Teachers shape the future with every child they teach. That’s why every
child deserves effective teachers and every teacher deserves the
opportunity to become as effective as possible.
Internationally recognised teacher training programmes
Look at the classroom
For too many students, this vision is not yet reality. Nearly two
million students each year find themselves in classrooms with new
teachers who are less effective than they should be.
Because many teacher preparation programs do not show future
teachers the best, scientifically-based ways to help students learn,
their graduates find themselves spending their first year teaching not
only their students but also themselves. This first year is not unlike a
fraternity hazing due to inadequate preparation.
Evaluate the training programs
Most great teachers are not born but made — the result of a quality
education, support from seasoned peers, hard work and strong
determination. But the National Council on Teacher Quality’s (NCTQ)
recent study of traditional undergraduate programs preparing elementary
teachers found that they ignore research findings on the knowledge and
skills that should be essential to instruction. For example, nearly two
decades after the scientific community reached firm consensus about how
to teach reading, only two in five programs even mention all five
methods. Fewer still provide elementary teacher candidates with
necessary grounding in math content. Just five percent make sure their
candidates obtain a well-rounded education in science, history and
literature.
As a result, new teachers struggle. This is not the fault of the
teachers as their preparation program failed to instill in them vital
knowledge and skills. How can teachers teach content or use teaching
methods they never learned?
Demand fundamental change
Americans who are concerned about the quality of their children’s
teachers should demand that teacher training programs incorporate
research-proven content and methods, and provide future teachers with
plenty of practice.
Of course, every teacher grows on the job through experience or
through training in the summer and after school. Even veteran teachers
benefit from the chance to learn new methods and update their materials.
Still, if we could improve the quality of teachers’ preparation
programs, new teachers would be more successful from their first day in
front of students.
The Wall