As educators (and parents), we all know instinctively from our own experience what research confirms more scientifically: students learn better from good teachers than from poor ones. But what is it that makes for a good teacher? Common sense might tell us that good teachers know their subject and have a passion for what they teach. And it might tell us that good teachers are able to manage their classroom. But “common” sense is not always common or dependable. Some principals, for example, may praise a teacher because his or her classroom is orderly, while other principals may see the same classroom as overly regimented. And how do we know what teachers really know, and whether they know enough to teach to the highest level and inspire the most able students?
Whether day schools are hiring teachers of Judaica, Hebrew, or secular subjects, finding candidates who have proven track records is certainly a good place to start. But there are seldom enough proven teachers available. And it is difficult for school principals to be confident that newly minted, relatively untested teachers are going to work out, especially on the basis of resumes, educational credentials, and an interview or two. Thus, staffing an entire school with solid teachers is a daunting challenge, particularly given the fact the effectiveness of some veteran teachers may have waned because of complacency.
Fortunately, good research can help us eliminate some of the subjectivity involved in assessing teacher quality. Empirical research is intended to get us beyond the perceptions and biases of individuals, and provide answers that are more likely to be universally applicable. And other research can point to promising schoolwide strategies for developing a highly effective teaching staff.
In 2003, Michael Allen wrote a major report for the Education Commission of the States—a national organization that serves the information needs of state policymakers and education leaders throughout the U.S.—about the research on teacher preparation. The report posed the question, What does research tells us about the characteristics of promising new teachers? Although much of the research is inadequate to give us confident, let alone definitive, guidance, it does suggest some things school principals and other administrators might well consider in hiring new teachers. Some of the conclusions and the implied lessons seem fairly obvious, although one might be surprised at how often principals frequently ignore the obvious in making staffing decisions.
Implication for administrators: Err on the side of caution. Don’t think a teacher with a thin academic background in a subject can do an adequate job teaching that subject unless you have independent confirmation that the teacher really knows his or her stuff in spite of having little formal preparation.
Implication for administrators: Knowledge of a subject is necessary but not sufficient, and it really would be a good idea to see how well a candidate can present a lesson in his or her teaching field. Work with a department chair or a trusted veteran teacher in a field to assess a prospective teacher’s content knowledge and pedagogical skill in their teaching field.
Implication for administrators: Think about what kind of classroom(s) the prospective teacher is going to face and what kinds of skills the teacher will need to be successful. If a prospective teacher has had some real-world experience in the classroom, he or she is likely to be better able to manage the class you’ll assign, even more so if he or she has taught students similar to those who make up your school.
Implication for administrators: You can’t assume that a prospective teacher who graduates from a program that looks quite thorough on paper is better prepared than one who graduates from a program that is less comprehensive. Many other factors enter in, including how selective the program is, how much field experience the program includes, and how well the prospective teacher did.
Implication for administrators: You need to weigh both the short term and the long term in hiring a new teacher, but intelligence is a difficult asset to overvalue. Especially if you have good induction and mentoring available for your new teachers, differences in the quality of their preparation or experience are less important than they otherwise would be.
Research also tells us that whatever skills and knowledge new teachers bring to their initial teaching job, it is only with experience that they become truly accomplished. But what is it about that experience that contributes to teachers’ improvement? Is it simply repeated practice, or is it some sort of deliberate staff development? And if professional development is the key, what sort of professional development is effective?
Old school theory was to hire the best, require re-accreditation, and budget enough to send teachers to seminars and conferences to recharge their batteries and learn new techniques. What we now know is that this seldom works, and that teachers generally utilize very little of what they learn at these in-service opportunities even within months of returning to their schools.
Instead, we are coming to recognize the important role in teacher development played by ongoing peer-facilitated professional growth opportunities where both new and veteran teachers become their own learning community. In this model all learning takes place on site and a staff training expert (from outside or within the school) collaboratively builds the program and trains teachers on staff to be instructional coaches, or peer coaches. Experts are brought in to model pedagogy or skills, a staff training expert works with teachers to be peer leaders, and over time staff transforms to a professional community where collaboration is the rule, self-examination is seen as strength, and teachers are excited to improve and pass on their new skills and insights to their colleagues.
Daniel Bennett heads the Colorado Agency for Jewish Education, which recently concluded a four-year pilot program in three area Jewish day schools with funding from the Rose Community Foundation in Denver. Under this Reflective Practices Day School Initiative, not only did teachers become better, but they felt better about their success with students. The project was complex, and it took time before teachers completely accepted its goals and the changes required for improvement. But once it took hold, Reflective Practices demonstrated that so long as administrators are committed to the path, teachers—and ultimately schools—become better.
See facing page for results of this initiative.
Effective school administrators need far more than knowledge of the research, of course, to make good hiring and staff-training decisions. They need good judgment, a solid understanding of the needs of their school and its students, and ideally a wealth of relevant experience they can draw upon. But the research and knowledge of its practical application in Jewish day school settings can serve as a starting point for those who have less experience at their disposal, and can provide reassurance to help dispel doubt and uncertainty about what course of action to follow in both finding and creating good teachers. ♦
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