I found this poll on Edutopia about recruiting teachers from the private sector without the undergraduate training that most of us have had. The poll allows you to say, Yes, No, or Maybe to the question. You can also see the status of the poll and read posted comments. When I took it 69% were saying that yes, we should be recruiting these people for teaching positions.
I wonder how many of the respondents, 105, are from parts of the country struggling to find teachers and not just for math and science positions? I believe that the tendency to see this as a necessary and positive move would be greater in these situations. When you are struggling just to find people for positions it makes sense to look for those that have content expertise.
I still believe that both the content knowledge and learning experience are important preparation for being responsible for the learning of young people. There is an art to our profession that can be acquired through actual experience, but given a preference, I prefer that this learning start prior to assuming the responsibility of a classroom. Not everyone can be successful in this work and the preparation programs are necessary for prospective teachers to make decisions about the commitment that they can bring to this difficult work.
Do I think that some could move from the private sector straight to a classroom and experience success? Yes, in a collaborative culture with quality support from experienced professionals and a shared commitment for the learning of all young people in a school. Unfortunately, this does not describe the majority of schools where these people are being asked to fill difficult teaching positions.
What do you think, should we be recruiting teachers from the private sector without any undergraduate teaching experience? Check out the poll at Edutopia.
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2 comments:
Generally speaking, I believe it is true that new teachers chanel the teachers that most impacted them when they were a student. It is hardly surprising that the pace of change in education, as we attempt to respond to new brain research and whatnot, is glacially slow. Given, as you described in your post, that most teachers work in systems woefully unprepared to provide the support that all teachers should get as a matter of course, how could we expect anything different than more of the same? How could we expect to advance the state of educational practice when what new teachers bring is what they experienced in school 20-40 years ago? But I wouldn't stop there. How could we expect to advance the state of educational practice when what new teacher bring to their work isn't just those outdated practices, but the deep-seated beliefs that underpin those practices?
Ethan,
I don't know that all new teachers are coming to our profession any longer with the mental models they learned while students. I believe that is changing. Those, however, that come from the private sector are more likely to come with this mental model as they would not have any undergraduate learning experiences.
I wonder if teachers from either experience could even articulate the beliefs that drive their behaviors in the classroom? That is partly what we are trying to do with Classroom 10; provide a context for why change in practice is necessary to support what young people need to know and be able to do.
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