Archive for April, 2009
How To Save Our Schools: Recognize Teachers As Heroes
Everybody knows who Babe Ruth was. Millions watch the Jerry Rices of our world catch footballs and the Lance Armstrongs race through France. But how many people can name the winner of an award won by a teacher in their own community 8211; if in fact there is such an award?
As a person who taught and administrated in schools for years and then consulted with teachers I offer a plan for the reform of American education: make teachers into heroes put them on a pedestal and celebrate the act of teaching for what it actually is: the most fundamental activity in our society.
But that’s obvious you might say. Everybody knows that no one can get anywhere these days without a decent education and that the nation’s welfare depends on an educated populace. Well then I ask where’s the glory around teaching? Why aren’t teachers being interviewed on TV and radio? Why aren’t thousands of young people asking themselves “Do you think I can get to be a teacher? Do I have what it takes?
The reason that our culture doesn’t award hero’s status to teachers isn’t that we don’t recognize the critical nature of what they do; it is that most people think they could be good teachers. That’s a fantasy. Most people could not. We haven’t come to grips with how hard it is to excel in teaching how rare the native talent that is required how much there is to learn how innovative one must be and how self motivating to improve each year and not get stale in a job where there is no external change no ladder to climb from one position to a new one. When we understand enough to marvel at a well taught class as we marvel at a successful heart surgery we will see true reform. We’ll focus then on recruiting the best and brightest into teaching and training them and supporting them not just with pay but with respect. The teachers will do the rest. People who see themselves as heroes perform accordingly.
But people tend to see themselves as they are seen. Year after year in an annual workshop for experienced teachers my co facilitator and I heard teachers tell stories about how in their parents’ eyes they were “only a teacher.” How hurtful! Surely those parents were reflecting our culture’s opinion. All that parental love and care all that money for college had been in service of a different expectation.
We began to focus the workshops on celebrating the teaching profession and helping the participants see themselves as highly skilled professionals providing a service without which everything would collapse: heroes. Some of them told us that the workshop is one of the reasons they stayed in the profession.
We need to do that on a national scale. For every breathless article about some twentyyearold’s performance in a game the outcome of which changes the world not one jot for every platinum recording of a song that very likely will be forgotten in a year or two we need a feature on a teacher. Let’s put TV cameras into the classrooms where star teachers work with an expert commentator the way we do sports and show what actually happens in a good classroom the decisions minute by minute the teacher makes. Instead of inviting some famous person to speak at the college graduation ceremony let’s invite a local teacher whose work has opened doors for kids who otherwise would not have had a chance some of whom will be in the audience. Give her the honorary degree. Besides she’ll probably make a better speech. Prizes for teachers parades for teachers whatever works to surround them with glory. Then we won’t have to check up on them treating them like children by endless standardized tests of their students. They will proudly hold themselves accountable to the highest standards.
Think about a culture in which pictures of teachers outnumber those of athletes on the walls of young peoples’ bedrooms and in which teachers are begged for their autographs. That’s a culture in which good schools will blossom.
About the writer: As founder of the Vision Force Academy Michael Skye works with a new breed of impassioned change agents around the world who are giving their lives to stand for all of humanity. Michael is best known for his transformational leadership trainings based on his proprietary iStand technology. He authored the the Visionary Mind Shifts for VisionForce.com.
How To Get An Online Tutor
It is so nice to know that with the emergence of computers life has changed so drastically. It is indeed good to learn that for getting the job of your dreams you need not to go places but can simply can get so many opportunities by a single click of the mouse. The Internet has brought speed and greater access to everything including valuable information throughout the world. You can get connected to many websites offering good quality job opportunities matching to your profile. Just look into the details and get the maximum benefits for a long period of time.
In fact if you are interested in getting connected with any university or college you can do that so easily. Many universities and college do have their online recruitment procedures from which valuable information can be extracted. You can submit your details and wait for the concerned person to contact you as soon as possible.
Being an online tutor can be bless. You do not only imparts quality learning and understanding but also provides the right approach and desire to achieve the good knowledge of different areas of working life. There are many websites which invite online tutors to impart their learning. It is an easier arrangement where students do not have to physical move out to a certain place for gaining the desired knowledge.
Find a tutor online is a growing concept and likely to be expanding in another areas as well. As the world is becoming a global village desire to learn the specialties of different places has arisen in people belonging from different geographical locations. Internet has provided the smartest way to get the bets education and learning over the virtual world and infuses the seeds of true understanding and gaining practical knowledge.
About the writer: The aforementioned article has been contributed by the webmaster of orbitutors.com. Find an online Virginia tutor for all subjects. Our database includes computer tutor math tutor and more in your local area.
How To Choose The Best Tutor For The Sat Act And Gcses
What to look for in a SAT ACT or GCSE tutor:
The major goal you have in working with a tutor for school is to raise test scores such as the SATs or ACT to improve your performance in a specific area or for students in the UK to improve grades on the GCSE and to successfully complete Alevels. Almost any student can benefit from targeted and personalized tutoring regardless of their current level of understanding and performance. The following are what you should look for in a college tutor or university tutoring program:
1. Small Class Size: If you decide to go the group route make sure it will be interactive and where most of the participants are at the same level. The last thing you need is to be kept back in your SAT ACT or GCSE tutoring class by people who don’t know as much as you do or lost in a class of people who are far ahead.
2. Personal Instruction: You should feel like you are treated like the only student in the world and that the instruction is specifically tailored to your needs and the admissions requirements of the colleges or universities you are trying to get into. That usually starts with the instructor fully assessing your needs and skills.
3. The tutor or instructor should push you: You should feel that the instructors are teaching just ahead of what you know gently pushing you but not going too fast. You should feel the exhilaration of learning something new each time.
4. Materials should be varied: There should be diagrams verbal instruction reading and writing. We learn better and retain what we’ve learned to a greater degree when we learn in several mediums.
5. Homework: There should be thoughtful and useful homework after each lesson and this homework should help you learn the material better. In addition the tutor instructors should help you go over your homework so you learn from your mistakes and know the weaknesses you can overcome.
6. Measurable results: Not only should the college tutors have references they should also be able to give you a measurable result of their past teaching such as the average degree that their students SAT or ACT scores rose the grades they got on the GCSE or the level of college they got into.
After your tutoring you will be uniquely suited to go to the university or college that fully meets your potential and this will make the learning experience truly worth it.
About the writer: Hugh Goldsmith is of the view that students must not read the SAT exams or for that matter any other exams.He helps out students who want advice on any aspects related to exams. For more information on Sat Tutor NYC LSAT Tutor in New York English Tutor NYC visit www.prestigeprep.com
