Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
1) Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Well for starters that teacher who made a positive impact in my learning had the quality of an “angel”, the guidance, protection; the support one needed to succeed and survive in whatever obstacle life throws at you. Teachers seek to provide the necessary resources that are needed. For instance, readable information and the step-by-step protocols to follow for learning to take place. Basically being able to see the potential within a student and build on it. 2) Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? Quality teachers come equip with the background knowledge in teaching and how to bring those materials across clear to students’ understanding. Referring back to the document “Closing the quality teacher gap”, it’s simply getting teachers ready for the classroom. If teachers are not fully equipped with the teaching layout and the knowledge background-how can they teach and attempt to educate a student with all the necessary tools to survive. If you look at the beginning of the paper where it says, “assigning the weakest students to the weakest teachers is no way to close achievement gaps”. This is why a quality teacher is needed for a student’s improvement because a rounded teacher equals a well-educated student where the student’s standard will be improve as time goes by.
I do agree with you Chris, assigning the weakest students to the weakest teachers is no way to close achievement gaps”. I recall being at Pallotti where we had, A, B, C groups for Spanish and Math class. I always wondered why us the B Spanish group was given a intern teacher and the A group had a Spanish news anchor for theirs. Also us the math C group was given the teacher least likely to get through to anyone. He was a nice man but could hardly even speak English and we could give so much trouble in his class. While we had him the A group had a math scholar as their teacher. This made no sense because the A group was already doing so well they did not need the extra help like we did. These are things that need to be of high concern when assigning teachers to specific groups.
I have to agree with Christina that teachers must and should posses certain qualities and training, but being trained and posses that qualities is only a portion of what the job entails. Being trained and equipped with the knowledge of a 100 professors with doctorate degrees are useless to me if you don't top in and dig deeper than just that. I feel as though having the knowledge and dont know to apply or even show emotions to and a feel of what we are doing then its effortless and a waste of time.
You’re more than right Micheal. Yes being qualified is important but also in knowing how to apply it. i always say, if one should measure him or herself they must look good on paper as well as display the knowledge one have achieved. there are so many people who only look good on paper but have no clue to apply the knowledge they have gain which is a shame to say the least. But all am saying is that if teachers are not fully equip ("Who is Teaching Whom" on pg. 15 as it relates to the document Closing the quality teacher gap) with the tools to educate students-we will see the bright students correcting the teachers. Not that we cannot learn from our students but if you are constantly be corrected, pretty sure we have all witness this, there must be something done to decrease that behaviour from happening within the classroom and stop ignoring issue at hand. so that is all am saying, yes application is the at most important part but being trained properly in conveying materials across is also important. its like the human body, all the parts are responsible in keeping the body functioning properly and if you are aware when one part cannot perform the duties your body start acting up. Do not get me wrong, there are teachers far way better than the ones with a degree but would not you want to better yourself on both counts? just throwing out a question there.....
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
Coming through the education system I can recall most recently Mr. Fermin, my tertiary level teacher who has made a positive impact in my learning. The difference between Mr. Fermin and other instructors is that he is always charismatic, if he has any personal issues you will never know because he surely doesn’t bring it to class. Secondly Mr. Fermin is very encouraging, there is no wrong answer with him and it’s always great for trying; this way everyone is eager to participate nor does he force us to do so. He is also very helpful when he sees you struggling he comes to you directly with assistance and clarity. Mr. Fermin shared with us that he has been through many jobs but felt a sense or reward when he helps students becomes enlightened and successful complete their courses. I can attest that my colleagues and I will surely pass the classes we take with Fermin. It is no easy task to pass; he is just very approachable and understanding without insults.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? Quality teachers are important because they are the ones leading the students towards success. If they are not fully equipped or prepared to assist students of all calibers and learning styles they cannot expect optimum results from these students. Some teachers consistently produce much larger gains than the average, whereas others produce much smaller gain. (Haycock and Crawford, 2008, p. 16). Not all teachers are dedicated or skilled to pass on knowledge and encouragement to specific students. Some simply do not know what to do; some are overwhelmed while others will not do so because they are not being paid enough. Teachers are responsible for all students, including those falling behind; if they do not show the students that they believe in them, that student might not believe in himself. Sometimes this is all takes. Pay attention to your student and just do what you can to help them unless they tell you themselves they do not want to do better.
April Wagner I will agree that the lectures in the Faculty of Social Work are amazing. I don't want to sound bias, because of course they are lectures in the Faculty of Education such as Mr. Tucker and Mrs. Tun are exceptional in their job. My experiences with lectures from the social work department such as Mr. Carrillo, Mrs Acosta, Mrs. Reyonalds and Ms. Pamela devoted their energy and time in making sure that they not only impart knowledge, but alos to equip us with the necessary skills and attitudes vita in such a demanding profession. A profession that is rewarding yet under pay. Students like Shanalee, Lodawn , April and I could all attest that the social work faculty and students operates like a family. We have a unique bond with our chair and lectures, which creates an atmosphere that is welcoming and student centered.
Dearest Ms. Wagner, I found your response to quality teachers partaking in improving the standard of our students to be rather precise. I was rather struck by your comment that quality teachers are the “ones leading the students towards success”. I concur with your premise. I believe that quality teachers take initiative, transform the lives of students, motivate them to succeed and transmit the spirit of passion to their students. Teachers play a critical role in establishing positive attitudes and school climate. I contend that teachers, those considered of top-notch quality, often adhere to the tenet, “If you fail to plan, plan to fail”. Effective educators are the ones that are fully prepared to make a difference in the lives of students. I was also struck by your opinion that some teachers are ineffective because they are not motivated as a result of low or insufficient remuneration. Familiarity with Frederick Herzberg´s two factor motivation theory would allow educators to become knowledgeable about the intrinsic versus the extrinsic rewards of teaching. As Sr. Maria Caritas Lawrence, R.S.M, from the Ministry of Education stated at a workshop at Wesley College, “Do not expect thank you from anyone in the teaching profession.” She also highlighted that “you will not get rich” as an educator. Thus, for educators, if teaching is intrinsically driven, changing the lives of students or attaining 100% percent passes in CXC exams would be self-satisfying. On the contrary, if educators look at extrinsic rewards of the teaching profession, importance would be given to holidays and an average salary with the hope of obtaining pension. Thus, educators who are extrinsically motivated would not have the students’ welfare as their priority. Finally, your statement that educators must be responsible for their students, often assisting those who fall behind and constantly showing confidence in their potential is surely critical in the teaching profession. Unfortunately, educators who are extrinsically motivated will be indifferent towards students as their personal objective would be self-gratification. Such educators would fail to champion Piere Pirard´s teaching principles of informing students that you, the teacher, believe in them. (Pirard, 2013). Absent within the school environment would be ambitious, measurable and meaningful goals that should, in principle, become an everyday reality. In essence, Ms. Wagner, you highlighted the importance that educators who provide genuine professionalism, competence, passion and responsibility will ultimately be “high-quality” educators that bring about effective and efficient learning in the classroom. In conclusion, I posit that your three-fold statements highlight the need for quality educators in the classroom and surely agree with you. As Gandhi states, “Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow-men”. Educators, then, irrespective of partaking in or choosing a humble profession, should be highly professional, competent, prepared and qualified. Such attributes brings to Belize´s education system, high-calibre educators who would then make a difference in Belize´s development. References Pirard, P. (2013) Principles of Highly Effective Teachers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jdTtnWMLVM
I agree with you April, as teacher we equip the students for a better future and if the information provided to them is nit the right information or say the inappropriate information how will they be able to lead our country to prosperity. I most teacher are in the profession because they love what they do, however as you mentioned there are a few of them which is the minority that are in it for the pay not necessarily for the betterment of the students.
I agree with you on the last part stated where teachers 're responsible for 'll students.the key word here is ALL .I believe that if you can do it for one student then you can for everyone because that is our responsibility, no one left behind. When this is effective, children will realize that not only academics is important but there skills also and because that teacher took responsibility and should them why they are important they will want to better off themselves and become somebody in this world. Speaking from experience :-)
What can I say here other than I agree with you 100% April as it relates to teachers who had made a positive impact in your learning. If I must say Mr. Olivera has indeed made our learning one of the best which am very grateful for and most proud of. He paints this picture that life does get better over time with hard work and dedication and the spirit of leading a helping hand without the cost of money or the idea of getting rich. He is one of those lecturers other than Mr. Tucker who has both qualification and the knowledge to apply and teach the hopeless students who have no sense of direction and give them life again through the form of quality education; Most definitely closing the quality teacher gap as I must say.
April i must say that i agree with fully when a teacher puts his all or her all to foster an environment conducive to a child's learning. If you tend be successful, a child being neglected will not be productive. And your teacher did a good thing by not bring his problems to school because students tend to pick up on when teachers are worried and with that we might be hampering them....and if teachers cant produce what they are suppose to because of what they are going through that is not good.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Coming through the educational system of Belize, I was educated at St. John´s College (High School Division) from 1980 to 1984. My years at St. John´s College had a tremendous impact on my life because of Kevin O´Flaherty, S.J., a Jesuit scholastic (seminarian) from the United States of America, who taught me Religion. Kevin O´Flaherty, S.J. captivated my academic interest not so much by the content of the course but more so by his innate charismatic ability to genuinely express sincere concern for and empathic interest in each of his students. Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J. was a powerful force in religious instruction as he had us frequently visit the upper room of the S.J.C. gymnasium to view religious videos and have critical thinking on issues ranging from biblical incidences to ethical controversies. His use of visual aids, coupled with this mastery of the subject content and charismatic disposition, made it inevitably difficult to fail. Learning was fun even as he was well known for maintaining a strong regard for discipline so that effective teaching and holistic learning could take place. Kevin O´Flaherty, S.J. led by example. He lived out his Catholic faith and Jesuit spirituality in an authentic way, and students were recipients of a Jesuit education that highlighted being of service to others, especially those most in need. He led the S.J.C. Wildcats (basketball team) to the highest of heights in those days, having the national basketball championships for four consecutive years, as well as having been undefeated in national high school basketball tournaments for an entire year As a young man, I was highly fortunate to have Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J., as a solid role model. At S.J.C., we students and our teachers had tremendous respect for a male teacher who feared and loved God and for whom his love of Christ impelled him to love and serve others. Back then, moral rectitude was highly valued and respected, unlike contemporary times where many students and teachers seem to be indifferent about their spiritual growth and development. I received a strong foundation of Catholic education with the Jesuits, and I have learned that having God in one’s life affords one the pleasure to deal with the vicissitudes of life in a more effective and life-giving way. To be sure, Kevin O´Flaherty, S.J. taught me serious moral values and principles, pre-requisites that are necessary to become spiritually mature and to become a “man for others” as championed by St. Ignatius of Loyola. In Belize, there seems to be an ever growing lack of focus on spirituality and community, but rather more of a thrust towards secularism and unrepentant capitalism and its attendant individualism. At S.J.C. holistic education—including spiritual formation—was (and one can only hope still is) of utmost importance. That well-rounded Catholic education infused with solid Jesuit spirituality which I gained in a special way from Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J. has helped me to draw closer to God and to become even more genuinely interested in and of as much encouragement and support to each of my students. Further, through my emulation of his solid example as a role model, over the years I have become more and more adept with managing the highs and lows of life. I will continue to stand firm on my conviction that I am who I am as a human being and a professional educator as a direct result of the faith in and love of God and loving service of humanity nurtured in me and my schoolmates at S.J.C. by strong, faith-filled, well-rounded and highly effective educators like Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J. Most assuredly, I most fondly remember and pay homage to him with tremendous respect and the deepest of gratitude. From where I stand, solid Catholic educators in the Jesuit tradition like Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J. are born, not made, and they surely make a huge positive difference for humanity!
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
My journey through the education system started at St. Luke Methodist Primary School and ended at Punta Gorda Methodist Primary School. Throughtout those eight (8) long years, I didn't really meet a teacher who had a significant imapct on me until I reached high school. I completed my secondary education at Maud Williams High School (formerly St. Michael's College). There I meet some of the most amazing teachers. Neverthless, there was one that stood out by the name of Ms. Gaywin Bowen who was my food and nutrition teacher. When I had to make my choice for third form, she guided me in terms of being different. She would be the person to say follow your heart and dreams and don't allow people to distract me from my goals. Her teaching styles were awsome. She taught us the theories and skills in food preparation needed for personal and professional development. Even though many of the students took her for granted, she was very disciplined and "zero tolerance" of students deviant behaviour and wanted to see her students excel. Ms. Bowen was not only a teacher who taught me knowledge, skills and attitude; but rather a person who went beyone the scope of her work. Her Caring, Friendly, Out Going, and Energentic personality made me confined in her personal issues I was experiencing. She taught me a very important that lesson that no matter what challenges and obstacles life will throw at you, always be positive, and embrace it like its a race you are bound to win.
I was particularly impressed with and supportive of Ms. Gaywin Bowen´s ability to make an imprint on you. Undoubtedly, she made a difference in your life by being different. Her ability to guide you with your interest in mind was commendable. Her advice to follow your heart and aspirations and not permit others in allowing you to deviate from your aspirations was awesome. As educators, we ourselves must be cognizant of providing students with genuine concern and interest. Professionalism should be at the core of a teachers´ repertoire of skills. Additionally, she taught you the value of self-respect, being goal-oriented and being focused. Her highly ambitious goal of having her students excel makes her undoubtedly a dedicated and unique educator. Ms. Bowen certainly was a quality educator for you because she possessed three important traits. She was successful in building a positive relationship with her students, collaborate with them and helping them to develop their problem solving skills. Teachers who have such skills have a greater likelihood of assisting children in finding success well into adulthood. (Srike, 2013). Your respect of Ms. Gaywin Bowen as a teacher was a direct result of her being caring, friendly, being a people-person and full of passion. All these are traits that a consummate professional must possess in order to impart in students the necessary values to be learned in life. Ms. Bowen clearly exemplified the principles of highly effective teachers as championed by Pierre Pirard. She obviously believed that you, Samson, could achieve and accomplish your dreams and she verbally expressed such belief. She was able to instil through her passion, positive values for you to emulate. Ms. Bowen certainly was able to set ambitious, measurable, and meaningful goals and make sure that the goals become their everyday reality. (Pirard, 2013).
Quality educators motivate, guide and have students embrace learning as a fun-filled activity. You were, Samson, a fortunate student who had an educator that was approachable, trustworthy, supportive, respectful and accountable, all necessary traits in being a true professional. Her professionalism enhanced her effectiveness in the classroom. Her high standards and expectations of you, Samson, made you become who you are. As educators, we must set high standards, raise the bar of excellence, be truly passionate, and be focused in accomplishing our objectives. The future of Belize lies in its educators who prepare students to face the demanding task of nation-building. Ours is a struggle to make Belize a better place irrespective of the daily disrespect we face. I recall the words of John F Kennedy in his inaugural address in 1961, “ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country”. With this in mind, I say respect to M. Gaywin Bowen and respect to you for paying her tribute. Educators who lead by example and who work tirelessly for their students will eventually create an educated workforce that makes Belize a better place. References Pirard, P. (2013) Principles of highly effective teachers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jdTtnWMLVM Strike, B. (2013) Recognizing the importance of quality teachers. http://news.blogs.aea267.k12.ia.us/2013/11/20/recognizing-the-importance-of- quality-teachers/
Why Quality Teachers Are Important to Improve the Standard of Our Students Improving the standards of any educational institution is highly dependent on the availability of quality educators. It is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement. In Belize, millions of dollars (about 25% of the national budget) is spent on education, the majority of which is to pay teachers’ salaries. Having quality teachers in a school affords the institution the ability to have effective teaching and holistic learning and growth. For standards to be raised, quality teachers must provide strong leadership and passion. They set ambitious, measurable and meaningful goals and make sure that the goals become their everyday reality (Pirard, 2013). For example, S.C.A.´s volleyball team is highly successful. Ms. Lupita Quan sets high standards and goals where students are given tutors if they fail, provided food and drink, and supported with any personal issues they may have. Educational standards are raised when teachers have considerable teaching experience. Teachers who have earned advanced degrees have a positive impact on high school mathematics and science achievement when the degrees earned were in these subjects. (Rice, 2003). For example, Sr. Caritas Lawrence, R.S.M., sometimes tells the story of her being principal of S.C.A. She was concerned about students´ poor performance in Mathematics. She ascertained that Math teachers were themselves rather limited in their knowledge of Math. She secured the services of Math experts and this boosted teacher and student confidence and further exalted the educational institution’s standing as a beacon of educational excellence in Belize. According to Darling-Hammond (2000), the measures of teacher preparation and certification are by far the strongest correlates of student achievement in reading and mathematics, both before and after controlling for student poverty and language status. Hammond champions that teacher quality is more strongly related to student achievement than other kinds of educational investments like reduced class size, overall spending on education and teacher salaries. Research suggests that recruiting and retaining qualified teachers is an important way to close the achievement gap (Essays, UK. 2013). In the United States of America, schools with the largest achievement gap tend to attract highly qualified educators while low income and minority schools tend to attract inexperienced and non-certified teachers. There are many stakeholders in Belize who posit that there are, in truth and in fact, certain parallels between such schools in the U.S.A. and Belize; however, statistical evidence is about this is not easy to come by in the latter. The Tennessee Value Added Assessment System and Student Teacher Achievement Ration project saw economists adapting value-added models from business to measure teacher effectiveness. The study highlighted that the effect of teaching on student learning is greater than student ethnicity or family income, school attended by student, or class size. Raising the bar of excellence in each and every school results when teachers have positive relationships with students In addition, quality teachers collaborate with their peers to master their art. To be sure, being reflective and mastering skills are essential for achievement in the classroom as well as the workplace. (Strike, B. 2013). Finally, quality teachers problem-solve with students to help them with decision-making skills. All of these components are intertwined, and together they help each and every teacher and student to learn and to grow in highly effective and transformative ways, thereby making a positive difference for humanity!
