Are Teachers ACTUALLY Prepared?Maggie Boylan, Melissa Farris, Chandler

Johnson, and Madeline Smith a.k.a. C(M)3

Agenda:3:30 - Mingle and Snack3:40 - Introductions3:45 - Teaching in America (Madeline)3:50 - Timeline Discussion and Activity4:05 - What Makes A Teacher (Maggie)4:10 - Discussion 4:20 - Preparation Inside the U.S. (Chandler)4:25 - Preparation Outside the U.S. (Melissa)4:30 - Discussion4:45 - Conclusion

By the end of the seminar, students will be able to:• Contribute meaningfully to the seminar• Understand and discuss the importance of

historical events related to teacher preparation• Compare and contrast the belief that teachers

are born vs. made• Communicate effectively the benefits of

educational preparedness programs in the United States versus educational preparedness programs worldwide

Teaching in AmericaWhat important events have occurred

in history to help shape teacher preparation?

● Take two minutes to read over your timeline handout at your table.

● Within your table group, pick 5 events that answer the following question:

What is the most influential event in the history of teacher preparation inside the U.S.?

● Put these events in order of importance and write on the board. Be prepared to share.

Timeline Activity Instructions

What Makes a Teacher?

Are teachers born or made?

Teacher are born, not madeArgument:

A good teacher is born with the right genes and raised in the right household, rather than “trained” or “educated.”

This belief was much more popular in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, because of the general lack of concentrated teacher training (compared to today).

It was assumed that you were born with qualities that made you a teacher. A few people still believe that today.

It’s not just about academic intelligence

Robert Bligh, former member of the general counsel of the Nebraska Association of School Boards, says:

“You cannot measure the ability and talent of a teacher by pure academic intelligence. Academic intelligence is probably the least important characteristic in an effective K-12 teacher. Just because you’re smart and knowledgeable doesn’t mean you can teach.”

Teacher personality traits are much more important and influential than just academic intelligence. K-12 teaching is more of a nurturing role than an intellectual role.E.g. patience, sensitivity, tolerance for many circumstances that most people cannot tolerate.

Teacher personality traits matter

Award-winning historian David McCullough said,

“We need to revamp, seriously revamp, the teaching of the teachers. I don’t feel that any professional teacher should major in education. They should major in a subject, know something. The best teachers are those who have a gift and the energy and enthusiasm to convey their love for science or history or Shakespeare or whatever it is. “Show them what you love” is the old adage. And we’ve all had them, where they can change your life. They can electrify the morning when you come into the classroom.”

Teacher training is not necessary

Teachers are made, not bornArgument: If this nation had to depend upon those alone

who are “born” teachers, there would be such a shortage that few children could be taught. Most teachers have to be “made.”

A body of research has emerged over the past few decades that challenges the notion of the “gifted,” “magical,” “born” teacher and posits that the ways in which teachers learn and refine their practice, as well as the contexts within which they practice, are compelling factors that influence both teaching quality and student accomplishment.

● Dr. Peter Wiens conducted a study from 2009-12 in which he revived "the recurring discussion of whether good teachers are born or made." This study of students in a university teacher preparation program found no correlation between personality type and teaching performance—supporting the theory that good teachers are made, not born.

● "The results of the study suggest that specific personality traits are not necessary for teaching," said Ruday, assistant professor of English. "This is good news for teacher preparation programs because it means they don’t have to look for a certain type of student, or to mold students into a certain personality type. They don’t have to be a gatekeeper."

● You don’t need a gregarious personality to be an effective teacher.

“The ways that teaching is learned...predispose teachers to experience and explain their own and others’ expertise or its lack as inborn, the result of the presence or absence of a talent for teaching. The lack of a common language with which to discuss the practices and challenges of teaching and the absence of opportunities to learn directly from each other...entrench these tendencies.”

—C. Scott & S. Dinham (2008). Born not made: The nativist myth and teachers’ thinking. Teacher Development, 12(2), p. 122.

● D. C. Berliner, Regents’ Professor of Education Emeritus at Arizona State University, maintains that a combination of talent, practice, and context influence a teacher’s level of competency.

● This combination of elements is much more influential and important than the natural, innate tendencies that any given person might have to teach.

● Research has shown that there is a skill set that every aspiring teacher can cultivate and, in doing so, grow into an effective and competent teacher.

“Skill set” versus natural tendencies

Something to consider: Someone can be born with a natural musical talent. For

example, someone can naturally “play by ear” on the piano but anyone can learn to read notes and play the exact same song just as well. There are naturally musically talented people but there are also people who are taught how to be musical. Who is better off? Does it matter? Is this comparable to the art of teaching?

