44 INSTRUCTOR AUGUST 2005

10Scientist, coach, computer whiz...teachingis many professions rolled into one. We asked Instructorreaderswhat it really takes to be “highly qualified.” By Caralee Adams

10JOBS INONE!

How do you define goodteaching? What makes ateacher “highly-qualified?”For many of us, theanswer is “we know itwhen we see it.” We knowhow we feel about ourown teaching, or that of a

teacher-friend down the hall, but we findit hard to set a list of criteria. Like goodparenting, good teaching is hard to quan-tify. It depends on your educational philosophy, on your background, andyour experience. It depends on whereyou teach and who you teach, and on theresources available to you. In short, itdepends on a whole lot.

The question, however, has neverbeen more pressing. This school yearis the NCLB deadline for ensuring thatall teachers in U.S. public schools are“highly qualified.” (For more on NCLB,see page 47.) With the deadline fastapproaching, Instructor set out to askteachers how they define great teaching.It’s a complicated question—and a per-sonal one for any teacher, whetheryou’re a newbie or a veteran. And youranswers were so multifaceted, it wasclear that teaching comprises muchmore than one job.

BEYOND CREDENTIALSTeachers we talked to felt that being a

great teacher is about much morethan having official credentials. It’sabout having a calling for teaching;about emotionally connecting withkids; about constantly customizingand improvising to meet each stu-

dent’s individual needs.“I think a teacher can look really

good on paper for NCLB, but not havewhat it takes to be a great teacher,” saysLiza Mathews, a kindergarten teacher for12 years in Corte Madera, California.“Some of the qualities are intangible—heart, passion, and a conscientious atti-tude. They can’t be measured.”

“So many people have a simplisticview of teaching—that teaching is tellingand learning is listening,” says BarnettBerry, president and founder of the

Center for Teaching Quality in ChapelHill, North Carolina. He adds that NCLBfocuses on what teachers know, whileoverlooking the importance of teachingmethods. “Teachers should be assessednot only with paper-and-pencil tests, butalso through classroom visits.”

Credentials don’t get at the heart ofteaching, agrees middle-school teacherPatricia Dancho of Spring Church,Pennsylvania. You first have to loveschool. “I’ve got chalk dust in my veins,”says the language-arts teacher of 34years. “If you don’t feel thatway, don’t teach. You aren’tdoing your kids or yourselfany justice.”

Principal Susan Mastersonof Janesville, Wisconsin alsosees passion for teaching andchildren as essential. Currently thepresident of the NationalAssociation of Elementary SchoolPrincipals, Masterson says thatwhen she’s hiring new teach-ers, she always asks, “What’sthe best thing that you’ve donefor a child that you’d like to doagain?” She explains, “It’s abouthaving empathy, connecting to partsof the students’ lives...that’s what ourstrongest teachers do.”

Teaching goes beyond multi-tasking,teachers said; it’s all-consuming, callingupon every part of you. “By Friday night,I’m drained,” said West Virginia middle-school teacher Barbara Starliper. “Bymidday Sunday, I’m gearing up again.There’s so much going on. Still, I can’timagine doing anything else.” Starliperand the other teachers we interviewedagreed—teaching comprises at least thefollowing 10 jobs (now if only it camewith all those salaries)!

AIR TRAFFICCONTROLLERGreat teachers have the insight, patience,and forward-thinking skills of an air trafficcontroller. With students’ abilities all overthe map, it is critical that you pick up on the differences and individualize curriculum accordingly.

PHOTOS:JAMES LEVIN

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This takes time and knowledge.“Teachers need to know how to meetkids where they are,” says Berry.“Effective teachers use many tools toassess how students learn as well aswhat they know.”

Teaching is much more demandingthan it was 20 years ago, and the expec-tation for student learning is higher, saysLinda Darling-Hammond, professor ofeducation at Stanford University and co-editor of A Good Teacher in EveryClassroom: Preparing the HighlyQualified Teachers Our ChildrenDeserve (2005), sponsored by theNational Academy of Education.