Why Quality Teachers Are Important to Improve the Standard of Our Students?
Mr. Jose I am lost for words here you had eloquently said everything in a nutshell. Maya Angelou once said " This is the value of the teacher, who looks at a face and says there's something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that color, behind that language, behind that tradition, behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me." I fully agree that qualify and experienced teachers do improve the quality and standards of our students. For example it will only be logical for a teacher that is familiar with the CXC syllabus in Biology and rich with experiences to teach fourth form classes in comparison to a teacher with an Associates Degree in Biology and inexperienced.
Bill Sanders a professor at the University of Tennessee's Value-Added Research and Assessment has been pivotal in reasserting the importance of the individual teacher on student learning.4 One aspect of his research has been the additive or cumulative effect of teacher effectiveness on student achievement. Over a multi-year period, Sanders focused on what happened to students whose teachers produced high achievement versus those whose teachers produced low achievement results. He discovered that when children, beginning in 3rd grade, were placed with three high-performing teachers in a row, they scored on average at the 96th percentile on Tennessee's statewide mathematics assessment at the end of 5th grade. When children with comparable achievement histories starting in 3rd grade were placed with three low-performing teachers in a row, their average score on the same mathematics assessment was at the 44th percentile,5 an enormous 52-percentile point difference for children who presumably had comparable abilities and skills. Elaborating on this body of research, Dr. Sanders and colleagues reported the following:
. . . the results of this study well document that the most important factor affecting student learning is the teacher. In addition, the results show wide variation in effectiveness among teachers. The immediate and clear implication of this finding is that seemingly more can be done to improve education by improving the effectiveness of teachers than by any other single factor. Effective teachers appear to be effective with students of all achievement levels, regardless of the level of heterogeneity in their classrooms.
Therefore teachers main task is not only to educate but also to transform and make a difference in student's learning. The learning process then requires that teachers across all levels be competent, qualify, experienced and caring. Teachers must ensure that all their students reaches their fullest potential and going the extra mile in creating a well rounded students equiped to meet the demands of the world.
McGahie, W. C. (1991). Professional competence evaluation. Educational Researcher, 20, 3–9.
17 Educational Research Service. (1988). Teacher evaluation: Practices and procedures. Arlington, VA: Author.
18 Medley, D. M., Coker, H., & Soar, R. S. (1984). Measurement-based evaluation of teacher performance. New York: Longman.
19 Stronge, J. H., & Tucker, P. D. (2003). Handbook on teacher evaluation: Assessing and improving performance. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
REFERENCES FOR JOSE ESPAT Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Educ. Pol. Anal. Arch., 8(1), 1-50. Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/392 Essays, UK. (November 2013). Importance of Teacher Quality #ixzz3TZUYoTd8. Retrieved from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/importance-of- teacher- quality.php#ixzz3TZUYoTd8?cref=1 Pirard, P. (2013) Principles of Highly Effective Teachers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jdTtnWMLVM Rice, J.K. (2003). Teacher Quality: Understanding the Effectiveness of Teacher Attributes. http://www.epi.org/publication/books_teacher_quality_execsum_intro/ Strike, B. (2013) Recognizing the Importance of Quality Teachers. http://news.blogs.aea267.k12.ia.us/2013/11/20/recognizing-the-importance-of- quality- teachers/
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Remembering the teacher that made a positive impact in my learning, I was in first form and I must say that my literature teacher was a very understanding in how I learned grows and developed, recognizing my patterns of learning and development. I can remember my literature teacher were ready and prepare to with material for her class cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging my learning and other student’s learning experiences. I know she works with others to create an environment that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation. I said all these because I am here today. Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? I really like what Maya Angelou and I quote “This is the value of the teacher, who looks at a face and says there's something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that color, behind that language, behind that tradition, behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me”. —Maya Angelou. The dramatically of power because of an effective teacher is something almost all of us have experienced and understand on a personal level. If we were for the most part fortunate, we had numerous outstanding teachers who made school an exciting and interesting place. Those teachers possessed a passion for the subjects that they taught and genuine care for the students with whom they worked. They inspired us to play with ideas, take on more challenging work, and even pursue careers in a particular field of study. Some exceptional teachers achieve. References http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104136/chapters/The-Power-of-an-Effective-Teacher-and-Why-We-Should-Assess-It.aspx
I have to agree in full with Teacher Dee, too many time we as teacher we request so much from our student but we do so little to assist them and take the little they come and make much of it. I truly believe that the moment most of us embrace the career of being a teacher, we accept god graces and talents. Taking on the skill and talent, we can't stop just stop at the bear minimum to make them into what they are not. In Belie unfortunately because of the system we live in are too backward in our thinking, whereby parents expect that we are supposed to do there job and ours making it harder for us to reach our ultimate potential. Nelson Mandela stated "education is the most powerful weapon someone can posses" so we need to assist our students in fostering that weapon and use it for their betterment of good.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Answer: A teacher is seen by others as one who simply instructs and assist students in learning. However, a teachers’ role encompasses much more as they serve as doctors, counselors, carpenters, and even parents. But according to the Belize Education Act Chapter 36 Revised Edition 2003 Part 1 Preliminary Section 2 subsection (1) a teacher means a person appointed by the manager or Managing Authority of a school for the purpose of instructing students. One such person who made a positive impact in my learning was Mr. Fred Bryant from Edward P. Yorke High School. He was fair, firm and consistent in his delivery. He was very consistent and effective throughout the year. His use of realias to make connections helped me to develop a better understanding of the concept. In my opinion, Mr. Fred Bryant was a very dedicated teacher and like a father to me. He saw the potential in us, and motivated us to aim for the best. Gordon, R., Kane, T. J., & Staiger, D. O. (2006). Identifying effective teachers using performance on the job. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standards of our students? Answer: Quality teachers are important because if you don’t have quality teachers then you are “short changing” your students because then they are not being able to get the best education. Quality teachers are equipped with the skills needed to meet the needs of the different children within the classroom settings. Hence we are hoping that the teachers find innovative ways to deliver their lessons and each child learning needs are met. According to the article Closing the Teacher, “None of these steps is easy. Even if you act aggressively, you will not reverse long-standing patterns of teacher distribution overnight. But most of us got into this profession to make a difference.” So, as teachers we must try our best to make a difference in our children’s lives. At least taking them from point A to point B; for example: Johnny did not know how to hold his pencil when he entered you class in September, but at this point Johnny could hold his pencil and write his heading properly. Chenoweth, K. (2007). “It’s being done”: Academic success in unexpected schools. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
I agree with you Nicholett when you say that the absence of quality teachers "short change" our students. As teachers, parents and guardians entrust their students in our care to provide them with a quality education. It is then the profound responsibility of all teachers that they be creative and innovative in providing a quality education to students.
Most certainly Nicholett, quality teachers are important, because if we have the qualification but we are not providing our students with quality information then our students are missing out on the important facts. on another note I must make mention that although we are getting equipped to meet the needs of the students. we are not equipped to assist students with specials needs,take for example a student who may be deaf may be in my class, there is only so much I can assist with because I am not trained in the special needs area and as much as I would love to assist there is only so much I can do.
Yes Nicholett quality teachers are definitely important to improving the standard of our students however teaching is one of the most complicated jobs today because it demands that teachers have a broad knowledge of the subject(s) matter, the curriculum but moreover they need to be enthusiastic about their job, while showing a caring attitude to students. According to Heine (2006) while some teachers may have the special gift to help students learn, good teaching encompasses critical elements, such as knowledge of the learning process, child development, teacher experiences, academic ability, and content knowledge. So teacher quality is the backbone to student achievement and to a large degree school reform.
Hey Nicolette, I totally agree with you. As parents we all want the best quality education for our children and lets keep in mind that the name of the school doesn't always spell " Quality education". It's the teachers who makes a difference in our children's lives; of course with the support of parents. Therefore, when we send our children to school we put our faith in teachers that they will be better equipped to deliver to our children. We trust that our children will be getting the best quality education that teachers can offer. At the end of the day we all have faults and if a teacher recognizes that he/she is falling short it is their duty to seek help for the betterment of themselves, the students, the school and the educational system.
Yes Nicholett, I fully agree with your views on this matter of the importance of quality teachers. A point that you rightfully included in your answer, which is the fact that a quality teacher is able to meet the needs of each student to ensure his/her learning, is one of their tools that I find one of the most important. Reason being, we all know that no two persons are the same let alone a classroom of maybe 15 and above pupils. Which means, different teaching styles and method must be used so as to have every single student in the class grasp the lesson that is being taught. Nobody is perfect but having a quality teacher can allow individuals to be he best that they can be in and outside of the classroom and help to contribute to a better society on a whole.
In reference to teacher Dee I must concur with you that teachers should assist the students in learning which encompass so many different ways. The teacher should try to identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses, which will help in the way how the teacher will deliver his or her lessons. The environment is a key concept for the student and should be a safe place that they may want to come to everyday. It needs to be conducive to learning and include all the children that you have in your care. Collaborative learning is an excellent way to deliver your lesson because you will try to get the attention of all your students and have them working together. Using this method you will be enhancing peer learning. Thus, in some case students learn better from their peers. Motivation is a key word because “self-motivation” is a plus. Sometimes some students don’t have that in them, you as the teacher can help them to develop it. Quality teachers do possess a passion because if you are just in the profession for the money then you are in it for the wrong reasons. No single strategy will work, we need to use multi or combined strategy so that we can reach the needs of these students that we have in our care.
Hey Mr. Sampson Jacobs, I must say that attending two different primary schools must have been a real journey. However, I understand that the significant teacher was not observed in the primary level. But I hope that from the two different primary institutions you can state the positives from both. My significant teacher was also from the secondary institution, I guess we can concur on that one. These teachers could be classified as amazing because they made a difference in your life, and that is what matters. Yours told you “follow your heart and dreams and don’t allow people to distract you”. My quote was very short and sweet. He said “keep your legs together and never mind the weather”. At that time I found it very funny, but now I realized the true meaning of that quote. I did not take Mr. Fred Bryant for granted because he was like a dear father to me. He was also zero tolerance. Now, as a teacher I realized that as teachers we need to discipline ourselves before we can discipline these children. They see us as their role models. Quality teachers like these we need in our classrooms that will teach so that children learn something new every day.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Coming through the education system, there were two teachers who made a positive impact in my learning. Both teachers impacted me differently as one did in a negative way. I believe that a student can be impacted on the way he/she views and interpret from that teacher. If a teacher is negative towards you, a student can turn that into a positive as it can be motivation to prove that teacher wrong and be a successful person. Moreover, on the positive side, a good teacher who really impacted my life was very caring and understanding. That teacher always gave some type of motivation in order to make my day better or to explain things to me in which I can comprehend. That teacher understood me as a person and not only as a student and he made sure that had I known had he wanted the best for his students. That teacher knew exactly which role to play and when to play it.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? Teacher quality matters. Quality teachers are important to improve the standard of students because they are the ones who influence students and receive the high achievers. Quality teachers have the ability to bond with students, to understand and resonate with their feelings and emotions. They communicate on their level in order to be compassionate with them when they are down and to celebrate with them when they are up. Quality teachers help students to seek to find the positives in every negative situation. Clearly, the relationship between good teaching and student achievement elevates the importance of teacher quality in the eyes of parents, educators, and policy makers. A quality teacher has plenty qualities and skills in which they build relationships with students. Having good respectable relationships with students will allow the students to listen and learn from that teacher. Therefore, as the quality teacher execute a lesson well with management and good relationships, that teacher will be effective and will improve standard of students.
Bonding with students do help Ms. Flowers I agree. Bonding with students, though dangerous, allows one to understand the pains and hurts that students go through on a daily basis and with that knowledge, teachers are able to find 'personal' ways to motivate the students. I love that you highlighted the fact that these relationships of course must be one in which respect is always present. These relationships may serve much more than just use than mere 'at the moment' motivation. These relationships tendered with students may well turn into a lifetime of mentor-ship that will help an individual for a lifetime!
I can share the same sentiment with you when it come to teacher who impact you negative. I had a teacher who impacted me negatively, but I used that as a tool to strive for the best, no matter what obstacle I face in life.
I fully concur with you Sherice. Teachers can have both positive and negative impact on the lives of their students. Hence the reason it is particularly important that teachers show love and be positive to their students. For some students, if they are treated rude and negative, they will in turn act that way. On the other hand like you rightly said, teachers can have a positive impact if they just show their students some compassion.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
In our lifetime, they had to be over 20 to 30 teachers who have taught you, some right of the back you plain out didn’t like and others who had made an imprint in your heart and by extension your life. If out of my pre-school, elementary and even high school teachers there is only one teach I can say who to me had a heart of gold and the spirit of an effective teacher. That teacher is no other than my 1st to the 4th form math teacher at the Anglican Cathedral College; Ms. Lazaros. Standing at 4 feet tall, she commanded respect and did a great job in motivating and inspiring love and understand math. For most of us mathematics would the one subject that would be a downright and outright struggle; however, with her it didn’t seem as a struggle but an enjoyment. Ms. Lazaros open her house to students whereby we could have feel free to stop by and ask questions as well as seek assistance. I must say that after her efforts my colleagues and I did extremely well in the CXC in our graduating year, receiving 1 and 2 in mathematics. Because of Ms. Lazaros efforts and skill I can truly stand here today and say was the reason I was inspired to take on a profession such as this.
I have to agree with Mike. I had a teacher similar to the one Mike described in his blog, and it is because of that teacher that I decided to venture in the teaching profession. Teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty are truly inspirational and they do make a positive and lasting impact on the students they come in contact with.
I share similar sentiment that teachers who are caring and motivates students to learn are able to inspire greater achievement of students. Many failed to realize that teaching is one of the few careers where going the extra mile is rewarding when you see students become successful citizens in the future. Of course, such sacrifice may not be seen or appreciated by everyone but a quality teacher always sees the greater good in a students.
Mike like most people in life there is always at least one good teacher that goes beyond the call of duty to have overwhelming impact on the life of their students. Many times these unsound heroes go on to be the lifetime mentor or parent figure throughout the life of their students. I personally know of friends who bestow the title of parent upon that one teacher who have taken the time to ensure that not only knowledge is gain but the patience to help their values and morals. Therefore I must say that a good teacher must care first then teach as this effort have far reaching effects on the lives of all students encountered.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? The great school a website that speaks of quality teachers beginning an article written by an unknown teacher that goes by great teacher write and I quote “Study after study shows the single most important factor determining the quality of the education a child receives is the quality of his teacher.” The article went further talking about a quality teacher bridges the gap between not being motivated and lack interest. The article went on to state that the teacher is the backbone and a cornerstone of our society and if we have quality teachers in the system, then producing quality students will be a breeze. In the article the same “children friendly” environment that we now government is instilling was introduced and supported. It is of major advantage we accept the idea that quality education for our students is what is needed and the only we can reach there is by making that extra effort to assist.
