We Need Better Teachers - pt. A

At least 50% of the people I've taught with have been bad teachers.  

It wasn't something I noticed right away.  Your first few years teaching, you're too busy to notice.  But once I knew what I was doing, I was able to recognize those who did not.  And once I started noticing, it became very hard to stop.  Bad teachers are typically vocal, often brag about their class without being asked, and are a major reason our educational system is failing.  Bad teachers often have these things in common: they're unkempt, they're terrible listeners, they believe they are the center of the classroom, and they are not active in their field.   

Why I got into teaching was a blend of the summers off and my love of books.  I thought it would be good to be interacting with literature on a daily basis, and I could have the summers to write.  That has always been, and is still, my goal.  I like high school kids, and interacting with them, so it was a good fit in a lot of ways.  I chose the subject of English because I love the written word.  Words, grammar, sentence structure, all of it is interesting to me.  So, whenever a student or colleague would ask why I wanted to be a teacher, I gave some variation of that answer.  When I did, often something odd would happen that may go like this:

"I got in to teaching for my love of books, and so I could have the summers off to write," I'd share.

Another English teacher would say, "I love reading, too."

"Cool," I'd respond.  "Have you read anything good recently?"

Most of the time, maybe 80%, I'd be told, "Oh, I don't have time to read."

"What?" I'd reply, "really?"

They'd say this as a very natural thing, like they do not have the time to do a thing they love.  A thing they teach.  It's much worse with writing.  I've been actively working on something since 2004.  I can only remember two other teachers that have been doing the same.  When you get into other subjects, it gets much worse. The exception seems to be art, music, and (maybe) gym.  Art and music teachers are often creating things, or active in their fields, which makes their classes some of the best.  People will say they're fun because they're easy grades and electives, but I'd argue that it's because a passion naturally comes from a teacher that is active in his or her field.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a student to go to a class where their history teacher hasn't delved into history since college, their science teacher hasn't done an experiment since the lab, their math teacher hasn't been active except Sudoku, and their English teacher hasn't read a book.  

No joke.  

No wonder their classes suck.  

A bigger problem comes because these teachers think they're experts because they took 30 hours of college credits, but they haven't had any accomplishments or experience in their actual field.  

Here are a few examples:

• I've taught with gym teachers so fat and out of shape that they couldn't run a mile, yet that person was giving grades for gym classes. 
• I was in a planning seminar with an English teacher, working in the summer on curriculum; this teacher was doing other work instead of paying attention.  When it came time to share, she raised her hand and said, "I don't really like to plan.  Rather, I find inspiration on my way to work and it really motivates my students."  This teacher was serious and thought she was one of the best in the district.
• One teacher was ten minutes late for every class, walked in and passed out worksheets, sat on the computer for the rest of class working on her side business, and gave her students (60-75%) failing grades.
• One teacher gave all of her special ed students A's on their papers.  One was supposed to be a critical analysis of The Great Gatsby.  Her student wrote, "I really liked the book."  The teacher put an A on the paper, and posted it on the classroom wall.
• One teacher handed out a worksheet of literary terms.  The teacher mispronounced the word, gave an errant example, and then proceeded to give the students E's, when they did it 'wrong'.
• I worked with one teacher that wouldn't ever meet to plan class, but had no problem walking in late and 'teaching' the subject.
• Another teacher would simply read aloud from a book, every single day, and when the chapter was over go over the worksheets with students.

I could go on.  

Two entries from now is one on heath and wellness, but the teaching staffs in many bad schools are some of the unhappiest people I've ever met.  Very few look alive, and even fewer are healthy.  These people should not be molding the youth.  

Teachers need to be actively pursuing their craft.  This could be listening to Podcasts, reading books/blogs, making art, working out / playing sports, writing, researching, taking classes.  If we're not getting better, we're getting passed up.  If this is you and you feel overworked, underpaid, or uninspired about it, do something else.  What? Be like Dan.       

Be Like Dan - pt. C

I worked with a guy named Dan.  We taught a summer class together, and he had a major impact on me.  He probably does not remember me, and I cannot remember his last name.  He was so good with the kids, and was a great teacher.  In a setting where most students failed, Dan could reach them all.  He was passionate, kind, talented, fair, and also firm.  Students respected him.  

Toward the end of the summer, we got to talking.  We got along quite well, and would often talk for a while after class.  I'd been noting more and more how much better of a teacher he was then me, and so I just asked him: "How do you do it?"

