Mediocrity of Teacher Recruitment Essay - 4137 Words

Mediocrity of Teacher Recruitment Some teachers are better than others. This is a simple and, I hope, obvious fact. But the culture of American schools is not friendly to it. Particularly in our hiring of public school teachers, we tend to avoid notions of serious discernment, of picking the very best in our society to become our teachers, and we accept that the most talented of our young people will gravitate to other fields. Overcoming this acceptance of mediocrity in teacher recruitment and retention represents the greatest opportunity to bring a quantum improvement to our schools. To focus on the elite among new teaching recruits as a matter of method is, in fact, the radically democratic way to give our societys most valuable†¦show more content†¦The money in school budgets is the key to launching or limiting their careers. In a budget cutback, the probationary teachers are the ones whose ranks are trimmed, because they are generally not fully covered by unions, and are therefore easier to let go. So long as we do not screen new teachers based on excellence—not based on mere competence, not based on basic skill levels, but based on demonstration that each individual is better at teaching than most who try—we will never be able to create and reinforce the kind of elite professional culture among our teachers that they deserve, and, more importantly, that our students deserve. Consider the college student planning to become a teacher. And consider not just any student, but the kind of student we most want to be teaching our children—someone who is bright, warm, disciplined, and interested in the ideas of other people, someone curious about the world, and capable of doing difficult things well. At the age of 21 or so, he is finishing college, heading toward a degree in English, biology, history, or another subject. Most likely, he is not taking a degree in education (the students with the strongest academic backgrounds generally dont). In his senior year, he is probably working as a student-teacher for at least part of the year, going off in the mornings to a school where theShow MoreRelatedHow to Improve Education Sector in India2117 Words   |  9 Pagesand low-pressure jobs. Once a teacher told me in high school â€Å"Well, if you guys don’t study it is entirely your loss – I will get my salary at the end of the month anyway.† He could not put across the lack of incentive for being good at teaching any better. Thousands of terrible teachers all over India are wasting valuable time of young children every day all over India. Education for all Education for all It is high time to encourage a breed of superstar teachers. The internet has created thisRead MoreTraditional Instructional Methods Have Continued For Generations Essay3185 Words   |  13 Pagesleaves them as less engaged. Author of â€Å"How Teacher Education Matters† Linda Darling Hammond wrote about the positive effects training and development on teaching has on the teachers who under go them in contrast to those teachers who had a small amount or even no training. Furthermore, teaching training and development reforms that intensively wove expansive experimental training with assignments regarding how to learn and how to teach produces teachers that have a higher probability of remainingRead MoreProblems of Education in Nigeria and Prospect3739 Words   |  15 Pages(projectors, Computers, Laboratories and libraries), paucity of quality teachers and poor / polluted learning environment. In addition to these inadequacies, our school system is plagued with numerous social vices such as examination malpractices, cultism, hooliganism and corruption. For meaningful development to take place in the educational sector; the government need to re-address the issue of funding. Private educational in vestors, teachers! Parents/guidance and students/pupils need a reorientation towardsRead MoreCoffee Breaks and Power Naps Will Improve Student Performance3217 Words   |  13 PagesAcademy, as a premiere military institution in the Southeast Asia, bears the task of producing quality military officers and efficient leaders for the Philippine government. As such, the recruitment of cadets for the academy is no simple endeavour. Cadet applicants are screened and subjected to several recruitment requirements to determine their suitability for the academy. More often they are referred to as the â€Å"cream of the crop.† 2. Once accepted inside the academy, the cadets undergoRead MoreCoaching Salespeople Into Sales Champions110684 Words   |  443 Pageson the activities that desperately need my attention? Do these obstacles sound familiar? The fact is, regardless of experience, most leadership efforts are doomed from the start. Managers lose talented salespeople and maintain an atmosphere of mediocrity not because of a lack of effort but because they lack a coaching system they are comfortable with and can trust to leverage the talents of their salespeople in order to generate consistent, worthwhile results. ANNIHILATING THE ALBATROSS OF LEADERSHIPRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesat doing your core job tasks is a reflection of your level of task performance. If we think about the job of a factory worker, task performance could be measured by the number and quality of products produced in an hour. The task performance of a teacher would be the level of education that students obtain. The task performance of a consultant might be measured by the timeliness and quality of the presentations they offer to the client firm. All these types of performance relate to the core dutiesRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagestheory challenges understandings of the relationships 125 This writer goes on to suggest that most great advances are made by individuals and that trying to keep everybody happy results in conformity, in failure to build individuals. This leads to mediocrity. So, the anonymous author concludes, ‘Let’s treat people like people, but let’s not make a big production of it’ (p. 160). The case study presented below focuses on some of the advantages and disadvantages of the development of a feeling of ‘belonging’

