RUNNING HEADER: TEACH: A SELF-REFLECTION

TEACH: A Self-Reflection

Angel K. Stahl
December 29, 2013

Seton Hill University

TEACH: A SELF-REFLECTION

PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS ABOUT THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION
Prior to watching the documentary TEACH I already knew that teaching is not an easy profession and that we need to be life long learners in order to teach our students. We have to be open-minded to learning new methods of teaching and trying new methods in our classroom. After viewing TEACH it reminded to me that I have to continue to try different methods of teaching with my students and step away from direct instruction. I have to make sure each day I walk into my classroom that I am prepared to try new ideas for engaging them. I need to let go of my desire to have total control of the classroom at all times. I need to allow my students to take on the responsibility of student centered learning and let them take the reigns and run with what they already know and explore what they need to learn. I need to help them build the foundation but they need to be allowed to take on the creative design of their learning.

THE TRAILS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION

I think the filmmakers provided four good examples of the trials and tribulations of the teaching profession. It demonstrated the long hours and dedication most teachers put into teaching students as well as how much teachers really do care about each students achievements. I think the documentary is a good film for educating the public on the lengths teachers are willing to go to help their students learn and the financial investment teachers contribute. However, the film did not show any of the behavior issues that are dealt with in the classroom today. I did not observe a single behavior issue or concern in the four classrooms portrayed. The documentary leads the average viewer with the idea that classrooms have 25-30 perfectly behaved students. This is far from the truth. I would have liked the filmmakers to provide a more comprehensive realistic insight to the overall classroom of today.

TEACH: A SELF-REFLECTION

THE SYSTEM OF RECRUITING AND RETAINING TEACHERS

It is estimated that billions of dollars are lost each year when promising teachers decide to quit the profession. It may be possible to improve our education system of recruiting and retaining teachers by working with students while they are in secondary school and during their first two years of college. I believe if someone would have suggested I become a teacher while I was in middle and high school I would have become a teacher in my twenties instead of now when I am in my fifties. Looking back all the signs were there but no body noticed; not even me. So my passion was always there, I just took a longer road to get here. I think my years of experience combined with the desire to learn something new and then teach others what I have learned inspires me. I also entered the profession knowing it was not a walk in the park profession. I think too many college students go through three and a half years or four years of college and then go out for their student teaching practice or their first year of teaching and realize how much then dont like teaching or even working with students. I believe anyone who declares a teaching major in college should begin classroom observations and practicums during their freshman year in college. I think that will help many college students decide whether or not the teaching profession is right for them. The other problem is the really long hours and low pay in most districts around the country. Teaching is not a 9 to 5 job. It is truly a career that you take home with you everyday and for some people, they reach burn out after four or five years and move on. There is no easy answer and you either have to love what you do or move on for more money in the business world. But as someone who spent thirty years working in corporate

TEACH: A SELF-REFLECTION

and private business, I can tell you that if you want to be really good in any profession, you are going to work more than forty hours a week.

FIVE YEARS AND OUT

In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell states that it takes 10,000 hours practicing a specific task to truly become an expert in ones field. This would translate to six to seven years of on-the-job training hours for a teacher. Yet statistics show that nearly 50% of teachers quit within the first five years of teaching (TEACH, 2013). I have not noticed this to be true in my local schools in as it relates to teachers who have secured full-time teaching positions. I find that once teachers in my county are hired, they tend to stay until retirement. However, what I am finding is that new teachers coming out of college are faced with a nearly impossible chance of obtaining full-time positions in my region including myself. It is nearly impossible to survive financially working as a substitute teacher or a part-time teacher in this area. I am seeing a lot of really good per-diem and long-time substitute teachers giving up the profession in favor of careers in other businesses so that they can support themselves and their families. The loss of a really good teacher does have a major impact on students. I recently worked as a long-term substitute teacher in a local middle school. It was an amazing experience and I really connected with my students and the teachers I was co-teaching with for three months. When the districted hired another teacher to take on the position permanently, it had a major impact on my students. Especially my seventh grade math students. They were really disappointed that yet another teacher had left them and to make matters worse, a teacher that they felt was listening, caring about their development, and believed in them. I am now working part-time in the elementary school in the same building. On occasion see my old students and talk with my old colleagues. They have shared with me that since I left that half of the students

TEACH: A SELF-REFLECTION

have decided they no longer care about school and believe they will not be successful. This is a perfect example of how sometimes administrators do not think about the impact on students before making changes in the middle of a school year in regards to staffing. It also is an example of how losing good teachers to other professions affects students.

CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS OF INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS

The documentary TEACH provides the viewer with several different innovative teaching methods including Kahn Academy, 360 Degree teaching (students out of their seat on whiteboards), student centered learning (versus teacher centered) and finding out what motivates a student to be engaged in their own learning. The challenges of trying new innovative methods is not knowing if a new concept or method will actually work and if it does not work, you have lost months or perhaps an entire school year. It is a huge risk. In the models used in the documentary, the teachers had the support of mentors/coaches and the teachers portrayed actively sought out advice from their mentors. Having a mentor who is supportive of an innovative teaching method is a key to success. Teachers are not successful on their own. It takes the support of the entire school and school district for new ideas to work. If everyone is not on board it cannot work. I would challenge two of these methods in that the documentary implied that the teachers using Kahn Academy and the 360 Degree teaching method used them exclusively. From my experience the over use of any one method becomes almost as boring to students as direct instruction. I think a combination of all these methods will lend itself to making sure all students are successful since every student learns differently.

TEACH: A SELF-REFLECTION

SCRUTINY AND DISREPECT

Teachers are exposed to public scrutiny and disrespect in the United States every day. I believe this is true for two reasons. First, public school teachers salaries are discussed openly every year when school district budgets are discussed and debated in local newspapers, board meetings, and during contract talks. I cannot think of any other profession where salaries are discussed so openly. It all about tax dollars! The average taxpayer does not understand the long hours really good teachers put into an average workday. They also believe that teachers have off three months of the year. They do not realize that summer is when we learn new curriculum, create new lesson plans, attend classes and recharge after nine months of caring for other peoples children. Second, teachers are expected to raise children today. When I was growing up and in school whether a student was succeeding, in trouble, or failing, the parents were ultimately responsible for their child. Today I cannot tell you how many times I have heard comments placing blame on teachers. Isnt that what Im paying taxes for, for teachers to teach my kids how to read or behave. or Look at that kid, he cant even count back change. You can thank a teacher for not teaching him math. I think one of the best ways we can help society to respect the teaching profession is through movies, documentary and by inviting them into our schools. I would welcome members of my community to come in and volunteer in my classroom. Let them observe and witness for themselves what a classroom of today looks like and how we prepare for each class. The only way we can uplift the teaching profession is by educating them about our profession.

TEACH: A SELF-REFLECTION

TRADITIONAL VS. NON-TRADITIONAL TEACHING METHODS?

Teachers in the documentary TEACH (and in school districts I have worked) teachers and administrators have made choices to try non-traditional teaching methods when traditional teaching methods do not work for all students. I prefer to use the term differentiated

instruction since I do not believe any one method should be used exclusively in any classroom. I think it is the combination of different methods that work for the overall student body of a classroom. The documentary demonstrated how a variety of methods worked for the four featured classrooms and teachers. However, I noted some tense and unsure moments when they were not sure the new method was working. The reason is because no one method works for every student and any method used day after day after day becomes boring for everyone and we shutdown when any method is used to excess. I think what does work is a combination of different methods being used throughout a week, month or the school year will help to assure ALL students will make gains and succeed.

TEACH: A SELF-REFLECTION

REFERENCES
Guggenheim, D. (2013). TEACH: A Film by Davis Guggenheim. Retrieved December 29, 2013 from: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teach-special-event-screening Guggenheim, D. (2013). TEACH Its not a job. Its a mission. Discussion Guide. Great Teachers Project, LLC.