book review: the influence of teachers (chapter 3) by john merrow
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http://jamesbrauer.com - Great news, I finally got my webcam, microphone, and Camtasia working in unison! Bad news, if you don't like video reviews or vlog entries, this was a long review. So here goes another book review episode, this time for Chapter 3 of John Merrow's "The Influences of Teachers."To summarize, John critically analyzed the emergence of Teacher for America corps members entering the field of teaching. Despite the overwhelming need to find effective educators, particularly in the areas of math, science, and special education...one has to question if Teach for America is actually a positive or negative for public schools. John shared how a significant number of corps members exit the teaching profession after their two years of "duty" has expired. There were also direct hits toward TFA corps members that were not effective educators, or seemed to focus on "schooling/controlling" students and behaviors, more than teaching and learning.In my vlog entry, I cast many opinions on various topics that John covered in this chapter. However, I feel the need to express my sentiments toward John's assertion that Schools of Education should have their accreditation based on their graduates' performance toward "improving" P-12 schools, in this blog entry as well.I do not believe this is a wise strategy at all. Data tracking is a huge issue. Who does it--universities? School districts? Accreditation agencies? State bureaucrats? Teachers?What would be the measurement/criteria for judging improvement--more standardized test scores? Qualitative methods? That seems too subjective, no?And basing accreditation on factors that a School of Education can't directly impact, may not be the most just.But, as I stated in my video review, this is also just my opinion. I'd love to hear more of John's thoughts on this area...perhaps he can make me a believer!Looking forward to tomorrow's chapter four--"Serious Fun?"TRANSCRIPT
The Influence of Teachers:
Reflections on Teaching and Leadership
By: John Merrow
“To what extent is classroom teaching a
skill?” (Merrow, 2011, p. 31).
“Although only about a quarter
of those who serve remain in the classroom beyond two
years” (Merrow, 2011, p. 32).
“…we shared a certain smug
attitude toward many of the
veteran teachers…”
(Merrow, 2011, p. 33).
“‘Most of these teachers seem to be
overly concerned about control,’ he told me. ‘I get the feeling that they’ve been taught some
simple rule like ‘Control first,
teaching next’” (Merrow, 2011, p.
33).
“Control was not an issue, ever. It never is when kids
are engaged” (Merrow, 2011,
p. 34).
“It’s a curious paradox that teaching, the
profession that is the easiest to get into, can be, at the same
time, among the most difficult to enter. Most schools of
education accept just about everyone who applies…” (Merrow,
2011, p. 34).
“To prepare effective teachers for 21st century
classrooms, teacher education must shift away
from a norm which emphasizes academic
preparation and coursework loosely linked
to school-based experiences. Rather, it must move to programs
that are fully grounded in clinical practice and
interwoven with academic content and professional
courses” (Merrow, 2011, p. 36).
“All teacher education programs
should be accountable for - and
their accreditation contingent upon –
how well they address the needs of
schools and help improve P-12 student
learning” (Merrow, 2011, p. 36).
“But I believe that the success
of Teach for America reveals an unpleasant
truth about how little we value education and
children” (Merrow, 2011, p.
37).