Great teachers, blah blah blah, easy platitude, meaningless applause line. Ravitch posts this comment from a teacher who also recognizes the absurdity.
I’ve read a lot of history of education, as has Ravitch of course. She’s actually written on it, so yeah, there’s that.
In any case, I remember at one point reading a chapter, I think it was Clifford (1988)? My mind is usually a steel trap for this kind of stuff.
There was this understanding at the time that common schools were formulating, perhaps mid-1800s, that all of these new students and new classrooms, many of whom composed of immigrants, could NOT be staffed by “born” teachers, or those who received the “call.” They couldn’t even be staffed by men because they were more expensive and could find better employment elsewhere.
So, in order to staff all of these classrooms, a rather clever marketing ploy was used: market teaching as natural to women, as perfect for their feminine skills or whatever, and you can take advantage of all these newly educated women who had no place to go.
We can have talented teachers like we can have very talented athletes. Some get to the majors, most don’t. But even in the majors, you still need that back-up to the back-up, the pinch hitter’s hitter. You need the second-string punter or the substitute long snapper. You’re not always going to get a Babe Ruth or whatever (I’m not a big sports guy).
A great teacher in every classroom? I mean, sure, but really? No, not going to happen, nor should it happen. Never has, never will. Is that a problem? No, I don’t think so.
I think there’s this idea that teachers are static as human beings, but they aren’t. Teaching involves an enormous number of skills that develop over time. There is such a thing as natural talent, but being a great teacher is mainly about developing whatever abilities we have to their fullest abilities. Nearly all teachers are terrible their first year. I know I was. I was probably fairly awful for a full three years, although I did have clear strengths and occasional moments of brilliance. Teachers change over time, most getting either a lot or a little better; some peaking and then declining as teaching starts to seem less rewarding and more discouraging and they settle for a “good enough” that isn’t really good enough for students.
I don’t think anyone outside the profession has any idea how difficult it is to keep working at something so incredibly difficult when the outcome–and the actual success and sense of accomplishment you’re going to see–is so much outside of your control. I think we can have a great teacher in every classroom. I think we all want to be great teachers. But we need to be inspired and given some degree of satisfaction and recognition–not bribed or coerced. And we need to do what is necessary to keep new teachers teaching long enough that they can see some results.