Yes, what is being taught is important, but the honest truth is that the teacher is the key, not a product. According to Sanders, 1998, good teachers matter more than the curriculum. I agree. I worry sometimes when I don’t see teachers with a passion for what they are doing. I have even see a few who didn’t even seem to like children… those are the exception.
One can tell a “gifted” teacher without even thinking too much. It’s just evident. Putting the teacher “it” factor into words is difficult, but there are many gifted and passionate teachers out there who are going to meet the needs of all of their students every day, all day. They just have the “it.” Those teachers are not why I brought up this subject. The teachers who might not be “gifted teachers” but can and want to improve are those who need the extra attention. We need to discover what they need to make them better.
If teachers are what make a difference in the success of our children, why aren’t we doing more to develop them before they are hired? In my opinion, universities need to beef up teacher programs so that teachers are trained to do what actual schools expect them to do. Often there seems to be a breakdown between the two.
Just something to ponder…