Knowing Is Better Than Not Knowing - 1676 Words

Knowing is Better than Not Knowing Fyodor Dostoevsky’a novel â€Å"Notes from Underground† is known for being the first existentialist novel. A 40 year old man living in St. Petersburg, Russia known as the Underground Man works as a civil servant, but retired shortly after inheriting money from a distant relative. The Underground Man introduces himself by telling the reader, â€Å"I am a sick man. ... I am a spiteful man. I am an unattractive man† (1). He also says he could never be spiteful and how he could never have a character because he does not have a conscious. He also talks badly about idealists and goes on saying that Utopian ideas are reasoning with no sense of reality. The Utopians also say that human beings are under control by laws of nature, which reflects how they will act. Also the Underground Man thought the Crystal Palace was a bad idea because man may not be able to have free will anymore. The Utopians do not think humans need to make their own decisions, but do things if they want to. The Underground Man and Dostoyevsky explain why having a world of Utopia would be very easy and boring and someone would have a stop to it, even if it is good, because human being need their own desire, which leads to Dystopia. In the novel, the Underground Man and Fyodor Dostoyevsky make the reader understand how the Utopian society is not a good idea. These socialists believe that if everyone knew what was best for them, nothing bad would happen in the world. If people understoodShow MoreRelatedRelationship Between Connected Knowing And A Student s Academic Performance946 Words   |  4 Pagesconnected knowing (CK), separate knowing (SK), and epistemological beliefs with student’s academic performance. These variables look at understanding how students acquire knowledge and their attitudes towards thinking and learning. As mentioned in the study done by Schommer-Aikins and Easter (2006) this study would provide future benefit to how students are being taught along with how to manage their time while studying. In addition, this study could result in students acquiring better study habitsRead MoreSelf Interest Essay833 Words   |  4 Pagesisolated girl wanting to get rid of all the emotions surrounding her life, so knowing where her interest lies. Isolated from the others, where darkness and gloom can surround her whole body. Feelings of empathy showering over her, her face not giving any emotion except bluntness. Surrounding her in the background is a bright light, the opportunities that she wants to fulfill, having the hope that she deserves to have a better life. As we see the lights starts to fade away into this darkness, thatRead MoreHow A Network Is The Ways Of Knowing1296 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"In gaining knowledge, each area of knowledge uses a network of ways of knowing.† By looking at the arts and history, we can see that to gain knowledge is necessary to use a network of ways of knowing but depending on the area they are applied differently. The art has all of the ways of knowing present but depending on the situation some of them can be applied more than others. The same happens with history, the ways of knowing are all present but they are applied differently depending on the circumstanceRead MoreSt udy Habits Can Improve Your Grades Essay812 Words   |  4 Pageslearn comes naturally but for me not so much. Success in high school and college really depend on good study habits. Things like taking bad notes, not knowing how to study, not knowing when to study and not having a good place to study can really affect your grades. The first thing a person can do to improve their study habits is take better notes. When taking notes you do not have to write down every word the teacher says, if you do that you’re not going to know whats important and whatsRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Treated Disabled?979 Words   |  4 Pageswho have no family near them or lost their family before they got ill. Many of these people become severely depressed, sitting in the hospital knowing that they cannot get better and their family and friends can do nothing about it. Their mind will start to play tricks on them, they will not know what to do anymore, they will start to become crazy knowing that they cannot help him or herself. They will not be able to take care of him or herself, they will start to feel as if they are a burden onRead MoreBenefits of Raising a Bilingual Child Essay938 Words   |  4 Pagesprivilege of knowing a second language, language of their parents and grandparents. By looking at studies of b ilingual children, research shows how important it is for a child to learn a second language. Raising a bilingual child is a benefit because it improves social skills, academic proficiency, introduces child to a different culture, and prepares for the future. First benefit is a better achievement in school and academically. Studies show that bilingual children have better reading andRead MoreWhy Is Knowledge Important Than Knowledge? Essay1388 Words   |  6 Pagesnetwork of ways of knowing.† Discuss this Statement with reference to two areas of knowledge. â€Å"I believe in intuition and inspiration. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Forknowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.† - Albert Einstein The above lines were quoted by Albert Einstein which states the importance of ways of knowing in gaining knowledgeRead MoreBilingual Application For Bilingual Applicants953 Words   |  4 Pagesthat being bilingual has gain importance and is consider to be more of a necessity now. A brain that understands more than one language is more alert than one who knows just one language. Being bilingual has many benefits. A couple advantages of being bilingual would be greater job opportunities, comfortable traveling and higher test scores. Being bilingual opens the gates to better job opportunities. When filling out an application form for a job position, majority of the time there is a box thatRead MoreBilingual Vs. Bilingual Workforce901 Words   |  4 PagesA brain that understands more than one language is more alert than one who knows just one language. Being bilingual has many benefits. A couple advantages of being bilingual would be greater job opportunities, comfortable traveling and higher test scores. Being bilingual opens the gates to better job opportunities. When filling out an application form for a job position, majority of the time there is a box that has to be checked which asks if the applicant is bilingual and to list what languagesRead MoreFiguring Out The World Of Dyslexia922 Words   |  4 PagesDyslexia what comes to mind? Nothing? Knowing the basic concepts about dyslexia can help teacher get a better understanding to help students improve and excel in school. It helps the students with improving their comprehension skills and getting a better grasp on phonics skills. Lastly, it can improve preparations for test and or quizzes. The problems caused by dyslexia will be reviewed with the goal of better understanding the condition so that we can better help students who have dyslexia improve

