Submitted by Lindsay (not verified) on February 15, 2008 - 11:44.
I do see that the teacher pool is still largely made up of white, English-speaking, women and I wish it wasn't so. I believe the school-age boys and children of different ethnicities would benefit greatly from having teacher role models that look or speak like them. I glad to see that teacher candidate's GPA's are increasing as are the alternative routes to become a teacher. Although teachers are underpaid and under-appreciated, they really are the basis of almost every single American's future. The more highly trained the teacher, the greater the learning potential for the students. In order for students to achieve at the highest level, they need to learn from teachers that are not just knowledgable in their content areas, but teachers that have been trained to engage the students and entice them into wanting to learn. I embrace the fact that I, as a new teacher, had to earn a high GPA, pass difficult tests, and demonstrate my abilities through student teaching. If anything, I would probably make the requirements more stringent. Educators should be passionate about education and should care as much about their own personal educational endeavors as they do their students'.
Improving Teacher Quality
Submitted by Lindsay (not verified) on February 15, 2008 - 11:44.
I do see that the teacher pool is still largely made up of white, English-speaking, women and I wish it wasn't so. I believe the school-age boys and children of different ethnicities would benefit greatly from having teacher role models that look or speak like them. I glad to see that teacher candidate's GPA's are increasing as are the alternative routes to become a teacher. Although teachers are underpaid and under-appreciated, they really are the basis of almost every single American's future. The more highly trained the teacher, the greater the learning potential for the students. In order for students to achieve at the highest level, they need to learn from teachers that are not just knowledgable in their content areas, but teachers that have been trained to engage the students and entice them into wanting to learn. I embrace the fact that I, as a new teacher, had to earn a high GPA, pass difficult tests, and demonstrate my abilities through student teaching. If anything, I would probably make the requirements more stringent. Educators should be passionate about education and should care as much about their own personal educational endeavors as they do their students'.