Planting the Seeds for Effective Teaching
Effective teaching is an organic process. It isn't carved into the Earth, like the enduring Mount Rushmore. It can't be cloned and it can't be conjured with a magic spell. Effective teachers have to grow. The seeds of effective teaching have to be planted carefully at the right time and the right place. Then, those seeds must be nurtured by others. If nurtured properly, the teacher grows into someone who is effective and able to respond to student needs.
Why do we need to nurture teachers? A typical adult educator deals with learning disabilities, adolescent behavior (even though the students are adults), relationship problems, unexpected pregnancy, student homelessness, family green card and visa problems, court appearances, violence in the neighborhood, and a myriad of personal issues. Though 'manage daily emotional crises' appears nowhere in the curriculum guide, every good teacher knows that dealing with them is essential to successful instruction.
The unspoken, most important duties of a teacher require large amounts of emotional energy. Without strength in this area, a teacher can feel worn out and frustrated. Students are the teacher's main focus, but focusing on student needs means there is little time to spend with colleagues. Maybe you've been there: attending department meetings—yawning, hungry, and energy entirely depleted at the end of the school day; standing near the copy machine patiently waiting in line; or attending a mandated professional development workshop—thinking of all the reading, lesson plans, and correcting on your to-do list. In a time of test score pressures and budget cuts, the field of education focuses on the end result, but the teacher has to deal with the here and now.
That's where training comes in. Good training plants the seeds for professional growth. Teachers share with others and become more effective when they have opportunities to learn from their peers. Teachers help other teachers grow by listening to their challenges and offering solutions. By working together, we nourish one another. The result: a teacher who can respond to the needs of the students, a teacher who has grown professionally, and a teacher who will nurture future teachers.
Why do we need to nurture teachers? A typical adult educator deals with learning disabilities, adolescent behavior (even though the students are adults), relationship problems, unexpected pregnancy, student homelessness, family green card and visa problems, court appearances, violence in the neighborhood, and a myriad of personal issues. Though 'manage daily emotional crises' appears nowhere in the curriculum guide, every good teacher knows that dealing with them is essential to successful instruction.
The unspoken, most important duties of a teacher require large amounts of emotional energy. Without strength in this area, a teacher can feel worn out and frustrated. Students are the teacher's main focus, but focusing on student needs means there is little time to spend with colleagues. Maybe you've been there: attending department meetings—yawning, hungry, and energy entirely depleted at the end of the school day; standing near the copy machine patiently waiting in line; or attending a mandated professional development workshop—thinking of all the reading, lesson plans, and correcting on your to-do list. In a time of test score pressures and budget cuts, the field of education focuses on the end result, but the teacher has to deal with the here and now.
That's where training comes in. Good training plants the seeds for professional growth. Teachers share with others and become more effective when they have opportunities to learn from their peers. Teachers help other teachers grow by listening to their challenges and offering solutions. By working together, we nourish one another. The result: a teacher who can respond to the needs of the students, a teacher who has grown professionally, and a teacher who will nurture future teachers.