In the Penal Colony Free Essays

Although Kafka’s story â€Å"In the Penal Colony† can be considered 3rd person omniscient, I believe the story was primary narrated through officer. I agree with Brittany’s interpretation that the traveler benefits from the narration of the officer, because I believe that the traveler symbolizes the reader while the officer plays a more active role as the narrator. The traveler like the reader is brought to a foreign place where the officer’s explain the intricacies of his beloved machine. We will write a custom essay sample on In the Penal Colony or any similar topic only for you Order Now The officer seems to be in control of everyone on the penal colony, while the traveler seems to be a passive bystander who did not try to stop the officer’s â€Å"unjustified† punishment. â€Å"The traveler now wanted to remain silent, but he felt the eyes of the condemned man on him; he seemed to be asking whether the traveler could approve the procedure that had just been described. † (Page 40) Even when the traveler believed that it was immoral to â€Å"judge† the condemned man without a fair trial, he believe it was wiser to not to interfere with the officer’s judgment. Nevertheless, he had to remind himself that this was a penal colony, that special disciplinary measures were necessary here, and that military procedures had to prevail throughout. † (Page 41) Therefore, I think the authoritative officer seems to be primary narrator. By presenting the narrative in this perspective, the reader like the traveler is able to emotionally and intellectually react to story; however, we can only be the passive bystander watching the inhumane acts unfold right before our eyes. Perhaps we are the traveler who just happens to be â€Å"invited† to penal colony. Perhaps we possess neither the courage nor the power to stop torture of the condemned man. More importantly, by representing the traveler as the reader, Kafka asks the reader several critical questions. Would we impose our judgment upon others, if we deem them immoral? Are we the passive bystander who would do nothing to stop torture? How can we â€Å"be just? † How to cite In the Penal Colony, Essay examples

Reaction Paper the Notebook Essay Example For Students

Reaction Paper: the Notebook Essay In the movie â€Å"The Notebook†, the meaning of unconditional love was emphasized through what happened in the characters’ experiences. It can be observed through the flashbacks that since the main characters were too young at the time they both met each other, they had the tendency to feel intense and aggressive towards their desire for companionship from their opposite sex which eventually lead to infatuation and affection. They have developed such intimate relationship bonded by love. Such love can be described as a common one. Although their love for each other has been established, it is still not as strong as it ought to be. For an individual like me who grew up in a conservative society, I find it somehow aggressive how they developed such feelings in a small span of time as expressed by showing their affection for each other publicly. The thing which they call â€Å"love† was then challenged when the parents of the girl argued and demanded that the guy her daughter loved was not the one suited for her. At this juncture, I can barely see how fragile the foundation of their love is. That with just a single misunderstanding, they tend to decide easily for a break-up, which is really so immature. It seemed so awkward how the girl decided to marry someone although she is aware how much she loved the other guy before. I felt pity for the guy with what happened. Forgetting someone is really difficult; because in forgetting you must remember what you need to forget, thus still remembering all the pain the woman brought him. After all the twists and turns of their love affair, at the end they still managed to come back in each other’s arms. It’s so unrealistic but then I admired how they ignored everything around them and instead, focus on their feelings for each other. The scene which caught my feelings the most is when it was revealed that the old man who was chatting daily with the lonely old woman was the husband who loved her unconditionally, who even made a way on how the woman would remember what she wrote in her diary (the notebook which the old man carries with him during his visits to his wife) and he remained on his wife’s side despite of the woman’s psychological condition up until their death. In a nutshell, I was touched with how someone wholeheartedly expressed love in the midst of all the consequences they have been through. Although it is way far from what we perceive as a platonic love, but it is still commendable. Such martyr love can be rarely seen in our society nowadays because some people tend to remember love as having something in return. And with that, we can summarize this with a quotation: â€Å"Love means to love which is unlovable, or it is no virtue at all; forgiving means to pardon that which is unforgivable, or it is no virtue at all; and to hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all†.