In the video called the “five principal of highly effective teachers” Mr. Pirard, focus on the same idea that as a teacher we are going to the ends to assist our students and want nothing but the best from and for them. The principle which look at five core areas, has dawned on me ever since I watch the video that our job is much more than just in restricted to the classroom but beyond. Pirard speaks of how we as teachers need to believe in our students. Let them know that even if they believe they can't do it, we as the teachers know they can and do a whole lot. He requested that we set goals for our students and assist them to meet the goals, he went further to state that we shouldn’t hesitate to invest in our students, whether that means financially, time or just be supportive. Our job is to give our students the idea that yeah, I may be lacking, we should let them know that we believe in them and all that they do. Pirard said when planning our lesson we should plan purposefully, plan with at some level of meaning, knowing and recognizing the type of students we have how they learn. The final thing that stood out for me is that we as teachers must work hard with our students or even harder. Our students read us like a book, and if we show we are lazy and don’t like to work, then they work, but if we show we are hard working and “catch” the fever as we put they will do their best and catch on too.
I truly believe that an effective teacher is one who goes beyond the call of duty and assist the students in all means and all forms and walks of life.
References Ei-ie.org,. (2013). Education International - Quality Teaching. Retrieved 12 March 2015, from http://www.ei-ie.org/en/websections/content_detail/5969 Staff, G. (2015). What makes a great teacher?. GreatSchools. Retrieved 12 March 2015, from http://www.greatschools.org/improvement/quality-teaching/79-what-makes-a-great-teacher.gs Youtube,. (2015). Pierre Pirard On 5 Principle of Effective teachers. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lL6f2HA4j4
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Answer: A teacher who made a positive impact in my learning was very instrumental. She was my primary school teacher, and she was diligent in teaching and she had a very charismatic personality. Furthermore, she always promoted fairness in the classroom which contributed to my success as a student. It is because of said teacher dedication and commitment to learning that I decided to become a teacher.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? Answer: Quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students because without teachers providing a quality education to our students, then they will not be able to function to the best of their ability in the workplace and in the community as a whole. A teacher must have a sound knowledge and understanding of the school syllabus he/she will teach, and be diligent in content delivery. Recent evidence suggests that a teacher's impact on student achievement remains reasonably consistent even if the teacher changes schools and regardless of whether the new school is more or less advantaged than the old one. Furthermore there are some teachers that may be “qualified” but cannot deliver the content to students. In a recent analysis, Roza and Miller (2009) argue that states should end the practice of providing automatic pay increases to teachers for earning a master’s degree and instead reward effectiveness in the classroom. Hence, if a teacher is qualified they also have be able to provide quality education to the students they teach as well. Rice, J. K. (2003). Teacher quality: understanding the effectiveness of teacher attributes. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/media/eperc_qualityteaching_12.11.pdf
I fully agree with rewarding effectiveness in the classroom. I have come across certain teachers who has attained their masters and are unable to effectively communicate with students knowledge and key theory within the classroom. Delivery of content is a different scenario from knowing the content. This year I officially became a teaching assistant at the University of Belize for Intermediate Algebra. I do encounter difficulty in deliverability of material to students mainly because the background of mathematics varies amongst all students. I developed a strategy that now I write the problems on the board and go one by one to each student and see their progress while helping those who are struggling. A one on one correspondence helps the students and they are opening up to me as they can see that I truly care.
I again must agree with you Mason. If a teacher is aware and has good sound knowledge of the topic he/she is teacher, he will be better able to reach his students. Regardless of the "type" of school that person is teaching in, he will and should be held accountable to the quality of education that the students receive.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
As a student at Escuela Secundaria Technica Mexico, I had several teachers that made an impact on my learning. However, My English teacher, Ms. Esmir Castaneda had the greatest impact on my learning, especially in English. She was helpful, kind, and yet strict when it came to completing assigned work. English is seen to be a boring and complicated subject, and somehow Ms. Castaneda found ways to capture our attention and get us involved in the lesson. I had a good command of the English language and she made me realize that as much as I could express myself while speaking, I could also express myself in writing. She showed me that sometimes all it took was a little bit of imagination to make a story interesting. Ms. Castaneda knew her subject very well and knew how to teach it in order for students to learn the information she was providing. Students can easily identify when a teacher has good command of his/her lesson. This has a significant impact on what students learn and the interest they have on a particular subject based on what the teacher decides to teach and how the teacher delivers the content of the lesson. It is very important that a teacher be qualified, since quality also comes with qualification. If the quality of content delivery is effective, then the content taught is learnt by the students. As a result, both the qualified teacher and students become successful.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
According to ETS, qualified teachers must know the subject they are teaching. I my view this statement is true. Take for instance myself, I am a vocational teacher, I teach food and nutrition, tourism, food and beverage, which fall under my qualifications, that is, I am a Tourism major. I am certainly unable to effectively teach English or even Math for I am not qualified to teach those subjects. The quality of my instruction teaching any of those subjects would be questionable. Furthermore, as much as qualifications are important the way the information is delivered, meaning the quality of service and the information delivered are important. Hence, teachers with valid qualification provide quality service delivery at work. As a result, students are motivated to learn, remain focused on the content taught and learn the content delivered. This is what is most important and defines a qualified teacher in a profession where there is no room for mediocrity.
Reference: McAllister, P. (2003). Where we stand on teacher quality. NJ: ETS. Retrieved from www.ets.org
Right miss carballo a teacher must know the subject they are teaching. From your first statement it makes me think of the word quality and quantity. We must deliver to our students quality work based on knowledge and skills to enhance the teaching strategy. When I say quantity, I mean you would want to give them enough so that they would want to stay focus and research more and also share with their very own class mate. That is also a way to enhance their level of research to produce quality work back to their teacher. This also shows them how the teacher would want her work when it will be given in.
I fully agree with your statement that teachers must know the content that they teach. There is a generalization that teachers who attained certification or licensure to teach is able to teach any subject. Most countries provide specialization in educational courses to ensure that students receive quality teachers.
Hey Janine, I once again fully agree with you. Why would a teacher be placed to teach Integrated Science if that teacher has no background or understanding in that course area? In such case we would be setting up our children to fail and the sad truth to this situation is that as students ourselves we have seen such disaster.
Coming through the education system a teacher in my learning was very sensitive,caring loving, understanding,and most definitely caterd to my learning needs.She was always their pushing for the best . She saw in me skills and abilities that no one ever outlooked .She made me feel welcomed t all times.most e Importantly she made me believe that I can do and become whatever I put my
This is the value of the teacher, who looks at a face and says there's something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that color, behind that language, behind that tradition, behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me. —Maya Angelou
Quality teachers are important to improve the standards of students mainly because our students spend most of their time and days with us.majority of our students don't get the attention they need so we are the ones left incharged. According to pamella D. Tucker and Jones H.Stronge they said that after teaching we as teachers hold high expectations for them and make them believe they can achieve.
Beautiful quote from Maya Angelou. Yes since students spend most of their time and days with teachers most parents would see the importance of quality teachers who will influence their children.
I do agree with you Ms. Forbes. Holding high expectations for our students will definitely assist them in believing in themselves as well. How can we do this tho if we are not holding the expectations high enough for our selves?
You stated some great qualities that the teacher who who made an impact in your learning. It's sad that some teachers today cannot give the same as you experienced. Majority fail to realize that school is a second home to students and they expect plenty of love and home filled feelings from that teacher. I do hope that many can see the struggles and need of each student as that teacher saw in you. Beautiful quote by the way.
notes 1 See Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 8(1). Retrieved January 22, 2004 from http://olam.ed.asu.edu/epaa/v8n1/ and Stronge, J. H. (2002). Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
One of the few teachers that made a great impact on my willingness to learn was Teacher Ellis from Edward P. Yorke High School. She was one of the few teachers that were very calm which made it very easy for students like me who was very introverted to feel comfortable to share their thoughts. If you didn’t know something, she patiently went over the content that had you confounded. I believe that her teaching strategy and way in creating an environment that is conducive to teach allowed me to love chemistry and physics. It was quite an amazing experience and I believe that many students that had the opportunity to be in her class can share the same experience. One of the things that also stood out was that she was very knowledgeable in the content she is required to teach and was one of the few females at that time that seemed very confident when teaching chemistry and biology. The lab session was always interesting and of which application of analytical and critical thinking skills became a walk in the park I believe that quality teacher is very important and have a life-long learning impact on the achievement of students. Though many may focus on certification, I believe that teachers’ experience, knowledge in content and academic ability and qualification all aid / complement the quality and effectiveness of a teacher in the classroom. We must realize that statistics may be skewed and vary from one environment to another. We tend to rely on statistics provided from outside sources were there is greater specialization in pedagogy. Most countries requires teacher to acquire academic and professional certification in the subject they plan to teach. Most universities in Belize only provide core specialization in subjects like Mathematics, Spanish and English and Business Education, we cannot solely rely on professional certification since, and it is least likely for a teacher to be fully competent in all subjects. Hence, student achievements are greater if they are associated with teachers who are knowledgeable in the content that they teach (Center for Public Education, 2014). Studies have shown that quality teachers have greater performance and are able display good classroom management. Students are more receptive to learning and have higher achievements. Even though there substantial efforts in ensuring that we have certified teachers in the classroom, I believe that we have forgot some fundamental aspects of what makes an effective / quality teacher. It is not solely the paper that is attained, but also the ability to convey the information to students and foster an environment that would be conducive to learning (performance). Whether they are transferred to an urban or rural school, a teachers’ performance should never decrease. However, I fully support certification or licensure and realize the importance of attaining teacher training, but there must be a balance in all aspects, else the continued downward or near stagnant trend in national and regional assessments should have improved after so many years in certification and training. If such trends remains dismal, have the educational system failed teachers? Is our society producing quality teachers? Is our assertion of teacher quality limited to skewed data? The generalization of teacher quality as it solely relates to certification cannot be ascertained until we have established trending results in Belize that supports our hypothesis.
Reference
Center for Public Education. (2014, August 27). Teacher Quality & Student Achievement. Retrieved March 11, 2015, from Education.com: http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Research_Q_consider/
One of the teachers who made an impact on my educational achievements is Dr. McKay. I recall when I was working on my thesis for my BA that when I felt like giving up she was always there supporting me whether it was with her time or moral support. During one of our meetings I told her that I will withdraw and do my thesis the next semester. She said that there is no guarantee that in the next semester I will be able to get it completed, and as I am almost finish then her advice is to complete it. Hence to say that on graduation day I was so thankful to her for giving me that extra push I needed. I believe that with more teachers like Dr. McKay students can only excel in whatever educational fields they choose.
I totally agree with your comment about Dr. McKay. She and Mr Tucker are two lectures at the University of Belize that are open and willing to go the extra mile for their students. They are always available to have a conversation with, or seek advice from about any matter. They will always give you a positive answer.
I was not a teacher’s favourite nor was I their worst night mare. But as far as I can remember, Mrs. Cynthia Martinez, from Edward P. Yorke was one of the teachers that made a positive impact on my learning experience. She was my homeroom and Home Economics teacher. I could remember hating Home Economics when it was taught by another teacher but when I met Mrs. Martinez, everything changed. Yes, she was strict, yes she was at times miserable, but her dedication for her job and her students allowed me to appreciate things in life and my years of attending secondary school. We kept a very close relationship even after I graduated from that institution. She is still like a mother figure to me and I miss those times spent with her at Edward. P. Yorke High school….In her eyes I did no wrong.
The quality of a teacher’s teaching is very important to the educational system. Students spend most of their time in the classroom; therefore they are spending a lot of time with teachers. In a class room setting, the teacher is seen as the “role model”, hence the reason they must ensure that they act their role. It can be detrimental to students who are placed in a classroom which a teacher who is neither qualified nor trained in that field, hence the reason, it is encouraged that all teachers be qualified and trained so they can provide quality education to their students. Children are the future of the nation so teachers must ensure that students are equipped with high quality education.
I had a similar experience as you did Ms.Jones. You stated that your teacher Mrs.Cynthia was strict and miserable but dedicated. I would honestly rather a teacher with that character because i believe that they have the best interest of making you learn and seeing the importance of learning the contents. Even though she seemed miserable it is just because she wants you to know that she is serious about her job and letting her students succeed. Moreover, teachers should be trained in order to give students the appropriate education needed.
Teacher-Positive Impact Teachers sometimes do not realize the tremendous impact that they have on shaping their students’ lives. I had one such teacher who played an instrumental role in shaping the person that I have become. First form at high school was a challenging time for me. I was struggling with trying to find myself as well as fit in the school environment. Unfortunately, I did not come from an affluent family like the majority of the other students but I believed I was reasonably intelligent since I had excelled in primary school and in the PSE. My stellar performance earned me a scholarship- a real blessing since without it I would not have been able to attend that prestigious high school. Unfortunately, I was placed in a class where the students believed that wasting time and giving the teacher a hard time were the norm of the day. I was not accustomed to this type of behaviour and had always been a fairly well-behaved student. I tried to ignore their rudeness and tried to be the model student. I did my assignments, participated in class and tried to do what I was supposed to do-learn. Eventually, the teasing and taunting started and even though I tried hard to not let it bother me, I finally could not take it any longer. It is not fun being picked on and blamed for everything just because you are trying to do the right thing and decided I might as well do what everyone else was doing. My Science teacher was an astute man. When he noticed that I was not participating in class as much as I used to and my grades started dropping, he called me into his office. He did not mince words with me. In essence, he told me that if I did not buckle down and get back on track, he would call my parents to come in for a conference. That scared me because I knew my mom would definitely embarrass me if she came to school. When he saw that the threat had caught my attention, he proceeded to ask me about primary school, my goals in life and why I had selected that particular school. As I opened up to him, he actually listened to me and I can still see him nodding approvingly as he listened to me. He shared his own experiences in school and explained that he was able to succeed because he remained focus. After that day, he became my mentor. He was the person I went to when I needed to talk. He was the one I sought out when I needed encouragement. It was his confidence in me that made me choose to pursue the academic track in school. He was the one who found a sponsor for me to attend sixth form. He was my inspiration and now that I am a teacher, I try to do the same for my students. I may not be able to reach them all, but if I reach and make a difference in the life of one of my students, I feel that I have done more than just teach.
Wow I would say that you both made an impact on each other. As teachers and I am sure you have went through this, sometimes the students make huge impacts in our lives and make us better persons. I had a student who through her determination and interest in becoming successful despite of her desperate and sometimes problematic economic needs taught me that becoming successful is a want. If you really want an education then no barriers will hold you back.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
Teachers play an instrumental role in determining the quality of students produced by the educational system. Therefore, it is imperative that these teachers are equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills they need to impart to the students. So, the reality is that QUALITY MATTTERS! In the United States when No Child Left Behind came on stream after the dismal performance of American students when compared to students from other countries, the buzz word became “highly qualified teachers”. In 2007, Belizeans were appalled when it was announced that the teachers who were given the Primary School Exam had performed poorly, and the Chief Education Officer remarked that the results showed that both the students and the teachers had had similar experiences. Now, isn’t something wrong with that picture? Seven years later the Minister of Education is still lamenting about the capabilities of teachers but it has obviously being nothing but rhetoric. “Many of our children are still not achieving satisfactory levels of performance. There remain chronic shortages of trained and qualified teachers at all levels of the system” (Faber, 2010, para. 4). Despite saying this in 2010, he apparently did nothing to improve this “sad state of affairs” in his ministry because four years later, he was still complaining about teachers: If you look at the entire situation, we need to be equipping our children with the best teachers, and those teachers need to get aboard in terms of the training, so yes a good deal of the blame at the end of the day has to be placed on the shoulders of teachers. (Faber 2014 as cited in Milan, 2014, para. 1). So, the million dollar question is when will something be done to aggressively attack this problem that has been plaguing our education system? If teachers themselves lack the skills and knowledge, then what are they really teaching the children? “The children don’t know how to do math because the teachers don’t know how to do math,” (Faber 2014 as cited in Milan, 2014, para. 2). This statement illustrates the need for quality teachers because they are the only ones who can help to improve the standards of the students. When teachers do not know, then the students suffer because they leave the teachers class lacking the foundation they need to be able to develop their cognitive ability. Sadly, the ones that are most affected are the weaker students because the brighter students can grasp the concepts on their own or with the help of their supportive family. It is the weaker students who need quality/well trained teachers more. Darling-Hammond reiterates this, “Interestingly, well-qualified teachers make more difference for students who have struggled more. It's the most important for the students who have had the most difficulty in school in the past” (Darling-Hammond, 2001, para. 5). Ultimately, quality/well-trained teachers not only improve the standard of the students but also the educational standards of the country. When all our students are provided with the stimulus to become engaged in rigorous and meaningful activities that take into consideration their diverse needs, they soar and excel. These types of activities will ignite the desire to seek knowledge which results in a more educated citizenry that can aid in the development of the country. Therefore, as teachers we need to continue to raise the bar for our students so that they can strive for excellence which will have us all being winners in the game of life. Quality teachers do this!