Recent changes in the economy meanthat all children need to master criticalthinking to be prepared for a more com-plex workplace. At the same time,schools are more diverse with studentsin special education, those whose secondlanguage is English, and others withneeds unmet by their families. This

means that teachers have a tougher joband their skills have to be that muchstronger, adds Darling-Hammond.

For example, various strategies areused to accommodate different learningstyles. “In a great classroom, there willbe small-group discussions, large-groupactivities, and writing in journals to givethe teacher insight into what studentsare thinking and feeling. The teacher willbe taking notes on what each kid thinksand says to find out what works, and willthen build on those strengths,” saysDarling-Hammond.

PUBLIC RELATIONSEXPERTTeachers are engaged in the PR business,many say. You must communicate effec-tively with a variety of constituencies.“The number-one thing for great teachersis the ability to relate well to people,”says Susan Illgen, a former Grove,Oklahoma, kindergarten teacher andnow early-childhood coordinator for thestate. Well-loved and respected teachersunderstand human nature and have posi-tive relationships with peers, parents,and administrators.

Teachers who exemplify this qualityare those who go beyond sending notesand e-mails home, says PrincipalMasterson. “Our great teachers do thingslike go on a Saturday morning to chil-dren’s soccer games or organize a class-room potluck,” she says. Others havelunch with their students. They work toconnect with kids, motivate them, andhelp them understand their own learningprocesses on a deeper level.

Schools are now more client-oriented,adds Katherine James, a recently retiredWashington, D.C., principal. Teachersmust be diplomats and listen to parents.“Teachers can’t say, ‘My word is the law.’They may have to negotiate,” says James.Effective teachers sandwich negativefeedback with positive comments andlearn to handle all kinds of parents fromthe involved to the disenfranchised.

ROCKET SCIENTIST“Teaching is rocket science,” says LizaMathews of California. “It is incrediblycomplex and requires phenomenal skillsacross many disciplines.” Today’s greatteachers keep up with the latest brainresearch and use scientificallyresearched methods in their curriculum.They know the best strategies to workwith students from different back-grounds and with special needs.

With the increase in standardized test-ing in schools, you need to understandhow to analyze test scores and seewhere students make mistakes. Then,you can differentiate the curriculum andcluster students who need intensivework in certain areas.

Researchers are revealing more andmore about how people learn; keepingup with those advances is vital to con-necting with students. Knowing how different people learn in different ways islike “having the key to open a castle,”says Darling-Hammond. “If teachersdon’t have the key, they are just beatingtheir heads against the wall.” Whenteachers don’t understand learning theo-ries it is like a doctor not understandinganatomy, she adds. It’s becoming moreand more critical.

STAND-UP COMEDIANEvery speaker knows that humor grabsthe attention of the audience. “I try tolighten up and make learning fun,” saysTessie Adams Domangue, a second-gradeteacher in Houma, Louisiana, who wasnamed Louisiana Teacher of the Year in2005. “I play music and dance to a two-minute song in the middle of a long lesson,” she says. “It makes a difference.They need a little outburst of energy.”

After an endless stream of requests fora pencil loan from her sixth graders, oneday Dancho decided to dress up as a“pencil tree,” taping pencils all over herclothes. It was all the students talkedabout for days. “You have to be a little

46 INSTRUCTOR AUGUST 2005

10 jobs in one“Teachingisrocketscience,”saysLiza Mathews.“Itisincrediblycomplexandrequiresphenomenalskills.”

bit crazy yourself,” she says. “You haveto go with the flow.”

LIFE-LONG LEARNERA sincere interest in learning and profes-sional growth is a must for teachers whowant to keep up with and inspire stu-dents. “How can teachers turn childreninto lifelong learners if they are not life-long learners themselves?” asks Berry.

Although it can be overwhelming attimes, great teachers have a stack ofteacher books by their beds and are con-stantly working to improve their skills.

Learning needs to be targeted andmeaningful to keep up with the changingculture and student population. Thismeans finding professional developmentopportunities to expand your knowledge

of various subjects, technology, specialaccommodations, and ESL. It also meansnetworking with and observing otherteachers to learn new strategies.

TEAM PLAYER (WITH A GREAT COACH)Like a member of a sports team, youhave to work together with your col-

leagues to be a winner. Great teacherscollaborate with their peers, are open tosuggestions, and often switch tactics toadopt the best practices.