"Learning something new is hard," he told me.  I asked him to go on.  "I think a lot of us forget how hard it is, and how much time it takes to learn a new skill.  To remember that, I try learning something new every two years."  His current skill was painting, and he was having a hell of a time doing a water color self portrait.  He wasn't a good painter, but trying make him realize how hard it was to learn this thing.  His painting teacher had patience with him, and he passed that on to his students.  This had a transformative effect on his class.

Dan's view was that all teachers should learn a new skill.  He thought doing so would make all of us compassionate, and I totally agree.  Since that conversation in 2006, I've tried to do something like that myself.  When you try and fail at something performance based, you become naturally more compassionate.  More kind.  More understanding.  Your students notice this, and it benefits everyone.     

We should all be like Dan. 

Don't Be Like P & Q - pt. C

If Dan (real name) is great, P and Q (not real names, masked genders, hence alternating between his/her) are terrible.  They represent the worst kind of teachers.  And in both of their cases, they've been teaching for years.  

P is the know it all.  P wouldn't be successful on her own, if he didn't work at a school.  The reason this the case is because she likes her classroom because of the power bubble it creates.  Inside that room, he makes all the rules.  No one can question him.  This power makes her feel special, masking an otherwise sad life.  He uses this power to ask and answer questions, and make teenagers feel stupid for not knowing.  P says, "Alex, do you know why April 16, 1927 was so important?"  Alex says no.  P responds, "That's because you don't know anything, and will never amount to anything."  Alex sits there.  Finally, Alex blows up and P gets Alex suspended.  He goes to the teacher's lounge talking about how bad children are getting, uses her exchange with Alex as proof, and gets sympathy from other bad teachers.  Meanwhile, Alex debates dropping out and spends his suspension wondering why am I bad?  

Q is P's opposite, but he his her partner in missing the mark.  Q is "successful" because she hasn't been fired. Q outlasted all the administrations before him, has been in many schools in the district, and is pretty much untouchable by the union.  He is very well meaning, and willing to go above and beyond for his students.  Unfortunately, this means giving answers to her students on tests, making their assignments way too easy, and thereby making students think they are dumb.  Q will be in class with another teacher, and right after the teacher explains something, Q will dumb it down, way down.  He thinks he's helping, but the students are confused.  They easily understood the teacher's comments and instructions, but this older teacher made them feel like they didn't get it.  I must be slow, the students think.  Another part of the problem is that Q had success a long time ago, and very good success with a few students.  Thus, Q always refers to his success in all meetings, "Well, when I helped Alex with her assignment, she ended up in college."  The problem is that Alex is now 40, has five kids, and Q hasn't had that type of success since.  Unfortunately, though, Q doesn't realize this.  To her, the "Alex story" is present day.  And since he did it with Alex, then he can do it with more students.  In fact, she's so success, she should train many student teachers, lead many workshops, and take any leadership role.  His place there makes all these things worse and everyone waits for him to retire.

P and Q have each taught thousands of people.  Every year, P has made people think they are bad and Q has made people think they are dumb.  No one stops them.  

This must stop.  

Also Be Like .05 - pt. D

Another example of a great teacher is a teacher named Nicole.  I was lucky enough to work with her for four years, and she was very good.  The thing that set her apart was that she knew she was destined to be a teacher.  When she was young, she'd play school and make it relevant to her play dates.  So for her, showing up to school is living her dream job.  And students love her.  They don't simply like and respect her, she's rather the rare one that can connect.  

Since she's doing her passion, teaching, she does really cool things.  She has her students act in plays, do things in the community, and take part if very meaningful field trips.  

While students love her, some teachers were threatened.  The ones that were threatened were the older teachers that had been doing their thing for a while with very mixed results; so when a younger, enthusiastic teacher came in, had instant success, and showed a fast-track to being the lead: they were threatened.  They talked shit.  Tried to beat her down.  Insulted her practice.  Called her young.  Made insinuations.  But she didn't cave.  

Instead, she brought her A-game (more on that here: Get your foot in the door and bring your a-game.  Great podcast.  Please rate and review on iTunes.)  After a few months, the older teachers shit-talking got bland and boring, and Nicole was still relevant and fresh.  So they started asking her questions, taking her advice, and even became better teachers.  

Nicole was asked to be the chair of her department and led meetings with the same enthusiasm.  She did very well.  I applaud Nicole.  We'd be just fine if we were all like her.