References
Darling-Hammond, L. (2001). Thoughts on teacher preparation. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/linda-darling-hammond-teacher-preparation#graph5 Faber, P. (2010). Opening Address Education Week 2010. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/LUnderwood/Downloads/openin-education.pdf Milan, A. (June 14, 2014). Faber calls out teachers for PSE results. Retrieved from http://www.reporter.bz/general/faber-calls-out-teachers-for-pse-results/
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Until I reached sixth form at SJCJC I met two teachers who made me realize what hard work is and to dream all you can be. My calculus teacher, Mr. Julio Tarrago, was a Cuban who loved mathematics. I can always remember him excited and enthusiastic about Mathematics. He would say with much expression "Mathematics is beautiful!" He always dared us to think by giving us theory dropping a problem on the blackboard n told us ok apply what I just gave you. My colleagues would look at each other scared. We overcame this fear by daring to think. Every class he did this until we all got the courage to go on the board and attempt any problem. He guided us through our train of thought and was always willing to help after class. He graded us extremely hard as well. He did not give us points for wrong answers. Many of times I recall crying because of my 50's or 30's. He told us the next day after, he has to be harsh with grading because, for example, suppose you become an engineer. You build a bridge and make a wrong estimate of the weighed it can handle. The lives of many are in your hands. I realize he is right, mathematics is a serious field and there is no room for error. Mr. Tarrago is the reason I am pursing my Bachelors in mathematics today. I am finding mathematics as beautiful as how he did. He has given me inspiration and has dared me to always strive to become the best. My other teacher who has made a positive impact is Mrs. Darlene Peters, who thought me all my Physics courses in SJCJC. Her motto was “Sleep until you dead!” We always smiled when she said that because she would give us tons of homework to prepare us for test. I always remember Mrs. Peters when I am tired and want to go sleep before completing my homework. She has thought me dedication and has inspired me to push beyond my limits. I am grateful for these teachers whom have had a positive impact on my life. If it were not for them I would not be attending the University of Belize today. Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? Quality teachers are important to improve the standards of our students. According to Kati Haycock and Candace Crawford, as a study (Gordon, Kane, & Straiger, 2006) in Los Angeles showed, students taught by teachers in the top quartile of effectiveness advance, on average, approximately five percentile points each year relative to their peers, whereas those taught by teachers in the bottom percentile of effectiveness lose, on average, five percentile points relative to their peers (Closing the Teacher Quality Gap, p. 14). If a student is taught by someone who is effective, concise, and interesting, the student will listen and apply what she/he learns to reach the high standards set by such a teacher. My personal belief is a teacher is a role model. As a role model a teacher must place their best foot forward especially when teaching. Teachers are inspirational leaders and students look up to teachers. Sometimes it is one quality that attracts a student to like a teacher. Therefore, the teachers' qualities are very important because students will emulate similar actions or attitude as the teacher. Teachers become the father and mother when they are at school besides teaching them knowledge in subject areas. These teachers have an effect on how students turn out in life and the working field. Most teachers got into this profession to make a difference (Closing the teacher Quality Gap, 2008, p. 19). Furthermore, ‘education has the real power to change lives for the better’ (Closing the teacher Quality Gap ,2008, p. 19).
Reference Haycock, K. and Crawford, C. (April 2008). Educational Leadership: Poverty and Learning. Closing the Teacher Quality Gap, 65(7),14-19
I agree whole heartily with you. Teachers are everything to their students. Their influence is so great that it blows the mind. Teachers are powerful tools that are essential to lives of our young minds. Good teachers use this tool to ensure success but the mediocre teacher does not see the value or do not even care about getting success for the students in their care. The leaders, parents and students need to work together to weed out all the undesirable teachers from the system so that across all schools we can have quality teachers within our schools.
I agree whole heartily with you. Teachers are everything to their students. Their influence is so great that it blows the mind. Teachers are powerful tools that are essential to lives of our young minds. Good teachers use this tool to ensure success but the mediocre teacher does not see the value or do not even care about getting success for the students in their care. The leaders, parents and students need to work together to weed out all the undesirable teachers from the system so that across all schools we can have quality teachers within our schools.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Coming through the education system the teacher who made the greatest and positive impact in my life was my Std 4 teacher Sister Francine. She was a disciplinarian but very loving and she believed in her students. She work hard with all her students. She made me realize that I had a lot of potential as a student. She used to challenge me and made me believed that I could be the best. She was a tough educator but very compassionate and kind. She laid down the law and made it clear what was expected of you. She expected you to work hard and to always try. She always expected you to do your best and demand it from us. She was a special teacher. Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? Teachers play a key role in educating our students. The quality of teacher a student receives can make a huge difference in a student’s life. A great teacher is a teacher who wants to make a difference in the lives of their students. A quality teacher is very knowledgeable of the subject matter they teach, have high standards, are enthusiastic, have a caring attitude and love to learn. They have a knowledge of discipline and strong classroom management.
As a study (Gordon, Kane, & Staiger, 2006) in Los Angeles showed, students taught by teachers in the top quartile of effectiveness advance, on average, approximately five percentile points each year relative to their peers, whereas those taught by teachers in the bottom quartile of effectiveness lose, on average, five percentile points relative to their peers. If we want to see more successful students we need more quality teachers in our schools. We need to find ways of distributing quality teachers within our schools and weeding out those teachers who are crippling our students and who are in the classroom because it is just a job. Great Schools Staff .What makes a great teacher. Great! Schools http://www.greatschools.org/improvement/quality-teaching/79-what-makes-a-great-teacher.gs Haycock. K. & Crawford. C. (2008) Closing the teacher
I completely agree with you. But in reality it is easier said than done. To weed out teachers from the educational system is a long process that because of affiliation with politics and religion many a times these individuals remain in system and create powerless students that are only set up for failure in life.
Why quality teachers are important to improve standard of our students? The gap that exist between scholastic performances by rich and poor, blacks and whites may to a great extent be the fault of racial stereotypes, availability of basic needs and many other factors that are beyond the control of children/students. Another leading factor that affects the now low standards of students on a whole is the lack of quality teachers! Teachers are the backbone of every society and the quality instruction they give today will be reflected in tomorrow’s decisions that are made. A teachers has many spoken as well as unspoken roles; mentor, psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor, parent and referee among many others. ‘Quality instruction’ however is expected from administration, guardians and even students themselves. The questions though are; how can a teacher give quality instruction, if they themselves aren’t qualified? How can someone take students from one level and take them to another level if they themselves can’t identify the level that the students are on? What characteristics make a teacher a ‘Quality teacher?’ Hanushek reiterated that “The quality of the teachers in our schools is paramount: no other measured aspect of schools is nearly as important in determining student achievement.” (Hanushek, 2011) Teachers must be effective to impart quality teaching. Teachers must be knowledgeable of what is being taught as this knowledge inspires. Teachers must also have their objectives clear, whether stated or not. They must have good relationships with guardians and be they should also be well organized at all times. These of course alongside parental qualities add up to effective teaching. If teachers are qualified, more than likely they will perform well. If they do, society does too! In order for any teacher to perform to a standard that is required from them, they must “know” (be educated, equipped, prepared!). Teachers that know will instruct correctly, correct compassionately, demonstrate masterfully, and inspire immeasurably! Quality begets quality, it’s that simple! Hanushek, E. (2011). Valuing teachers: how much is a good teacher worth? Retrieved from http://hanushek.stanford.edu/publications/valuing-teachers-how-much-good-teacher-worth
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Dr. Raul Clarke. Graduating from a tertiary level institution wanting to be a bus driver is nothing to be proud of, (I realize that now thank you). My dad tried to remind me of the joy that it was to be in the ministry (being a pastor himself and all) but, I couldn’t come to terms with studying theology. To cut a long story short, the first time I attended U.B back in 2008-09, I signed up for a class with Dr. Clarke upon advice from the school advisor. The minute I first set foot in the class I felt out of place. Everyone else was older than I and with so much more experience than I, where teaching is concerned. The first sessions were monotonous as I was more interested in fitting and appearing “normal” (something that never happened). When I finally got over the ‘want to fit in’ stage, I noticed something different about the Doc. Besides the fact that he was cool and charismatic, he actually was passionate about what he did! He believed everything he said and in turn, he made me believe it too! The way he spoke about students and the way teachers could and would change their lives forever, enthralled me. The class, which was more theoretical, nurtured critical thinking and was geared to have students transcend their normal level of thinking. Innovative ideas that teachers could use in their classrooms and even extracurricular activities which would take normal teacher out of their comfort zones were strategically developed and clinically depicted. Once I had started paying more attention to the class for what I could actually learn from it, I saw life, family and my future with a whole new set of eyes. Dr. Clarke may not remember my name or even more so, my final grade. What is most important to me however, is the fact that he marked my life forever. His encouragement, style of teaching and even his belief in us his students served as major motivation in directing me to the career I wanted to truly embark on; teaching.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning .
Coming through the education system I must start by saying i had alot of teacher, not only just teachers but great exceptional and hardworking teachers who look out for me and valued education as gold. But over all there was one outsatanding teacher of them all, she was an older. As we all know primary school is the place where students require the most nurturing and guidance for moldong into their further years. As young as i might have been and as funny as it seems i can remember like it was yesterday my infant 1 and 2 teacher, she was the same person who thought me for both class. I was not a very confident child as i had manny challenges,especially in readung and my attention spand was extreemely short. I would say this teacher was my inspiration my guide and my role mode. Some days when i was at my lowest when i felt like i was about to give up crying she took the time out and sat wit me teaching me, she knew all her students well as she studies them closesly with thieir learning styles and no one was left behild even though she had a full class, when she was at school her time was devoted there. She made sure she looked for solutions and alternative to cater to our learning. I can remeber her coming to my desk sounding out words for me and not just sitting at her desk and saying, do this or do that but actually giving us her time. She mad a very positive impact on my education because as we know thoes years are our early years and we need that foundation and she molded us very well, because of her example and great humble selfless contribution to my education and life i look to her as and example and want to be that same kind of decicated teacher.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? Quality teachers are very important to improve the standards of out students because they are role models and leaders in our education system. Without quality teachers our system of education would not be up to par. The sole purpose of quality teachers are to bring across quality teaching to our students. If we as teachers fail to give students all they deserve in the classroom we are not only cheating them but also our selves and our country. If the standards of our teaches are low then they cant think that the standards of out students will be high. It goes back to say that what ever you put in,we will get out so you put in hard work and quality work that is what you will be getting back and as long as we have quality teachers teaching we will have quality students who will grow up to be quality productive workers and have a better country. It all links!
1. Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in my learning. My education journey started in Punta Gorda Town, at St. Peter Claver Primary School. I had one teacher who impacted my life; she displayed all the good qualities of a teacher, mother counselor and a nurse. Her name is Miss Lottie Flores; she was my standard six teacher. She was the most caring teacher. She was able to recognize when her students had problems outside of school, and made the necessary adjustment to help them through those issues. Teacher Lottie was able to build a cooperative relationship with the community and my grandmother. She always start classes eight o clock in the morning and have evening classes in the evening to make sure that her students grasp the concept been thought. Derrick Meador, D. (2015).Teaching Expert. 2. Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? Quality teacher are important to improve the standard of our students. Quality teachers are needed to mold the future generation of our country. Having quality teacher in the classroom is very vital, they are able to manage student learning progression, and bring out the best out of their students. Quality teachers are able to use technology to find innovating ways to develop their student skills in different subjects, and to encourage their students to work diligently to bring out the best in their school work. Quality teacher use creative methods to get information across to their students. Murgatroyd S. & Morgan C. (1994) Total Quality Management and the School.
During my two years at Corozal Junior College I had the privilege of having one of the most admirable teachers. Mr. Jose Mai had excellent teaching skills and exceptional time management skills. He would enter the classroom well prepared and keep his students engaged and at task during the whole class period, was always involved and extra-curricular activities, had a wife with 2 children and yet still found time to listen to his students. The way he was able to manage his time instantly captured my interest. I followed his example and continue following his footsteps in my teaching career and in my personal life. I believe that it is a teachers’ utmost responsibility to impart knowledge, skills, values and attitudes in order to create well rounded individuals that will be able to positively function in life. Quality teachers make huge impacts that create confident students who become successful individuals in the future. A teacher who has little or no interest in her classroom and students can create lifetime damage in a student’s life. A quality teacher does not only need to be qualified and trained but also needs to be able to perform in the classroom.
I totally agree with your last statement. Having the qualification is one thing but what you do with it is another. A love for teaching really brings out a quality teacher because they will go above and beyond looking for ways for their students to achieve success.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning. Up to this day I am still encountering teachers that continue to make a positive impact in my learning/life. Going through the education system, school has been my best years. I met caring, understanding, and loving teachers who dedicated themselves in helping me achieve the best. However, there is one particular teacher that was very extraordinary and one who I will never forget. She was more than a teacher; she was the mother at my second home. She was very intelligent, a great listener and a mentor to me. She would have never progressed through a lesson without me grasping an understanding. She cheered me on letting me believe that I can do anything once I put my all into it and I did. She along with my family helped me to become who I am today, a positive teacher just as she was. . Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? When we purchase products don’t we look for the ones with good quality? We expect the best products so it lasts longer and work well for us right? It’s the same thing when it comes to education. Everyone wants their children to have a good education that will last a lifetime, hence quality teachers are important. The most important factor that impacts a student’s learning is the teacher. What teachers know and can do is the most important influence on what students learn. Quality teaching means improvement in students’ achievement. A teacher that has the content knowledge, teaching experience, teaching training credentials and overall academic ability would be able to move a student from one level to another successfully. As stated by Sims( 2011) Researchers have consistently found that teacher effectiveness is the critical component in improving student achievement. In order for a teacher to be effective, they must be trained. The educational leaders of this country are demanding that teachers get the necessary training to ensure that quality teachers are place in all classrooms to improve students’ achievement. Teacher development is the key to closing the gap. Overall, having quality teachers to improve the standards of our students will lead to an improvement in the standards of our economy. Reference: Sims, B. (2011, July 22). Teacher Development is Key to Closing the Achievement Gap. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-divide-achievement-gap-teacher-development
Teachers play a very vital role in the lives of their students. As it is, children spend most of their time at school. Therefore it is necessary to that teachers play and extended role in the lives of their students. Teachers should strive to be more than just an educator. During my years as a scholar, I was proud to have known a wonderful woman Mrs. Wade. Mrs. Wade took a special interest in her students. She was more than just a teacher, she was a confidant. Even though the school had a counselor, she was there one that most students ran to. Her amicable demeanor made us want to do better. When we would do well, her face would light up in admiration. This look was turned into disappointment when we didn’t do well enough. In order to get this look we would continue to thrive for excellence. She extended her role beyond the classroom. For students who needed it, she and her family was like and extended family. Her office was more than for lessons; it was for talking about personal issues.
It is important to have quality teachers in the classroom for a number of reasons. First of all quality teachers should improve the standards of our students. Furthering ones study as educator should not be just about you. Furthering an education should be beneficial for your students as well. a qualified, trained teacher, should be able to deliver lessons to students in a way that each child Is able to understand. A quality teacher should be able to recognize underlying issues with her students and should make steps to have such issues addressed. Furthermore, a quality teacher should encourage her students to do better and demand nothing but their best. Once a teacher is comfortable with herself, only then will they be able to be comfortable with their students and thus have a greater impact, causing students to do better. Quality, however, should not be confused with educational level. Many people believe that an education would deem them as a “quality” teacher. However, in my opinion, this is not the case. Quality has to do with a teacher’s ability to reach and impact their students
1) Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDelete Well for starters that teacher who made a positive impact in my learning had the quality of an “angel”, the guidance, protection; the support one needed to succeed and survive in whatever obstacle life throws at you. Teachers seek to provide the necessary resources that are needed. For instance, readable information and the step-by-step protocols to follow for learning to take place. Basically being able to see the potential within a student and build on it.
2) Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
Quality teachers come equip with the background knowledge in teaching and how to bring those materials across clear to students’ understanding. Referring back to the document “Closing the quality teacher gap”, it’s simply getting teachers ready for the classroom. If teachers are not fully equipped with the teaching layout and the knowledge background-how can they teach and attempt to educate a student with all the necessary tools to survive. If you look at the beginning of the paper where it says, “assigning the weakest students to the weakest teachers is no way to close achievement gaps”. This is why a quality teacher is needed for a student’s improvement because a rounded teacher equals a well-educated student where the student’s standard will be improve as time goes by.