“There was a time when a teacherwould go into a classroom and couldclose the door, only communicating withthe children and the principal,” saysNancy Moga, an elementary-school

Island Right

Under provisions of the 2001 federal education law, No Child Left Behind

(NCLB), all teachers in U.S. public schoolsmust be deemed highly-qualified by2005–2006 (with certain exceptions). A highly-qualified public school teachermust have: 1) a bachelor’s degree;2) full state certification or licensure; and 3) prove competency in each subject theyteach. The law requires states to track“teacher quality” and adopt plans toensure that all teachers become highlyqualified, emphasizing schools servingpoor and minority students. With the focuson content knowledge, the law recognizesteachers from a variety of alternative certi-fication programs as highly qualified.

Middle and high school teachers mustshow that they have mastered the subjectthey teach. This can be achieved by 1) having a major in the subject you teachor credits equivalent to a major; 2) passinga standardized test of content knowledge;3) earning advanced certification from thestate or a graduate degree or 4) if you area current teacher, you may qualify with acombination of teaching experience, pro-fessional development, and knowledge inthe subject gained over time.

how NCLB defines“highly-qualified”

principal inCovington,Virginia. “Now

you have to bea team player—to

be able to cooperatewith other teachers atyour grade level, withthe special-ed teacher,guidance counselor, andother staff members,”says the 20-year veteran.

Behind every success-ful athlete is usually a

motivating coach. So what do teacherssay makes a great principal? “Someonewho is honest, caring, supportive, andfair,” says Pam Boh, a first-grade teacherfor 20 years in Columbus, Ohio. “A prin-cipal can make or break a cohesive staff.The atmosphere is based on how theprincipal guides the staff.”

Adds Mathews, “A great principal really has to lead with integrity—that is critical. If trust and respect aren’tthere, there won’t be a strong andhealthy professional relationship.”

COMPUTER WHIZToday’s students have been at the com-puter keyboard since they were children.No doubt you have seen that they aretechnology whizzes and want to beentertained in a fast-paced environment.Gone are the days of asking students toopen to a page in a book and followalong. Now you have to be on the cuttingedge of technology. If you are not a computer genius, you at least have to bewilling to learn—and sometimes thatmeans from your students.

Teachers, such as Domangue, usePowerPoint presentations, DVDs, educa-tional computer games, and interactivelessons to get kids engaged. “We can’tthink of ourselves: what would interestme in that. We have to think of whatwould excite a child,” she says.

At Alan Michelson’s elementary schoolin Blue Spring, Missouri, teachers gradu-ally are getting SMART Boards—interac-tive white boards—in their classrooms.“It makes students become part of thelearning, rather than sitting there,” saysthe principal of 17 years.

COUNSELORJust as a counselor has to see beyondthe surface, great teaching means beinginsightful and flexible. Everyone hasseen their best-laid lesson plans fizzlemidway through class. Great teacherspick up when students aren’t followingalong, make adjustments, and think ontheir feet. Sometimes that means attend-ing to emotional needs of students first.

When Karen Heath, a Vermont Teacher of the Year for 2005 sees redfaces coming in from recess, she knowsto delay the lesson for 10 minutes andallow some silent reading while the students settle down.

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What is your biggestchallenge?

Obstacles to student success?

We asked over 500 Instructor readers: Whatis the most difficult part of your job?

of our readers say their #1challenge is finding “timeto get everything done.”

say it’s differentiation:“meeting the needs of individual students.”

cite the pressures of “testing requirements”brought about by NCLB.

36%

30%

10%

When asked what stands between their lowest performing students and academicsuccess, teachers cited complex causes.

say it’s “skills below gradelevel” that leave childrenstruggling to catch up.

say it’s a wider culturalproblem, citing a “lack of family involvement.

cite insufficient or unequal school funding as a primary cause.

