Is teacher quality really the most significant factor in student achievement — either in terms of growth of the students according to standardized tests, or in their ability to do more than just sail from grade to grade, only to be astounded when their scores on the SAT are not high enough to get them into college? The fellow in the video below seems to be on that bandwagon — but educators realize that there is far more wrong with American education than the perceived abilities of teachers and administrators to “move” students. The fact is, some students are incapable of going past a certain point in their educations, and it is a disservice to set them up for failure later in life by not providing them with vocational training for jobs that do not require bachelor’s degrees. The world needs mechanics, security guards, retail clerks, baristas, and fast food cooks and servers too. It needs electricians. It needs plumbers. We need to find ways to make people proud to pursue these fields from an early age, rather than making them seem like last resort positions for people unable to achieve in professions such as medicine, law, education, and technology. Check out the video and see what you think. You can always check out direct tv basic for more information about this and other educational topics.
Make a Difference
Every teacher is faced with a choice. They can either teach what is required of them and drop all ties with students at 5pm when they go home or they can take an active interest in bettering the students that come before them. Teachers are more than instructors. They are life coaches and deserve our respect and admiration.
