Cluster 1, Module 2 Reflection

            A qualified teacher can be defined in many different ways. According to “Teacher Research Informing Policy: An Analysis of Research on Highly Qualified Teaching and NCLB”, there are many things that they use to define a qualified teacher. A quality that they need to have is experience and content knowledge. They also need to have received a bachelor’s degree or higher. Another component a qualified teacher needs to have is teacher certification which allows them to effectively teach. These qualifications of a teacher can be assessed in a few ways. One way it can be assessed is based on academic achievement of the students being taught. Another way it can be assessed is by the amount of time they have spent teaching or their experience. I’m sure they also assess how they did in school from their college transcripts.

            Good teaching may be thought of in different ways and can also be measured. If a teacher has majored or minored in a specific subject that they are teaching then they are more likely to be a better teacher since they have the skills. Good teaching can also be defined as someone who cares for their students and works hard to help them learn based on their individual needs. They also inspire and motivate their students to be interested in the material. Good teaching can be measured based on their students’ success and what their students learn from their teachers.

            Qualifications do make a difference when it comes to teachers. I think teachers really do need to have a good background because if we had just anyone teaching then who knows if we would learn the right things. They may not have the experience they need or the skills to be able to teach students with all different learning backgrounds. It is important that students learn the right way and also learn lessons of significance. Schooling and experience gives teachers the background they need so if they don’t have it then it makes them unqualified.

            School systems work to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind in many ways. They work by making sure that every student, no matter what their background or needs are, have a qualified teacher. School systems should try to find a way to provide alternate certificates for teaching. These certificates can allow for teachers to use their knowledge to help students reach their full potential on standardized tests. This could help those schools that could not necessarily afford to pay for good teaching. All in all, the No Child Left Behind policy is there to try to make sure that students can reach their full potential and keep up with school standards no matter what the situation may be.      

           

            

Module Question 2

Module Question 2:      

New research on education is constantly conducted to better understand learning and improve teaching. How do you think teachers can use this research? How might teachers in classrooms and researchers collaborate? Do you think teachers can also be researchers? If so, how? If not, why not?

            Teachers can use this research on education to their benefit. I think that through research teachers can find the different ways that students learn and what the statistics show about how they learn the best. From that they can apply that to their own teaching methods to find a way to make students effectively learn more. It can also give them helpful methods and tools when it comes to teaching students with all different needs and struggles. Teachers in classrooms and researchers can collaborate by using what teachers find and experience in the classroom and comparing and contrasting that with what the researchers find in their studies to determine better methods of teaching. Together they may find through studies and experience ways to better understand and make teaching skills better.

            Yes I do believe that teachers can also be researchers. I think on a daily basis it is a teacher’s job to not only teach but study and watch their student’s behavior. Teachers always want to find a way to better themselves and help their students. I’m sure teachers also like to do research as a side job of teaching. They want to do whatever they can to learn and make a difference for themselves and their students.        

            

Ed Psyche Module Question 1

ED Psyche Module Question 1

“Does good teaching make a difference? Has it made a difference in your learning or perhaps in your life outside the classroom or in a career choice? How should effective teaching be assessed by administrators?”

            In my opinion good teaching can definitely make a difference. I think that the way a teacher teaches can be all the difference in making a class interesting. It can also be the difference between actually learning and getting an education or just sitting there getting by. I also think that for students who aren’t the best students or those who struggle, a good teacher can make all the difference in motivating them and even engaging them into the material. To me one of the big differences of a good teacher is the difference between one that views their occupation as just a job or as a calling to help others and care for their students’ well-being. Sometimes you may even find that the subjects you like are because of past teachers whose style of teaching actually made learning fun.

            I think that good teaching has definitely made a difference in my learning as well as in my life outside the classroom. When I was younger I really struggled with reading and I had one teacher that didn’t give up on me and actually took an entire summer to tutor me and before the summer was over I was right where I needed to be. She made all the difference for me and because of her I no longer had to struggle and feel embarrassed to read. I have also had other teachers in the past that have made learning seem like something valuable and not just something you have to endure. These teachers have made me come to find that school isn’t always so bad. I am now in the process of trying to pick my career and I am actually considering becoming a teacher myself and if not a social worker. All I know is that I hope to one day be able to teach a child, whether it be my student or my own child, that it is okay to struggle and just help them to overcome it. When it comes to assessing effective teaching, I think that administrators should really look at the student’s opinion of a teacher because when an administrator is with a teacher they may act differently from how they truly are in class with their students. That may give them a better idea of how effective the teaching is.