38%

35%

6%

10 jobs in one

In a more serious situation, when atragedy struck her school this spring andthree students died in a drowning acci-dent, she knew that things couldn’t go onas usual in her classroom. For those ableto concentrate, Heath provided work.She created space for others to grieve orexpress their grief through writing. “Ihad to allow for the emotional needs of

the students,” she says.Not all kids come to school with a

hug from a parent or a full tummy.Before they can learn, students mustfirst feel they are in a good and safeplace. “Some of my kids are starved foryou to just listen to them—to make themmatter in your life for a few minutes,”says Barbara Starliper. She tries to

understand her students’ perspectives asthey try to learn new vocabulary wordsevery week. “If I had to learn 50 newterms in a week, I’d be overwhelmed.You have to have a genuine concern for them.”

MANAGERVery little learning takes place in a class-room that doesn’t have a stellar manager.The ability to plan, organize, and carryout a lesson is key. It’s important to pro-vide a strong curriculum with tasks thatengage students in active learning andbuild a classroom community. Greatmanagers know that employees are mostproductive when they are happy. Andstudents want to perform when they feelsafe and cared for by their teacher.

“If a teacher really connects with and

50 INSTRUCTOR AUGUST 2005

10 jobs in one

Island Left

According to research cited in A GoodTeacher in Every Classroom: Preparing theHighly Qualified Teachers Our ChildrenDeserve (2005), effective teachers:

... USE MANY TOOLS to assess how theirstudents learn

... CAREFULLY ORGANIZE activities basedon students’ knowledge so they can besuccessful

... DESIGN CURRICULUM to support eachstep of students’ learning and to confrontconfusion or misinterpretations

... CUSTOMIZE CURRICULUM to differentstudents’ needs

... ENGAGE STUDENTS in active learning,like debating, discussing and researching

... MAKE EXPECTATIONS for high-qualitywork very clear by providing models forstandards and constant feedback

... DESIGN AND MANAGE a well-functioningand respectful classroom, allowing stu-dents to work productively

... INVOLVE PARENTS in the learningprocess

... COLLABORATE WITH OTHER TEACHERSand administrators to create a seamlesscurriculum and a supportive environment.

What EffectiveTeachers Do

loves the children, and the children real-ly like the teacher, then you will have awell-functioning classroom,” saysMasterson. “It’s not about rules, it’sabout relationships.”

Great teachers will learn somethingpersonal about each of the students fromday one, such as the name of their pet.They will keep up on popular culture byseeing recent kids’ movies, listening topop music, and reading children’s books.Once a connection is made and a rapportis established, children often behavebecause they don’t want to disappointthe teacher.

YOURSELFWe’ve all experienced the sheer exhaus-tion of trying to be everything to

everyone. Great teachers, above all, actlike themselves in the classroom.

“Present yourself in a way that is real,”says Domangue. “Don’t put on a mask.You can’t pretend you are in a goodmood. Children see clearly through afacade.” When you present yourself ashuman, children can learn from seeinghow you cope. “We laugh, we cry, wesing, because it is all part of life,” shesays. “I can’t be a robot in the classroom.I want to show them how to handle setbacks and difficult emotions.”

Authentic teachers will share theirpersonal hobbies or bring their own chil-dren to school events to show their stu-dents another dimension of their lives.

Teachers can be authority figures andsupportive at the same time, says

Principal James. “It’s like being a secondparent. I always tell my kids, ‘I am yourdaytime mom.’”

AND THE LIST GOES ON...When you think of the many hats youwear at school, what would you add?Perhaps bulletin board designer, profes-sional organizer, snack chef, maid, musi-cian, family counselor, special-eventscoordinator, fundraiser, or cheerleadertops your list.

Oklahoma’s Illgen says that the wayhighly qualified teachers are defined isevolving, and it is good for the professionto be pushed to improve. “Teachers Imeet desperately want to do their best.They are always seeking,” says the 36-year-old elementary-school teacher. “Aslong as we desire to do our best, we willmove forward.” nn

CARALEE ADAMS WRITES ABOUT EDUCATION, PARENTING, ANDHEALTH. SHE LIVES IN BETHESDA, MD. YOU CAN WRITE TO HERAND THE EDITORS AT INSTRUCTOR@SCHOLASTIC.COM.

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“Present yourself in a way that is real,”says TessieDomangue. “Children see right through facades.”