 How Are Colleges Of Education Preparing Quality Teachers?
Investigation in teaching methods has identified certain behaviors that teachers must demonstrate in order to be rated effective. Teacher preparation programs contain opportunities to learn and practice such skills:
• Knowledge of the subjects they teach;
• Diagnostic and planning skills;
• Organization and management techniques;
• An understanding of how children develop and learn;
• A variety of ways to present information and to develop students' thinking;
• The ability and knowledge to make valid evaluations of student learning;
• A willingness to participate in lifelong professional growth;
• The capacity to make judgments about the effects of particular teaching practices on individual students' learning;
• Knowledge of parental involvement strategies; and
• Ways to deal with culturally diverse populations.
How Do I Know If My Child's Teacher Has These Skills?
• Ask to see your child's homework. Read over the assignments to see if he or she comprehends the subject matter.
• Question your child about how his or her school day is organized. Find out if time designated for group projects, individually initiated activities, and creative endeavors.
• Assess the discipline techniques of your child's teacher. Get to know if there are established rules and natural consequences for violations of these rules.
• Ask your child's teacher about how he or she evaluates your child's performance. Explore if other measures than standardized tests are used (e.g., observation, checklists, interviews)
• Are comments on your child's written assignments constructive? Does the teacher say what is correct as well as incorrect, why it is correct or incorrect, and how to correct or improve the errors?
• When you confer with your child's teacher, ask about the educational goals he or she has for your child. Do the aims extend beyond academic performance to include social skills?
• Ask to observe your child's classroom. Write down all your concerns and later talk with the teacher about them.
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