I do agree with you Chris, assigning the weakest students to the weakest teachers is no way to close achievement gaps”. I recall being at Pallotti where we had, A, B, C groups for Spanish and Math class. I always wondered why us the B Spanish group was given a intern teacher and the A group had a Spanish news anchor for theirs. Also us the math C group was given the teacher least likely to get through to anyone. He was a nice man but could hardly even speak English and we could give so much trouble in his class. While we had him the A group had a math scholar as their teacher. This made no sense because the A group was already doing so well they did not need the extra help like we did. These are things that need to be of high concern when assigning teachers to specific groups.
DeleteI have to agree with Christina that teachers must and should posses certain qualities and training, but being trained and posses that qualities is only a portion of what the job entails. Being trained and equipped with the knowledge of a 100 professors with doctorate degrees are useless to me if you don't top in and dig deeper than just that. I feel as though having the knowledge and dont know to apply or even show emotions to and a feel of what we are doing then its effortless and a waste of time.
DeleteYou’re more than right Micheal. Yes being qualified is important but also in knowing how to apply it. i always say, if one should measure him or herself they must look good on paper as well as display the knowledge one have achieved. there are so many people who only look good on paper but have no clue to apply the knowledge they have gain which is a shame to say the least. But all am saying is that if teachers are not fully equip ("Who is Teaching Whom" on pg. 15 as it relates to the document Closing the quality teacher gap) with the tools to educate students-we will see the bright students correcting the teachers. Not that we cannot learn from our students but if you are constantly be corrected, pretty sure we have all witness this, there must be something done to decrease that behaviour from happening within the classroom and stop ignoring issue at hand. so that is all am saying, yes application is the at most important part but being trained properly in conveying materials across is also important. its like the human body, all the parts are responsible in keeping the body functioning properly and if you are aware when one part cannot perform the duties your body start acting up. Do not get me wrong, there are teachers far way better than the ones with a degree but would not you want to better yourself on both counts? just throwing out a question there.....
DeleteComing through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteComing through the education system I can recall most recently Mr. Fermin, my tertiary level teacher who has made a positive impact in my learning. The difference between Mr. Fermin and other instructors is that he is always charismatic, if he has any personal issues you will never know because he surely doesn’t bring it to class. Secondly Mr. Fermin is very encouraging, there is no wrong answer with him and it’s always great for trying; this way everyone is eager to participate nor does he force us to do so. He is also very helpful when he sees you struggling he comes to you directly with assistance and clarity. Mr. Fermin shared with us that he has been through many jobs but felt a sense or reward when he helps students becomes enlightened and successful complete their courses. I can attest that my colleagues and I will surely pass the classes we take with Fermin. It is no easy task to pass; he is just very approachable and understanding without insults.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
Quality teachers are important because they are the ones leading the students towards success. If they are not fully equipped or prepared to assist students of all calibers and learning styles they cannot expect optimum results from these students.
Some teachers consistently produce much larger gains than the average, whereas others produce much smaller gain. (Haycock and Crawford, 2008, p. 16). Not all teachers are dedicated or skilled to pass on knowledge and encouragement to specific students. Some simply do not know what to do; some are overwhelmed while others will not do so because they are not being paid enough.
Teachers are responsible for all students, including those falling behind; if they do not show the students that they believe in them, that student might not believe in himself. Sometimes this is all takes. Pay attention to your student and just do what you can to help them unless they tell you themselves they do not want to do better.
April Wagner I will agree that the lectures in the Faculty of Social Work are amazing. I don't want to sound bias, because of course they are lectures in the Faculty of Education such as Mr. Tucker and Mrs. Tun are exceptional in their job. My experiences with lectures from the social work department such as Mr. Carrillo, Mrs Acosta, Mrs. Reyonalds and Ms. Pamela devoted their energy and time in making sure that they not only impart knowledge, but alos to equip us with the necessary skills and attitudes vita in such a demanding profession. A profession that is rewarding yet under pay. Students like Shanalee, Lodawn , April and I could all attest that the social work faculty and students operates like a family. We have a unique bond with our chair and lectures, which creates an atmosphere that is welcoming and student centered.
DeleteDearest Ms. Wagner,
DeleteI found your response to quality teachers partaking in improving the standard of our students to be rather precise. I was rather struck by your comment that quality teachers are the “ones leading the students towards success”. I concur with your premise. I believe that quality teachers take initiative, transform the lives of students, motivate them to succeed and transmit the spirit of passion to their students. Teachers play a critical role in establishing positive attitudes and school climate. I contend that teachers, those considered of top-notch quality, often adhere to the tenet, “If you fail to plan, plan to fail”. Effective educators are the ones that are fully prepared to make a difference in the lives of students.
I was also struck by your opinion that some teachers are ineffective because they are not motivated as a result of low or insufficient remuneration. Familiarity with Frederick Herzberg´s two factor motivation theory would allow educators to become knowledgeable about the intrinsic versus the extrinsic rewards of teaching. As Sr. Maria Caritas Lawrence, R.S.M, from the Ministry of Education stated at a workshop at Wesley College, “Do not expect thank you from anyone in the teaching profession.” She also highlighted that “you will not get rich” as an educator. Thus, for educators, if teaching is intrinsically driven, changing the lives of students or attaining 100% percent passes in CXC exams would be self-satisfying. On the contrary, if educators look at extrinsic rewards of the teaching profession, importance would be given to holidays and an average salary with the hope of obtaining pension. Thus, educators who are extrinsically motivated would not have the students’ welfare as their priority.
Finally, your statement that educators must be responsible for their students, often assisting those who fall behind and constantly showing confidence in their potential is surely critical in the teaching profession. Unfortunately, educators who are extrinsically motivated will be indifferent towards students as their personal objective would be self-gratification. Such educators would fail to champion Piere Pirard´s teaching principles of informing students that you, the teacher, believe in them. (Pirard, 2013). Absent within the school environment would be ambitious, measurable and meaningful goals that should, in principle, become an everyday reality. In essence, Ms. Wagner, you highlighted the importance that educators who provide genuine professionalism, competence, passion and responsibility will ultimately be “high-quality” educators that bring about effective and efficient learning in the classroom.
In conclusion, I posit that your three-fold statements highlight the need for quality educators in the classroom and surely agree with you. As Gandhi states, “Man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow-men”. Educators, then, irrespective of partaking in or choosing a humble profession, should be highly professional, competent, prepared and qualified. Such attributes brings to Belize´s education system, high-calibre educators who would then make a difference in Belize´s development.
References
Pirard, P. (2013) Principles of Highly Effective Teachers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jdTtnWMLVM
I agree with you April, as teacher we equip the students for a better future and if the information provided to them is nit the right information or say the inappropriate information how will they be able to lead our country to prosperity. I most teacher are in the profession because they love what they do, however as you mentioned there are a few of them which is the minority that are in it for the pay not necessarily for the betterment of the students.
DeleteI agree with you on the last part stated where teachers 're responsible for 'll students.the key word here is ALL .I believe that if you can do it for one student then you can for everyone because that is our responsibility, no one left behind. When this is effective, children will realize that not only academics is important but there skills also and because that teacher took responsibility and should them why they are important they will want to better off themselves and become somebody in this world. Speaking from experience :-)
DeleteWhat can I say here other than I agree with you 100% April as it relates to teachers who had made a positive impact in your learning. If I must say Mr. Olivera has indeed made our learning one of the best which am very grateful for and most proud of. He paints this picture that life does get better over time with hard work and dedication and the spirit of leading a helping hand without the cost of money or the idea of getting rich. He is one of those lecturers other than Mr. Tucker who has both qualification and the knowledge to apply and teach the hopeless students who have no sense of direction and give them life again through the form of quality education; Most definitely closing the quality teacher gap as I must say.
DeleteApril i must say that i agree with fully when a teacher puts his all or her all to foster an environment conducive to a child's learning. If you tend be successful, a child being neglected will not be productive. And your teacher did a good thing by not bring his problems to school because students tend to pick up on when teachers are worried and with that we might be hampering them....and if teachers cant produce what they are suppose to because of what they are going through that is not good.
DeleteComing through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteComing through the educational system of Belize, I was educated at St. John´s College (High School Division) from 1980 to 1984. My years at St. John´s College had a tremendous impact on my life because of Kevin O´Flaherty, S.J., a Jesuit scholastic (seminarian) from the United States of America, who taught me Religion.
Kevin O´Flaherty, S.J. captivated my academic interest not so much by the content of the course but more so by his innate charismatic ability to genuinely express sincere concern for and empathic interest in each of his students.
Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J. was a powerful force in religious instruction as he had us frequently visit the upper room of the S.J.C. gymnasium to view religious videos and have critical thinking on issues ranging from biblical incidences to ethical controversies. His use of visual aids, coupled with this mastery of the subject content and charismatic disposition, made it inevitably difficult to fail. Learning was fun even as he was well known for maintaining a strong regard for discipline so that effective teaching and holistic learning could take place.
Kevin O´Flaherty, S.J. led by example. He lived out his Catholic faith and Jesuit spirituality in an authentic way, and students were recipients of a Jesuit education that highlighted being of service to others, especially those most in need. He led the S.J.C. Wildcats (basketball team) to the highest of heights in those days, having the national basketball championships for four consecutive years, as well as having been undefeated in national high school basketball tournaments for an entire year
As a young man, I was highly fortunate to have Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J., as a solid role model. At S.J.C., we students and our teachers had tremendous respect for a male teacher who feared and loved God and for whom his love of Christ impelled him to love and serve others. Back then, moral rectitude was highly valued and respected, unlike contemporary times where many students and teachers seem to be indifferent about their spiritual growth and development.
I received a strong foundation of Catholic education with the Jesuits, and I have learned that having God in one’s life affords one the pleasure to deal with the vicissitudes of life in a more effective and life-giving way. To be sure, Kevin O´Flaherty, S.J. taught me serious moral values and principles, pre-requisites that are necessary to become spiritually mature and to become a “man for others” as championed by St. Ignatius of Loyola.
In Belize, there seems to be an ever growing lack of focus on spirituality and community, but rather more of a thrust towards secularism and unrepentant capitalism and its attendant individualism. At S.J.C. holistic education—including spiritual formation—was (and one can only hope still is) of utmost importance. That well-rounded Catholic education infused with solid Jesuit spirituality which I gained in a special way from Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J. has helped me to draw closer to God and to become even more genuinely interested in and of as much encouragement and support to each of my students. Further, through my emulation of his solid example as a role model, over the years I have become more and more adept with managing the highs and lows of life.
I will continue to stand firm on my conviction that I am who I am as a human being and a professional educator as a direct result of the faith in and love of God and loving service of humanity nurtured in me and my schoolmates at S.J.C. by strong, faith-filled, well-rounded and highly effective educators like Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J. Most assuredly, I most fondly remember and pay homage to him with tremendous respect and the deepest of gratitude. From where I stand, solid Catholic educators in the Jesuit tradition like Kevin O’Flaherty, S.J. are born, not made, and they surely make a huge positive difference for humanity!
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteMy journey through the education system started at St. Luke Methodist Primary School and ended at Punta Gorda Methodist Primary School. Throughtout those eight (8) long years, I didn't really meet a teacher who had a significant imapct on me until I reached high school. I completed my secondary education at Maud Williams High School (formerly St. Michael's College). There I meet some of the most amazing teachers. Neverthless, there was one that stood out by the name of Ms. Gaywin Bowen who was my food and nutrition teacher. When I had to make my choice for third form, she guided me in terms of being different. She would be the person to say follow your heart and dreams and don't allow people to distract me from my goals. Her teaching styles were awsome. She taught us the theories and skills in food preparation needed for personal and professional development. Even though many of the students took her for granted, she was very disciplined and "zero tolerance" of students deviant behaviour and wanted to see her students excel. Ms. Bowen was not only a teacher who taught me knowledge, skills and attitude; but rather a person who went beyone the scope of her work. Her Caring, Friendly, Out Going, and Energentic personality made me confined in her personal issues I was experiencing. She taught me a very important that lesson that no matter what challenges and obstacles life will throw at you, always be positive, and embrace it like its a race you are bound to win.
I was particularly impressed with and supportive of Ms. Gaywin Bowen´s ability to make an imprint on you. Undoubtedly, she made a difference in your life by being different. Her ability to guide you with your interest in mind was commendable. Her advice to follow your heart and aspirations and not permit others in allowing you to deviate from your aspirations was awesome. As educators, we ourselves must be cognizant of providing students with genuine concern and interest.
DeleteProfessionalism should be at the core of a teachers´ repertoire of skills. Additionally, she taught you the value of self-respect, being goal-oriented and being focused. Her highly ambitious goal of having her students excel makes her undoubtedly a dedicated and unique educator. Ms. Bowen certainly was a quality educator for you because she possessed three important traits. She was successful in building a positive relationship with her students, collaborate with them and helping them to develop their problem solving skills. Teachers who have such skills have a greater likelihood of assisting children in finding success well into adulthood. (Srike, 2013).
Your respect of Ms. Gaywin Bowen as a teacher was a direct result of her being caring, friendly, being a people-person and full of passion. All these are traits that a consummate professional must possess in order to impart in students the necessary values to be learned in life. Ms. Bowen clearly exemplified the principles of highly effective teachers as championed by Pierre Pirard. She obviously believed that you, Samson, could achieve and accomplish your dreams and she verbally expressed such belief. She was able to instil through her passion, positive values for you to emulate. Ms. Bowen certainly was able to set ambitious, measurable, and meaningful goals and make sure that the goals become their everyday reality. (Pirard, 2013).
Quality educators motivate, guide and have students embrace learning as a fun-filled activity. You were, Samson, a fortunate student who had an educator that was approachable, trustworthy, supportive, respectful and accountable, all necessary traits in being a true professional. Her professionalism enhanced her effectiveness in the classroom. Her high standards and expectations of you, Samson, made you become who you are. As educators, we must set high standards, raise the bar of excellence, be truly passionate, and be focused in accomplishing our objectives.
The future of Belize lies in its educators who prepare students to face the demanding task of nation-building. Ours is a struggle to make Belize a better place irrespective of the daily disrespect we face. I recall the words of John F Kennedy in his inaugural address in 1961, “ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country”. With this in mind, I say respect to M. Gaywin Bowen and respect to you for paying her tribute. Educators who lead by example and who work tirelessly for their students will eventually create an educated workforce that makes Belize a better place.
References
Pirard, P. (2013) Principles of highly effective teachers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jdTtnWMLVM
Strike, B. (2013) Recognizing the importance of quality teachers. http://news.blogs.aea267.k12.ia.us/2013/11/20/recognizing-the-importance-of- quality-teachers/
Why Quality Teachers Are Important to Improve the Standard of Our Students
ReplyDeleteImproving the standards of any educational institution is highly dependent on the availability of quality educators. It is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement. In Belize, millions of dollars (about 25% of the national budget) is spent on education, the majority of which is to pay teachers’ salaries.
Having quality teachers in a school affords the institution the ability to have effective teaching and holistic learning and growth. For standards to be raised, quality teachers must provide strong leadership and passion. They set ambitious, measurable and meaningful goals and make sure that the goals become their everyday reality (Pirard, 2013). For example, S.C.A.´s volleyball team is highly successful. Ms. Lupita Quan sets high standards and goals where students are given tutors if they fail, provided food and drink, and supported with any personal issues they may have.
Educational standards are raised when teachers have considerable teaching experience. Teachers who have earned advanced degrees have a positive impact on high school mathematics and science achievement when the degrees earned were in these subjects. (Rice, 2003). For example, Sr. Caritas Lawrence, R.S.M., sometimes tells the story of her being principal of S.C.A. She was concerned about students´ poor performance in Mathematics. She ascertained that Math teachers were themselves rather limited in their knowledge of Math. She secured the services of Math experts and this boosted teacher and student confidence and further exalted the educational institution’s standing as a beacon of educational excellence in Belize.
According to Darling-Hammond (2000), the measures of teacher preparation and certification are by far the strongest correlates of student achievement in reading and mathematics, both before and after controlling for student poverty and language status. Hammond champions that teacher quality is more strongly related to student achievement than other kinds of educational investments like reduced class size, overall spending on education and teacher salaries.
