the teacher student relationship that matter. It is important for teachers to foster parent, community and faculty relationships, for these relationships also improve education through a sense of communal interconnectedness. The points they made about our countries preparedness in the twenty first century in terms of education highlighted some interesting points. These teachers realize the importance of an effective equal educational opportunity in relation to the welfare of the country. It was pointed out that ignoring our educational problems would be detrimental to the security of our country. An alarming point that one of the teachers made was that India and China have more honor students than we have students. In a world that is coming more globally interconnected, it is invaluable that our children possess the knowledge and skills to prosper in an ever-changing world. Perhaps our educational system possesses a design that is unfit for the current and coming world. This seemed to be a concern that was shared by all of these distinguished educators.
As far as NCLB, many of the teachers agreed that the program had good intentions, and showed pockets of success, but missed its ultimate goal. Perhaps NCLB helped teachers like Jason Kamras, who because of the standardized tests showed a forty percent increase in his student’s abilities. Without NCLB it may not have been possible for this information to be so easily measured and generated. However, as most remarked, NCLB is to big of a “one size fits all” policy that has showed some positive angles, but as a whole its generality created mass inconsistencies throughout the educational system.
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