“After twenty years in the profession, I am confident in my teaching abilities and know that I am an effective and ‘‘good’’ teacher. However, I will never be a ‘‘natural athlete’’ when it comes to teaching. I will always work for my successes. I have come to accept this, even as I realize that, while we cannot all be ‘‘born teachers,’’ each of us who cares about the teaching mission can, with effort and dedication, be a successful teacher who makes a difference in the education and the lives of our students.”

—Lynda J. Oswald, Musings by a Non- “Born Teacher.”

Discussion Questions ● If, in fact, some people are born with a natural ability to teach

then does that mean they don’t need to be trained?

● Is it better to be well-trained as a teacher than to have a natural teaching ability/ talent and not be trained?

● Who, then, are the best teachers?

Preparation Inside the U.S.

How are teachers prepared in the United States?

Are they prepared effectively?

“Rousing Minds to Life”

What is the “job of teaching”?

Mathematics in America

Science in America

Teaching Requirements in the U.S.

Legend

Solid state: Initial renewable cert.

Striped state: Initial non-renewable cert.

Blue: Initial and Standard cert.

Yellow: Masters and below cert.

Red: Doctoral and below cert.

Pink: Initial cert. only

Purple: Standard cert. only

Teacher Preparation Programs Issues• Lenient admissions requirements• Not all prep programs include time in the classroom (aside from

student teaching)• Hours in the classroom during student teaching average 503.45

hours, or about 8.3 hours in the classroom per day of student teaching.

• 54% of principles state that the institution they partner with has ZERO criteria for choosing cooperating teachers (NCTQ, 2011)

• 52% of TPPs are not involved in placement of their student teachers and 41% of TPPs play a small role in placement.

• 26% of universities had assessments that adequately assess the student teacher

Alternative Teaching Programs• 122 alternative teaching programs in the United States• More than 250,000 people have gained certification through

alternative programs since the 1980s with 35,000 coming into the teaching profession each year.

• Make up 1.1% of teachers in the nation• Most programs are 24 credit hours with 12 credit hours of student

teaching and can be completed in a year. • After looking at 92 different studies on teacher preparation, the

Education Commission of the States shows that research suggests limited support for alternative teaching programs to produce as effective teachers as traditional teaching programs.

• Teach For America teachers consistently outperforms their traditional teaching counterparts in students improvement in math, but improvement remain relatively equal in reading and science.

Preparation Outside the U.S.

How are teachers prepared around the world? Are they prepared effectively?

PISA & TIMSS

Countries EvaluatedTIMSS 2011• Yemen (-248)

• Singapore(+105)

PISA 2012• Peru

(-122)

• Shanghai(+90)

YemenQualifications: Teacher Training Course Recommended - College NOT Required (129,000 out of 200,000 without Bachelor’s degrees)

● Lecture-based Learning● Irrelevant to Classroom

Implementation● 45.70% Illiteracy Rate (2004

Census). 71% of that is Female

● Training Courses: Many teachers not receiving them.

“Teachers themselves must have their performance

assisted if they are to acquire the ability to assist the

performance of their students.”

(Rousing Minds To Life)

PeruQualifications: Professional

Teaching Degree (8% without)

• Training Programs are given full academic freedom.

• Teachers are poorly prepared in Content Knowledge. Loophole allows Teachers without PTD.

• Unemployment of 150,000 Teachers.

• Most rural/jungle areas have Volunteer Teachers from outside of Peru.

“Teachers must command the knowledge and skills they

seek to impart.” (Rousing Minds To Life)

Shanghai Qualifications: University

(bachelor, undergraduate or college) degree, including coursework in requisite teaching

subjects.

• Research-Based Learning• Mentorship• Teaching-Study Groups• Four Grades of Professional

Status.

“[Teachers] must learn the professional skills of assisting

performance and learn to apply them at a level far beyond that required in

private life.” (Rousing Minds To Life)

SingaporeQualifications: University

(bachelor, undergraduate or college) degree, including coursework in requisite teaching

subjects.

• Top one-third of the secondary school graduating class admitted

• Interview Process• Monthly Stipend for Teacher

Trainees• Master Teacher, Specialist in

Curriculum or Research or School Leader.

“Teaching is a complex, humane activity at which a teacher can grow steadily

more proficient over the years by means of disciplined

curiosity, continuous training, and skillful assistance..” (Rousing Minds To Life)

How do these Teacher Preparation Programs

contribute to the success or failure of students as it relates

to student achievement?

Questions...

How do they compare to OUR Teacher Preparation Programs?

What does that mean for student achievement in the US?

Should student achievement be the measure of teacher quality/training?

Questions...