Research suggests that recruiting and retaining qualified teachers is an important way to close the achievement gap (Essays, UK. 2013). In the United States of America, schools with the largest achievement gap tend to attract highly qualified educators while low income and minority schools tend to attract inexperienced and non-certified teachers. There are many stakeholders in Belize who posit that there are, in truth and in fact, certain parallels between such schools in the U.S.A. and Belize; however, statistical evidence is about this is not easy to come by in the latter.
The Tennessee Value Added Assessment System and Student Teacher Achievement Ration project saw economists adapting value-added models from business to measure teacher effectiveness. The study highlighted that the effect of teaching on student learning is greater than student ethnicity or family income, school attended by student, or class size.
Raising the bar of excellence in each and every school results when teachers have positive relationships with students In addition, quality teachers collaborate with their peers to master their art. To be sure, being reflective and mastering skills are essential for achievement in the classroom as well as the workplace. (Strike, B. 2013). Finally, quality teachers problem-solve with students to help them with decision-making skills. All of these components are intertwined, and together they help each and every teacher and student to learn and to grow in highly effective and transformative ways, thereby making a positive difference for humanity!
Why Quality Teachers Are Important to Improve the Standard of Our Students?
DeleteMr. Jose I am lost for words here you had eloquently said everything in a nutshell. Maya Angelou once said " This is the value of the teacher, who looks at a face and says there's something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that color, behind that language, behind that tradition, behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me." I fully agree that qualify and experienced teachers do improve the quality and standards of our students. For example it will only be logical for a teacher that is familiar with the CXC syllabus in Biology and rich with experiences to teach fourth form classes in comparison to a teacher with an Associates Degree in Biology and inexperienced.
Bill Sanders a professor at the University of Tennessee's Value-Added Research and Assessment has been pivotal in reasserting the importance of the individual teacher on student learning.4 One aspect of his research has been the additive or cumulative effect of teacher effectiveness on student achievement. Over a multi-year period, Sanders focused on what happened to students whose teachers produced high achievement versus those whose teachers produced low achievement results. He discovered that when children, beginning in 3rd grade, were placed with three high-performing teachers in a row, they scored on average at the 96th percentile on Tennessee's statewide mathematics assessment at the end of 5th grade. When children with comparable achievement histories starting in 3rd grade were placed with three low-performing teachers in a row, their average score on the same mathematics assessment was at the 44th percentile,5 an enormous 52-percentile point difference for children who presumably had comparable abilities and skills. Elaborating on this body of research, Dr. Sanders and colleagues reported the following:
. . . the results of this study well document that the most important factor affecting student learning is the teacher. In addition, the results show wide variation in effectiveness among teachers. The immediate and clear implication of this finding is that seemingly more can be done to improve education by improving the effectiveness of teachers than by any other single factor. Effective teachers appear to be effective with students of all achievement levels, regardless of the level of heterogeneity in their classrooms.
Therefore teachers main task is not only to educate but also to transform and make a difference in student's learning. The learning process then requires that teachers across all levels be competent, qualify, experienced and caring. Teachers must ensure that all their students reaches their fullest potential and going the extra mile in creating a well rounded students equiped to meet the demands of the world.
McGahie, W. C. (1991). Professional competence evaluation. Educational Researcher, 20, 3–9.
17 Educational Research Service. (1988). Teacher evaluation: Practices and procedures. Arlington, VA: Author.
18 Medley, D. M., Coker, H., & Soar, R. S. (1984). Measurement-based evaluation of teacher performance. New York: Longman.
19 Stronge, J. H., & Tucker, P. D. (2003). Handbook on teacher evaluation: Assessing and improving performance. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
REFERENCES FOR JOSE ESPAT
ReplyDeleteDarling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Educ. Pol. Anal. Arch., 8(1), 1-50. Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/392
Essays, UK. (November 2013). Importance of Teacher Quality #ixzz3TZUYoTd8. Retrieved from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/importance-of- teacher- quality.php#ixzz3TZUYoTd8?cref=1
Pirard, P. (2013) Principles of Highly Effective Teachers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jdTtnWMLVM
Rice, J.K. (2003). Teacher Quality: Understanding the Effectiveness of Teacher Attributes. http://www.epi.org/publication/books_teacher_quality_execsum_intro/
Strike, B. (2013) Recognizing the Importance of Quality Teachers. http://news.blogs.aea267.k12.ia.us/2013/11/20/recognizing-the-importance-of- quality- teachers/
ReplyDeleteComing through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
Remembering the teacher that made a positive impact in my learning, I was in first form and I must say that my literature teacher was a very understanding in how I learned grows and developed, recognizing my patterns of learning and development. I can remember my literature teacher were ready and prepare to with material for her class cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging my learning and other student’s learning experiences. I know she works with others to create an environment that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation. I said all these because I am here today.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
I really like what Maya Angelou and I quote “This is the value of the teacher, who looks at a face and says there's something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that color, behind that language, behind that tradition, behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me”. —Maya Angelou. The dramatically of power because of an effective teacher is something almost all of us have experienced and understand on a personal level. If we were for the most part fortunate, we had numerous outstanding teachers who made school an exciting and interesting place. Those teachers possessed a passion for the subjects that they taught and genuine care for the students with whom they worked. They inspired us to play with ideas, take on more challenging work, and even pursue careers in a particular field of study. Some exceptional teachers achieve.
References
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104136/chapters/The-Power-of-an-Effective-Teacher-and-Why-We-Should-Assess-It.aspx
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DeleteI have to agree in full with Teacher Dee, too many time we as teacher we request so much from our student but we do so little to assist them and take the little they come and make much of it. I truly believe that the moment most of us embrace the career of being a teacher, we accept god graces and talents. Taking on the skill and talent, we can't stop just stop at the bear minimum to make them into what they are not. In Belie unfortunately because of the system we live in are too backward in our thinking, whereby parents expect that we are supposed to do there job and ours making it harder for us to reach our ultimate potential. Nelson Mandela stated "education is the most powerful weapon someone can posses" so we need to assist our students in fostering that weapon and use it for their betterment of good.
Deletehttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nelsonmand157855.html
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteAnswer: A teacher is seen by others as one who simply instructs and assist students in learning. However, a teachers’ role encompasses much more as they serve as doctors, counselors, carpenters, and even parents. But according to the Belize Education Act Chapter 36 Revised Edition 2003 Part 1 Preliminary Section 2 subsection (1) a teacher means a person appointed by the manager or Managing Authority of a school for the purpose of instructing students. One such person who made a positive impact in my learning was Mr. Fred Bryant from Edward P. Yorke High School. He was fair, firm and consistent in his delivery. He was very consistent and effective throughout the year. His use of realias to make connections helped me to develop a better understanding of the concept. In my opinion, Mr. Fred Bryant was a very dedicated teacher and like a father to me. He saw the potential in us, and motivated us to aim for the best.
Gordon, R., Kane, T. J., & Staiger, D. O. (2006). Identifying effective teachers using
performance on the job. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standards of our students?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: Quality teachers are important because if you don’t have quality teachers then you are “short changing” your students because then they are not being able to get the best education. Quality teachers are equipped with the skills needed to meet the needs of the different children within the classroom settings. Hence we are hoping that the teachers find innovative ways to deliver their lessons and each child learning needs are met. According to the article Closing the Teacher, “None of these steps is easy. Even if you act aggressively, you will not reverse long-standing patterns of teacher distribution overnight. But most of us got into this profession to make a difference.” So, as teachers we must try our best to make a difference in our children’s lives. At least taking them from point A to point B; for example: Johnny did not know how to hold his pencil when he entered you class in September, but at this point Johnny could hold his pencil and write his heading properly.
Chenoweth, K. (2007). “It’s being done”: Academic success in unexpected schools. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard Education Press.
I agree with you Nicholett when you say that the absence of quality teachers "short change" our students. As teachers, parents and guardians entrust their students in our care to provide them with a quality education. It is then the profound responsibility of all teachers that they be creative and innovative in providing a quality education to students.
DeleteMost certainly Nicholett, quality teachers are important, because if we have the qualification but we are not providing our students with quality information then our students are missing out on the important facts. on another note I must make mention that although we are getting equipped to meet the needs of the students. we are not equipped to assist students with specials needs,take for example a student who may be deaf may be in my class, there is only so much I can assist with because I am not trained in the special needs area and as much as I would love to assist there is only so much I can do.
DeleteYes Nicholett quality teachers are definitely important to improving the standard of our students however teaching is one of the most complicated jobs today because it demands that teachers have a broad knowledge of the subject(s) matter, the curriculum but moreover they need to be enthusiastic about their job, while showing a caring attitude to students. According to Heine (2006) while some teachers may have the special gift to help students learn, good teaching encompasses critical elements, such as knowledge of the learning process, child development, teacher experiences, academic ability, and content knowledge. So teacher quality is the backbone to student achievement and to a large degree school reform.
DeleteHey Nicolette, I totally agree with you. As parents we all want the best quality education for our children and lets keep in mind that the name of the school doesn't always spell " Quality education". It's the teachers who makes a difference in our children's lives; of course with the support of parents. Therefore, when we send our children to school we put our faith in teachers that they will be better equipped to deliver to our children. We trust that our children will be getting the best quality education that teachers can offer. At the end of the day we all have faults and if a teacher recognizes that he/she is falling short it is their duty to seek help for the betterment of themselves, the students, the school and the educational system.
DeleteYes Nicholett, I fully agree with your views on this matter of the importance of quality teachers. A point that you rightfully included in your answer, which is the fact that a quality teacher is able to meet the needs of each student to ensure his/her learning, is one of their tools that I find one of the most important. Reason being, we all know that no two persons are the same let alone a classroom of maybe 15 and above pupils. Which means, different teaching styles and method must be used so as to have every single student in the class grasp the lesson that is being taught. Nobody is perfect but having a quality teacher can allow individuals to be he best that they can be in and outside of the classroom and help to contribute to a better society on a whole.
DeleteIn reference to teacher Dee I must concur with you that teachers should assist the students in learning which encompass so many different ways. The teacher should try to identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses, which will help in the way how the teacher will deliver his or her lessons. The environment is a key concept for the student and should be a safe place that they may want to come to everyday. It needs to be conducive to learning and include all the children that you have in your care. Collaborative learning is an excellent way to deliver your lesson because you will try to get the attention of all your students and have them working together. Using this method you will be enhancing peer learning. Thus, in some case students learn better from their peers. Motivation is a key word because “self-motivation” is a plus. Sometimes some students don’t have that in them, you as the teacher can help them to develop it.
ReplyDeleteQuality teachers do possess a passion because if you are just in the profession for the money then you are in it for the wrong reasons. No single strategy will work, we need to use multi or combined strategy so that we can reach the needs of these students that we have in our care.
Hey Mr. Sampson Jacobs, I must say that attending two different primary schools must have been a real journey. However, I understand that the significant teacher was not observed in the primary level. But I hope that from the two different primary institutions you can state the positives from both. My significant teacher was also from the secondary institution, I guess we can concur on that one. These teachers could be classified as amazing because they made a difference in your life, and that is what matters. Yours told you “follow your heart and dreams and don’t allow people to distract you”. My quote was very short and sweet. He said “keep your legs together and never mind the weather”. At that time I found it very funny, but now I realized the true meaning of that quote. I did not take Mr. Fred Bryant for granted because he was like a dear father to me. He was also zero tolerance. Now, as a teacher I realized that as teachers we need to discipline ourselves before we can discipline these children. They see us as their role models. Quality teachers like these we need in our classrooms that will teach so that children learn something new every day.
ReplyDeleteComing through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteComing through the education system, there were two teachers who made a positive impact in my learning. Both teachers impacted me differently as one did in a negative way. I believe that a student can be impacted on the way he/she views and interpret from that teacher. If a teacher is negative towards you, a student can turn that into a positive as it can be motivation to prove that teacher wrong and be a successful person. Moreover, on the positive side, a good teacher who really impacted my life was very caring and understanding. That teacher always gave some type of motivation in order to make my day better or to explain things to me in which I can comprehend. That teacher understood me as a person and not only as a student and he made sure that had I known had he wanted the best for his students. That teacher knew exactly which role to play and when to play it.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
Teacher quality matters. Quality teachers are important to improve the standard of students because they are the ones who influence students and receive the high achievers. Quality teachers have the ability to bond with students, to understand and resonate with their feelings and emotions. They communicate on their level in order to be compassionate with them when they are down and to celebrate with them when they are up. Quality teachers help students to seek to find the positives in every negative situation. Clearly, the relationship between good teaching and student achievement elevates the importance of teacher quality in the eyes of parents, educators, and policy makers. A quality teacher has plenty qualities and skills in which they build relationships with students. Having good respectable relationships with students will allow the students to listen and learn from that teacher. Therefore, as the quality teacher execute a lesson well with management and good relationships, that teacher will be effective and will improve standard of students.
http://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/importance-of-teacher-quality.php#ixzz3U8misfqs
Bonding with students do help Ms. Flowers I agree. Bonding with students, though dangerous, allows one to understand the pains and hurts that students go through on a daily basis and with that knowledge, teachers are able to find 'personal' ways to motivate the students. I love that you highlighted the fact that these relationships of course must be one in which respect is always present. These relationships may serve much more than just use than mere 'at the moment' motivation. These relationships tendered with students may well turn into a lifetime of mentor-ship that will help an individual for a lifetime!
DeleteI can share the same sentiment with you when it come to teacher who impact you negative. I had a teacher who impacted me negatively, but I used that as a tool to strive for the best, no matter what obstacle I face in life.
DeleteI fully concur with you Sherice. Teachers can have both positive and negative impact on the lives of their students. Hence the reason it is particularly important that teachers show love and be positive to their students. For some students, if they are treated rude and negative, they will in turn act that way. On the other hand like you rightly said, teachers can have a positive impact if they just show their students some compassion.
DeleteComing through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteIn our lifetime, they had to be over 20 to 30 teachers who have taught you, some right of the back you plain out didn’t like and others who had made an imprint in your heart and by extension your life. If out of my pre-school, elementary and even high school teachers there is only one teach I can say who to me had a heart of gold and the spirit of an effective teacher. That teacher is no other than my 1st to the 4th form math teacher at the Anglican Cathedral College; Ms. Lazaros. Standing at 4 feet tall, she commanded respect and did a great job in motivating and inspiring love and understand math. For most of us mathematics would the one subject that would be a downright and outright struggle; however, with her it didn’t seem as a struggle but an enjoyment. Ms. Lazaros open her house to students whereby we could have feel free to stop by and ask questions as well as seek assistance. I must say that after her efforts my colleagues and I did extremely well in the CXC in our graduating year, receiving 1 and 2 in mathematics. Because of Ms. Lazaros efforts and skill I can truly stand here today and say was the reason I was inspired to take on a profession such as this.
I have to agree with Mike. I had a teacher similar to the one Mike described in his blog, and it is because of that teacher that I decided to venture in the teaching profession. Teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty are truly inspirational and they do make a positive and lasting impact on the students they come in contact with.
DeleteI share similar sentiment that teachers who are caring and motivates students to learn are able to inspire greater achievement of students. Many failed to realize that teaching is one of the few careers where going the extra mile is rewarding when you see students become successful citizens in the future. Of course, such sacrifice may not be seen or appreciated by everyone but a quality teacher always sees the greater good in a students.
DeleteMike like most people in life there is always at least one good teacher that goes beyond the call of duty to have overwhelming impact on the life of their students. Many times these unsound heroes go on to be the lifetime mentor or parent figure throughout the life of their students. I personally know of friends who bestow the title of parent upon that one teacher who have taken the time to ensure that not only knowledge is gain but the patience to help their values and morals. Therefore I must say that a good teacher must care first then teach as this effort have far reaching effects on the lives of all students encountered.
DeleteWhy quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
ReplyDeleteThe great school a website that speaks of quality teachers beginning an article written by an unknown teacher that goes by great teacher write and I quote “Study after study shows the single most important factor determining the quality of the education a child receives is the quality of his teacher.” The article went further talking about a quality teacher bridges the gap between not being motivated and lack interest. The article went on to state that the teacher is the backbone and a cornerstone of our society and if we have quality teachers in the system, then producing quality students will be a breeze. In the article the same “children friendly” environment that we now government is instilling was introduced and supported. It is of major advantage we accept the idea that quality education for our students is what is needed and the only we can reach there is by making that extra effort to assist.
In the video called the “five principal of highly effective teachers” Mr. Pirard, focus on the same idea that as a teacher we are going to the ends to assist our students and want nothing but the best from and for them. The principle which look at five core areas, has dawned on me ever since I watch the video that our job is much more than just in restricted to the classroom but beyond. Pirard speaks of how we as teachers need to believe in our students. Let them know that even if they believe they can't do it, we as the teachers know they can and do a whole lot. He requested that we set goals for our students and assist them to meet the goals, he went further to state that we shouldn’t hesitate to invest in our students, whether that means financially, time or just be supportive. Our job is to give our students the idea that yeah, I may be lacking, we should let them know that we believe in them and all that they do. Pirard said when planning our lesson we should plan purposefully, plan with at some level of meaning, knowing and recognizing the type of students we have how they learn. The final thing that stood out for me is that we as teachers must work hard with our students or even harder. Our students read us like a book, and if we show we are lazy and don’t like to work, then they work, but if we show we are hard working and “catch” the fever as we put they will do their best and catch on too.
I truly believe that an effective teacher is one who goes beyond the call of duty and assist the students in all means and all forms and walks of life.
References
Ei-ie.org,. (2013). Education International - Quality Teaching. Retrieved 12 March 2015, from http://www.ei-ie.org/en/websections/content_detail/5969
Staff, G. (2015). What makes a great teacher?. GreatSchools. Retrieved 12 March 2015, from http://www.greatschools.org/improvement/quality-teaching/79-what-makes-a-great-teacher.gs
Youtube,. (2015). Pierre Pirard On 5 Principle of Effective teachers. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lL6f2HA4j4
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteAnswer: A teacher who made a positive impact in my learning was very instrumental. She was my primary school teacher, and she was diligent in teaching and she had a very charismatic personality. Furthermore, she always promoted fairness in the classroom which contributed to my success as a student. It is because of said teacher dedication and commitment to learning that I decided to become a teacher.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
Answer: Quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students because without teachers providing a quality education to our students, then they will not be able to function to the best of their ability in the workplace and in the community as a whole. A teacher must have a sound knowledge and understanding of the school syllabus he/she will teach, and be diligent in content delivery. Recent evidence suggests that a teacher's impact on student achievement remains reasonably consistent even if the teacher changes schools and regardless of whether the new school is more or less advantaged than the old one. Furthermore there are some teachers that may be “qualified” but cannot deliver the content to students. In a recent analysis, Roza and Miller (2009) argue that states should end the practice of providing automatic pay increases to teachers for earning a master’s degree and instead reward effectiveness in the classroom. Hence, if a teacher is qualified they also have be able to provide quality education to the students they teach as well.
Rice, J. K. (2003). Teacher quality: understanding the effectiveness of teacher attributes. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/media/eperc_qualityteaching_12.11.pdf
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DeleteI fully agree with rewarding effectiveness in the classroom. I have come across certain teachers who has attained their masters and are unable to effectively communicate with students knowledge and key theory within the classroom. Delivery of content is a different scenario from knowing the content. This year I officially became a teaching assistant at the University of Belize for Intermediate Algebra. I do encounter difficulty in deliverability of material to students mainly because the background of mathematics varies amongst all students. I developed a strategy that now I write the problems on the board and go one by one to each student and see their progress while helping those who are struggling. A one on one correspondence helps the students and they are opening up to me as they can see that I truly care.
DeleteI again must agree with you Mason. If a teacher is aware and has good sound knowledge of the topic he/she is teacher, he will be better able to reach his students. Regardless of the "type" of school that person is teaching in, he will and should be held accountable to the quality of education that the students receive.
DeleteComing through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteAs a student at Escuela Secundaria Technica Mexico, I had several teachers that made an impact on my learning. However, My English teacher, Ms. Esmir Castaneda had the greatest impact on my learning, especially in English. She was helpful, kind, and yet strict when it came to completing assigned work. English is seen to be a boring and complicated subject, and somehow Ms. Castaneda found ways to capture our attention and get us involved in the lesson. I had a good command of the English language and she made me realize that as much as I could express myself while speaking, I could also express myself in writing. She showed me that sometimes all it took was a little bit of imagination to make a story interesting. Ms. Castaneda knew her subject very well and knew how to teach it in order for students to learn the information she was providing.
Students can easily identify when a teacher has good command of his/her lesson. This has a significant impact on what students learn and the interest they have on a particular subject based on what the teacher decides to teach and how the teacher delivers the content of the lesson. It is very important that a teacher be qualified, since quality also comes with qualification. If the quality of content delivery is effective, then the content taught is learnt by the students. As a result, both the qualified teacher and students become successful.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
According to ETS, qualified teachers must know the subject they are teaching. I my view this statement is true. Take for instance myself, I am a vocational teacher, I teach food and nutrition, tourism, food and beverage, which fall under my qualifications, that is, I am a Tourism major. I am certainly unable to effectively teach English or even Math for I am not qualified to teach those subjects. The quality of my instruction teaching any of those subjects would be questionable. Furthermore, as much as qualifications are important the way the information is delivered, meaning the quality of service and the information delivered are important. Hence, teachers with valid qualification provide quality service delivery at work. As a result, students are motivated to learn, remain focused on the content taught and learn the content delivered. This is what is most important and defines a qualified teacher in a profession where there is no room for mediocrity.
Reference:
McAllister, P. (2003). Where we stand on teacher quality. NJ: ETS. Retrieved from www.ets.org
Right miss carballo a teacher must know the subject they are teaching. From your first statement it makes me think of the word quality and quantity. We must deliver to our students quality work based on knowledge and skills to enhance the teaching strategy. When I say quantity, I mean you would want to give them enough so that they would want to stay focus and research more and also share with their very own class mate. That is also a way to enhance their level of research to produce quality work back to their teacher. This also shows them how the teacher would want her work when it will be given in.
DeleteI fully agree with your statement that teachers must know the content that they teach. There is a generalization that teachers who attained certification or licensure to teach is able to teach any subject. Most countries provide specialization in educational courses to ensure that students receive quality teachers.
DeleteHey Janine, I once again fully agree with you. Why would a teacher be placed to teach Integrated Science if that teacher has no background or understanding in that course area? In such case we would be setting up our children to fail and the sad truth to this situation is that as students ourselves we have seen such disaster.
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ReplyDeleteComing through the education system a teacher in my learning was very sensitive,caring loving, understanding,and most definitely caterd to my learning needs.She was always their pushing for the best . She saw in me skills and abilities that no one ever outlooked .She made me feel welcomed t all times.most e
Importantly she made me believe that I can do and become whatever I put my
This is the value of the teacher, who looks at a face and says there's something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that color, behind that language, behind that tradition, behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me.
—Maya Angelou
Quality teachers are important to improve the standards of students mainly because our students spend most of their time and days with us.majority of our students don't get the attention they need so we are the ones left incharged. According to pamella D. Tucker and Jones H.Stronge they said that after teaching we as teachers hold high expectations for them and make them believe they can achieve.
Beautiful quote from Maya Angelou. Yes since students spend most of their time and days with teachers most parents would see the importance of quality teachers who will influence their children.
DeleteI do agree with you Ms. Forbes. Holding high expectations for our students will definitely assist them in believing in themselves as well. How can we do this tho if we are not holding the expectations high enough for our selves?
DeleteYou stated some great qualities that the teacher who who made an impact in your learning. It's sad that some teachers today cannot give the same as you experienced. Majority fail to realize that school is a second home to students and they expect plenty of love and home filled feelings from that teacher. I do hope that many can see the struggles and need of each student as that teacher saw in you. Beautiful quote by the way.
Deletenotes
ReplyDelete1 See Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 8(1). Retrieved January 22, 2004 from http://olam.ed.asu.edu/epaa/v8n1/ and Stronge, J. H. (2002). Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
One of the few teachers that made a great impact on my willingness to learn was Teacher Ellis from Edward P. Yorke High School. She was one of the few teachers that were very calm which made it very easy for students like me who was very introverted to feel comfortable to share their thoughts. If you didn’t know something, she patiently went over the content that had you confounded. I believe that her teaching strategy and way in creating an environment that is conducive to teach allowed me to love chemistry and physics. It was quite an amazing experience and I believe that many students that had the opportunity to be in her class can share the same experience. One of the things that also stood out was that she was very knowledgeable in the content she is required to teach and was one of the few females at that time that seemed very confident when teaching chemistry and biology. The lab session was always interesting and of which application of analytical and critical thinking skills became a walk in the park
ReplyDeleteI believe that quality teacher is very important and have a life-long learning impact on the achievement of students. Though many may focus on certification, I believe that teachers’ experience, knowledge in content and academic ability and qualification all aid / complement the quality and effectiveness of a teacher in the classroom. We must realize that statistics may be skewed and vary from one environment to another. We tend to rely on statistics provided from outside sources were there is greater specialization in pedagogy. Most countries requires teacher to acquire academic and professional certification in the subject they plan to teach. Most universities in Belize only provide core specialization in subjects like Mathematics, Spanish and English and Business Education, we cannot solely rely on professional certification since, and it is least likely for a teacher to be fully competent in all subjects. Hence, student achievements are greater if they are associated with teachers who are knowledgeable in the content that they teach (Center for Public Education, 2014).
Studies have shown that quality teachers have greater performance and are able display good classroom management. Students are more receptive to learning and have higher achievements. Even though there substantial efforts in ensuring that we have certified teachers in the classroom, I believe that we have forgot some fundamental aspects of what makes an effective / quality teacher. It is not solely the paper that is attained, but also the ability to convey the information to students and foster an environment that would be conducive to learning (performance). Whether they are transferred to an urban or rural school, a teachers’ performance should never decrease. However, I fully support certification or licensure and realize the importance of attaining teacher training, but there must be a balance in all aspects, else the continued downward or near stagnant trend in national and regional assessments should have improved after so many years in certification and training. If such trends remains dismal, have the educational system failed teachers? Is our society producing quality teachers? Is our assertion of teacher quality limited to skewed data? The generalization of teacher quality as it solely relates to certification cannot be ascertained until we have established trending results in Belize that supports our hypothesis.
Reference
Center for Public Education. (2014, August 27). Teacher Quality & Student Achievement. Retrieved March 11, 2015, from Education.com: http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Research_Q_consider/
One of the teachers who made an impact on my educational achievements is Dr. McKay. I recall when I was working on my thesis for my BA that when I felt like giving up she was always there supporting me whether it was with her time or moral support. During one of our meetings I told her that I will withdraw and do my thesis the next semester. She said that there is no guarantee that in the next semester I will be able to get it completed, and as I am almost finish then her advice is to complete it. Hence to say that on graduation day I was so thankful to her for giving me that extra push I needed. I believe that with more teachers like Dr. McKay students can only excel in whatever educational fields they choose.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your comment about Dr. McKay. She and Mr Tucker are two lectures at the University of Belize that are open and willing to go the extra mile for their students. They are always available to have a conversation with, or seek advice from about any matter. They will always give you a positive answer.
DeleteI was not a teacher’s favourite nor was I their worst night mare. But as far as I can remember, Mrs. Cynthia Martinez, from Edward P. Yorke was one of the teachers that made a positive impact on my learning experience. She was my homeroom and Home Economics teacher. I could remember hating Home Economics when it was taught by another teacher but when I met Mrs. Martinez, everything changed. Yes, she was strict, yes she was at times miserable, but her dedication for her job and her students allowed me to appreciate things in life and my years of attending secondary school. We kept a very close relationship even after I graduated from that institution. She is still like a mother figure to me and I miss those times spent with her at Edward. P. Yorke High school….In her eyes I did no wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe quality of a teacher’s teaching is very important to the educational system. Students spend most of their time in the classroom; therefore they are spending a lot of time with teachers. In a class room setting, the teacher is seen as the “role model”, hence the reason they must ensure that they act their role. It can be detrimental to students who are placed in a classroom which a teacher who is neither qualified nor trained in that field, hence the reason, it is encouraged that all teachers be qualified and trained so they can provide quality education to their students. Children are the future of the nation so teachers must ensure that students are equipped with high quality education.
I had a similar experience as you did Ms.Jones. You stated that your teacher Mrs.Cynthia was strict and miserable but dedicated. I would honestly rather a teacher with that character because i believe that they have the best interest of making you learn and seeing the importance of learning the contents. Even though she seemed miserable it is just because she wants you to know that she is serious about her job and letting her students succeed. Moreover, teachers should be trained in order to give students the appropriate education needed.
DeleteTeacher-Positive Impact
ReplyDeleteTeachers sometimes do not realize the tremendous impact that they have on shaping their students’ lives. I had one such teacher who played an instrumental role in shaping the person that I have become. First form at high school was a challenging time for me. I was struggling with trying to find myself as well as fit in the school environment. Unfortunately, I did not come from an affluent family like the majority of the other students but I believed I was reasonably intelligent since I had excelled in primary school and in the PSE. My stellar performance earned me a scholarship- a real blessing since without it I would not have been able to attend that prestigious high school.
Unfortunately, I was placed in a class where the students believed that wasting time and giving the teacher a hard time were the norm of the day. I was not accustomed to this type of behaviour and had always been a fairly well-behaved student. I tried to ignore their rudeness and tried to be the model student. I did my assignments, participated in class and tried to do what I was supposed to do-learn. Eventually, the teasing and taunting started and even though I tried hard to not let it bother me, I finally could not take it any longer. It is not fun being picked on and blamed for everything just because you are trying to do the right thing and decided I might as well do what everyone else was doing.
My Science teacher was an astute man. When he noticed that I was not participating in class as much as I used to and my grades started dropping, he called me into his office. He did not mince words with me. In essence, he told me that if I did not buckle down and get back on track, he would call my parents to come in for a conference. That scared me because I knew my mom would definitely embarrass me if she came to school. When he saw that the threat had caught my attention, he proceeded to ask me about primary school, my goals in life and why I had selected that particular school. As I opened up to him, he actually listened to me and I can still see him nodding approvingly as he listened to me. He shared his own experiences in school and explained that he was able to succeed because he remained focus. After that day, he became my mentor. He was the person I went to when I needed to talk. He was the one I sought out when I needed encouragement. It was his confidence in me that made me choose to pursue the academic track in school. He was the one who found a sponsor for me to attend sixth form. He was my inspiration and now that I am a teacher, I try to do the same for my students. I may not be able to reach them all, but if I reach and make a difference in the life of one of my students, I feel that I have done more than just teach.
Wow I would say that you both made an impact on each other. As teachers and I am sure you have went through this, sometimes the students make huge impacts in our lives and make us better persons. I had a student who through her determination and interest in becoming successful despite of her desperate and sometimes problematic economic needs taught me that becoming successful is a want. If you really want an education then no barriers will hold you back.
DeleteWhy quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
ReplyDeleteTeachers play an instrumental role in determining the quality of students produced by the educational system. Therefore, it is imperative that these teachers are equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills they need to impart to the students. So, the reality is that QUALITY MATTTERS! In the United States when No Child Left Behind came on stream after the dismal performance of American students when compared to students from other countries, the buzz word became “highly qualified teachers”.
In 2007, Belizeans were appalled when it was announced that the teachers who were given the Primary School Exam had performed poorly, and the Chief Education Officer remarked that the results showed that both the students and the teachers had had similar experiences. Now, isn’t something wrong with that picture? Seven years later the Minister of Education is still lamenting about the capabilities of teachers but it has obviously being nothing but rhetoric. “Many of our children are still not achieving satisfactory levels of performance. There remain chronic shortages of trained and qualified teachers at all levels of the system” (Faber, 2010, para. 4). Despite saying this in 2010, he apparently did nothing to improve this “sad state of affairs” in his ministry because four years later, he was still complaining about teachers:
If you look at the entire situation, we need to be equipping our children with the best teachers, and those teachers need to get aboard in terms of the training, so yes a good deal of the blame at the end of the day has to be placed on the shoulders of teachers. (Faber 2014 as cited in Milan, 2014, para. 1).
So, the million dollar question is when will something be done to aggressively attack this problem that has been plaguing our education system? If teachers themselves lack the skills and knowledge, then what are they really teaching the children? “The children don’t know how to do math because the teachers don’t know how to do math,” (Faber 2014 as cited in Milan, 2014, para. 2). This statement illustrates the need for quality teachers because they are the only ones who can help to improve the standards of the students. When teachers do not know, then the students suffer because they leave the teachers class lacking the foundation they need to be able to develop their cognitive ability. Sadly, the ones that are most affected are the weaker students because the brighter students can grasp the concepts on their own or with the help of their supportive family. It is the weaker students who need quality/well trained teachers more. Darling-Hammond reiterates this, “Interestingly, well-qualified teachers make more difference for students who have struggled more. It's the most important for the students who have had the most difficulty in school in the past” (Darling-Hammond, 2001, para. 5).
Ultimately, quality/well-trained teachers not only improve the standard of the students but also the educational standards of the country. When all our students are provided with the stimulus to become engaged in rigorous and meaningful activities that take into consideration their diverse needs, they soar and excel. These types of activities will ignite the desire to seek knowledge which results in a more educated citizenry that can aid in the development of the country. Therefore, as teachers we need to continue to raise the bar for our students so that they can strive for excellence which will have us all being winners in the game of life. Quality teachers do this!
References
Darling-Hammond, L. (2001). Thoughts on teacher preparation. Retrieved from
http://www.edutopia.org/linda-darling-hammond-teacher-preparation#graph5
Faber, P. (2010). Opening Address Education Week 2010. Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/LUnderwood/Downloads/openin-education.pdf
Milan, A. (June 14, 2014). Faber calls out teachers for PSE results. Retrieved from
http://www.reporter.bz/general/faber-calls-out-teachers-for-pse-results/
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteUntil I reached sixth form at SJCJC I met two teachers who made me realize what hard work is and to dream all you can be. My calculus teacher, Mr. Julio Tarrago, was a Cuban who loved mathematics. I can always remember him excited and enthusiastic about Mathematics. He would say with much expression "Mathematics is beautiful!" He always dared us to think by giving us theory dropping a problem on the blackboard n told us ok apply what I just gave you. My colleagues would look at each other scared. We overcame this fear by daring to think. Every class he did this until we all got the courage to go on the board and attempt any problem. He guided us through our train of thought and was always willing to help after class. He graded us extremely hard as well. He did not give us points for wrong answers. Many of times I recall crying because of my 50's or 30's. He told us the next day after, he has to be harsh with grading because, for example, suppose you become an engineer. You build a bridge and make a wrong estimate of the weighed it can handle. The lives of many are in your hands. I realize he is right, mathematics is a serious field and there is no room for error. Mr. Tarrago is the reason I am pursing my Bachelors in mathematics today. I am finding mathematics as beautiful as how he did. He has given me inspiration and has dared me to always strive to become the best. My other teacher who has made a positive impact is Mrs. Darlene Peters, who thought me all my Physics courses in SJCJC. Her motto was “Sleep until you dead!” We always smiled when she said that because she would give us tons of homework to prepare us for test. I always remember Mrs. Peters when I am tired and want to go sleep before completing my homework. She has thought me dedication and has inspired me to push beyond my limits. I am grateful for these teachers whom have had a positive impact on my life. If it were not for them I would not be attending the University of Belize today.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students? Quality teachers are important to improve the standards of our students. According to Kati Haycock and Candace Crawford, as a study (Gordon, Kane, & Straiger, 2006) in Los Angeles showed, students taught by teachers in the top quartile of effectiveness advance, on average, approximately five percentile points each year relative to their peers, whereas those taught by teachers in the bottom percentile of effectiveness lose, on average, five percentile points relative to their peers (Closing the Teacher Quality Gap, p. 14). If a student is taught by someone who is effective, concise, and interesting, the student will listen and apply what she/he learns to reach the high standards set by such a teacher. My personal belief is a teacher is a role model. As a role model a teacher must place their best foot forward especially when teaching. Teachers are inspirational leaders and students look up to teachers. Sometimes it is one quality that attracts a student to like a teacher. Therefore, the teachers' qualities are very important because students will emulate similar actions or attitude as the teacher. Teachers become the father and mother when they are at school besides teaching them knowledge in subject areas. These teachers have an effect on how students turn out in life and the working field. Most teachers got into this profession to make a difference (Closing the teacher Quality Gap, 2008, p. 19). Furthermore, ‘education has the real power to change lives for the better’ (Closing the teacher Quality Gap ,2008, p. 19).
Reference
Haycock, K. and Crawford, C. (April 2008). Educational Leadership: Poverty and Learning. Closing the Teacher Quality Gap, 65(7),14-19
I agree whole heartily with you. Teachers are everything to their students. Their influence is so great that it blows the mind. Teachers are powerful tools that are essential to lives of our young minds. Good teachers use this tool to ensure success but the mediocre teacher does not see the value or do not even care about getting success for the students in their care.
DeleteThe leaders, parents and students need to work together to weed out all the undesirable teachers from the system so that across all schools we can have quality teachers within our schools.
I agree whole heartily with you. Teachers are everything to their students. Their influence is so great that it blows the mind. Teachers are powerful tools that are essential to lives of our young minds. Good teachers use this tool to ensure success but the mediocre teacher does not see the value or do not even care about getting success for the students in their care.
DeleteThe leaders, parents and students need to work together to weed out all the undesirable teachers from the system so that across all schools we can have quality teachers within our schools.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteComing through the education system the teacher who made the greatest and positive impact in my life was my Std 4 teacher Sister Francine. She was a disciplinarian but very loving and she believed in her students. She work hard with all her students. She made me realize that I had a lot of potential as a student. She used to challenge me and made me believed that I could be the best.
She was a tough educator but very compassionate and kind. She laid down the law and made it clear what was expected of you. She expected you to work hard and to always try. She always expected you to do your best and demand it from us. She was a special teacher.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
Teachers play a key role in educating our students. The quality of teacher a student receives can make a huge difference in a student’s life. A great teacher is a teacher who wants to make a difference in the lives of their students. A quality teacher is very knowledgeable of the subject matter they teach, have high standards, are enthusiastic, have a caring attitude and love to learn. They have a knowledge of discipline and strong classroom management.
As a study (Gordon, Kane, & Staiger, 2006) in Los Angeles showed, students taught by teachers in the top quartile of effectiveness advance, on average, approximately five percentile points each year relative to their peers, whereas those taught by teachers in the bottom quartile of effectiveness lose, on average, five percentile points relative to their peers.
If we want to see more successful students we need more quality teachers in our schools. We need to find ways of distributing quality teachers within our schools and weeding out those teachers who are crippling our students and who are in the classroom because it is just a job.
Great Schools Staff .What makes a great teacher. Great! Schools
http://www.greatschools.org/improvement/quality-teaching/79-what-makes-a-great-teacher.gs
Haycock. K. & Crawford. C. (2008) Closing the teacher
I completely agree with you. But in reality it is easier said than done. To weed out teachers from the educational system is a long process that because of affiliation with politics and religion many a times these individuals remain in system and create powerless students that are only set up for failure in life.
DeleteWhy quality teachers are important to improve standard of our students?
ReplyDeleteThe gap that exist between scholastic performances by rich and poor, blacks and whites may to a great extent be the fault of racial stereotypes, availability of basic needs and many other factors that are beyond the control of children/students. Another leading factor that affects the now low standards of students on a whole is the lack of quality teachers! Teachers are the backbone of every society and the quality instruction they give today will be reflected in tomorrow’s decisions that are made.
A teachers has many spoken as well as unspoken roles; mentor, psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor, parent and referee among many others. ‘Quality instruction’ however is expected from administration, guardians and even students themselves. The questions though are; how can a teacher give quality instruction, if they themselves aren’t qualified? How can someone take students from one level and take them to another level if they themselves can’t identify the level that the students are on? What characteristics make a teacher a ‘Quality teacher?’
Hanushek reiterated that “The quality of the teachers in our schools is paramount: no other measured aspect of schools is nearly as important in determining student achievement.” (Hanushek, 2011) Teachers must be effective to impart quality teaching. Teachers must be knowledgeable of what is being taught as this knowledge inspires. Teachers must also have their objectives clear, whether stated or not. They must have good relationships with guardians and be they should also be well organized at all times. These of course alongside parental qualities add up to effective teaching. If teachers are qualified, more than likely they will perform well. If they do, society does too! In order for any teacher to perform to a standard that is required from them, they must “know” (be educated, equipped, prepared!). Teachers that know will instruct correctly, correct compassionately, demonstrate masterfully, and inspire immeasurably!
Quality begets quality, it’s that simple!
Hanushek, E. (2011). Valuing teachers: how much is a good teacher worth?
Retrieved from http://hanushek.stanford.edu/publications/valuing-teachers-how-much-good-teacher-worth
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteDr. Raul Clarke.
Graduating from a tertiary level institution wanting to be a bus driver is nothing to be proud of, (I realize that now thank you). My dad tried to remind me of the joy that it was to be in the ministry (being a pastor himself and all) but, I couldn’t come to terms with studying theology. To cut a long story short, the first time I attended U.B back in 2008-09, I signed up for a class with Dr. Clarke upon advice from the school advisor. The minute I first set foot in the class I felt out of place. Everyone else was older than I and with so much more experience than I, where teaching is concerned. The first sessions were monotonous as I was more interested in fitting and appearing “normal” (something that never happened). When I finally got over the ‘want to fit in’ stage, I noticed something different about the Doc. Besides the fact that he was cool and charismatic, he actually was passionate about what he did! He believed everything he said and in turn, he made me believe it too! The way he spoke about students and the way teachers could and would change their lives forever, enthralled me. The class, which was more theoretical, nurtured critical thinking and was geared to have students transcend their normal level of thinking. Innovative ideas that teachers could use in their classrooms and even extracurricular activities which would take normal teacher out of their comfort zones were strategically developed and clinically depicted. Once I had started paying more attention to the class for what I could actually learn from it, I saw life, family and my future with a whole new set of eyes. Dr. Clarke may not remember my name or even more so, my final grade. What is most important to me however, is the fact that he marked my life forever. His encouragement, style of teaching and even his belief in us his students served as major motivation in directing me to the career I wanted to truly embark on; teaching.
Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning .
ReplyDeleteComing through the education system I must start by saying i had alot of teacher, not only just teachers but great exceptional and hardworking teachers who look out for me and valued education as gold. But over all there was one outsatanding teacher of them all, she was an older. As we all know primary school is the place where students require the most nurturing and guidance for moldong into their further years. As young as i might have been and as funny as it seems i can remember like it was yesterday my infant 1 and 2 teacher, she was the same person who thought me for both class. I was not a very confident child as i had manny challenges,especially in readung and my attention spand was extreemely short. I would say this teacher was my inspiration my guide and my role mode. Some days when i was at my lowest when i felt like i was about to give up crying she took the time out and sat wit me teaching me, she knew all her students well as she studies them closesly with thieir learning styles and no one was left behild even though she had a full class, when she was at school her time was devoted there. She made sure she looked for solutions and alternative to cater to our learning. I can remeber her coming to my desk sounding out words for me and not just sitting at her desk and saying, do this or do that but actually giving us her time. She mad a very positive impact on my education because as we know thoes years are our early years and we need that foundation and she molded us very well, because of her example and great humble selfless contribution to my education and life i look to her as and example and want to be that same kind of decicated teacher.
Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
Quality teachers are very important to improve the standards of out students because they are role models and leaders in our education system. Without quality teachers our system of education would not be up to par. The sole purpose of quality teachers are to bring across quality teaching to our students. If we as teachers fail to give students all they deserve in the classroom we are not only cheating them but also our selves and our country. If the standards of our teaches are low then they cant think that the standards of out students will be high. It goes back to say that what ever you put in,we will get out so you put in hard work and quality work that is what you will be getting back and as long as we have quality teachers teaching we will have quality students who will grow up to be quality productive workers and have a better country. It all links!
1. Coming through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in my learning.
ReplyDeleteMy education journey started in Punta Gorda Town, at St. Peter Claver Primary School. I had one teacher who impacted my life; she displayed all the good qualities of a teacher, mother counselor and a nurse. Her name is Miss Lottie Flores; she was my standard six teacher. She was the most caring teacher. She was able to recognize when her students had problems outside of school, and made the necessary adjustment to help them through those issues. Teacher Lottie was able to build a cooperative relationship with the community and my grandmother. She always start classes eight o clock in the morning and have evening classes in the evening to make sure that her students grasp the concept been thought.
Derrick Meador, D. (2015).Teaching Expert.
2. Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
Quality teacher are important to improve the standard of our students. Quality teachers are needed to mold the future generation of our country. Having quality teacher in the classroom is very vital, they are able to manage student learning progression, and bring out the best out of their students. Quality teachers are able to use technology to find innovating ways to develop their student skills in different subjects, and to encourage their students to work diligently to bring out the best in their school work. Quality teacher use creative methods to get information across to their students.
Murgatroyd S. & Morgan C. (1994) Total Quality Management and the School.
During my two years at Corozal Junior College I had the privilege of having one of the most admirable teachers. Mr. Jose Mai had excellent teaching skills and exceptional time management skills. He would enter the classroom well prepared and keep his students engaged and at task during the whole class period, was always involved and extra-curricular activities, had a wife with 2 children and yet still found time to listen to his students. The way he was able to manage his time instantly captured my interest. I followed his example and continue following his footsteps in my teaching career and in my personal life.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is a teachers’ utmost responsibility to impart knowledge, skills, values and attitudes in order to create well rounded individuals that will be able to positively function in life. Quality teachers make huge impacts that create confident students who become successful individuals in the future. A teacher who has little or no interest in her classroom and students can create lifetime damage in a student’s life. A quality teacher does not only need to be qualified and trained but also needs to be able to perform in the classroom.
I totally agree with your last statement. Having the qualification is one thing but what you do with it is another. A love for teaching really brings out a quality teacher because they will go above and beyond looking for ways for their students to achieve success.
DeleteComing through the education system, describe a teacher who made a positive impact in your learning.
ReplyDeleteUp to this day I am still encountering teachers that continue to make a positive impact in my learning/life. Going through the education system, school has been my best years. I met caring, understanding, and loving teachers who dedicated themselves in helping me achieve the best. However, there is one particular teacher that was very extraordinary and one who I will never forget. She was more than a teacher; she was the mother at my second home. She was very intelligent, a great listener and a mentor to me. She would have never progressed through a lesson without me grasping an understanding. She cheered me on letting me believe that I can do anything once I put my all into it and I did. She along with my family helped me to become who I am today, a positive teacher just as she was.
. Why quality teachers are important to improve the standard of our students?
When we purchase products don’t we look for the ones with good quality? We expect the best products so it lasts longer and work well for us right? It’s the same thing when it comes to education. Everyone wants their children to have a good education that will last a lifetime, hence quality teachers are important. The most important factor that impacts a student’s learning is the teacher. What teachers know and can do is the most important influence on what students learn. Quality teaching means improvement in students’ achievement. A teacher that has the content knowledge, teaching experience, teaching training credentials and overall academic ability would be able to move a student from one level to another successfully.
As stated by Sims( 2011) Researchers have consistently found that teacher effectiveness is the critical component in improving student achievement. In order for a teacher to be effective, they must be trained. The educational leaders of this country are demanding that teachers get the necessary training to ensure that quality teachers are place in all classrooms to improve students’ achievement. Teacher development is the key to closing the gap. Overall, having quality teachers to improve the standards of our students will lead to an improvement in the standards of our economy.
Reference:
Sims, B. (2011, July 22). Teacher Development is Key to Closing the Achievement Gap. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-divide-achievement-gap-teacher-development
Teachers play a very vital role in the lives of their students. As it is, children spend most of their time at school. Therefore it is necessary to that teachers play and extended role in the lives of their students. Teachers should strive to be more than just an educator.
ReplyDeleteDuring my years as a scholar, I was proud to have known a wonderful woman Mrs. Wade. Mrs. Wade took a special interest in her students. She was more than just a teacher, she was a confidant. Even though the school had a counselor, she was there one that most students ran to. Her amicable demeanor made us want to do better. When we would do well, her face would light up in admiration. This look was turned into disappointment when we didn’t do well enough. In order to get this look we would continue to thrive for excellence.
She extended her role beyond the classroom. For students who needed it, she and her family was like and extended family. Her office was more than for lessons; it was for talking about personal issues.
It is important to have quality teachers in the classroom for a number of reasons. First of all quality teachers should improve the standards of our students. Furthering ones study as educator should not be just about you. Furthering an education should be beneficial for your students as well. a qualified, trained teacher, should be able to deliver lessons to students in a way that each child Is able to understand. A quality teacher should be able to recognize underlying issues with her students and should make steps to have such issues addressed. Furthermore, a quality teacher should encourage her students to do better and demand nothing but their best. Once a teacher is comfortable with herself, only then will they be able to be comfortable with their students and thus have a greater impact, causing students to do better. Quality, however, should not be confused with educational level. Many people believe that an education would deem them as a “quality” teacher. However, in my opinion, this is not the case. Quality has to do with a teacher’s ability to reach and impact their students