We see that javascript is disabled or not supported by your browser - javascript is needed for important actions on the site. Read more

What's New - Home - Login

Member $avings: $81,544,688.01 | Books Available: 800,496 | Members Online: 118

Swap Used Books - Buy New Books at Great Prices!

How To Swap Books Sign Up Search submenu

PBS Market (New Books)

Gift Buying Guide

Book Browser Advanced Search Books Posted Today Member Book Reviews Award Winning Books NYT Best Sellers Amazon Best Sellers Most Traveled Copies Club Wish List

Discussion Forums Book Lists

Club Lists My Book Lists My Watched Lists Create a List

Blog Donations

School Donation Program In Memory of... Military Donation Program Friends of PBS

Box-O-Books Maps The Eclectic Pen Fun Stuff

20 Questions Sudoku Bookmark Creator

Top 100

Requests Posts Swappers Referrers Reviewers

Pulse of PBS Spread The Word

Invite Friends Bookmarks Facebook Page Facebook App More Ways...

Photo Gallery Recipes Club Tag Cloud Member Testimonials

Help Center submenu

How To Swap Books Browse Help Docs Ask the Librarian PBS Member Icons Live Help

Kiosk

PBS Market (New Books) Go Shopping Buy Credits Buy PBS Money Upgrade Membership Gift Certificates Transfer Credits

Need Help?

Search - A Sense of Calling: Who Teaches and Why

A Sense of Calling Who Teaches and Why
Author: Public Agenda

Just about everybody, it seems, has something to say about teachers. Given the intense debate over public education, it would be surprising if teaching failed to attract the scrutiny that surrounds topics such as school funding or standards. In the end, whatever reforms we pursue and whatever standards we set, we count on teachers to go into cla... more »ssrooms and deliver the goods. Critics have raised questions about whether today's teachers are up to the job; whether teaching has become a second-tier profession for those with no better options. In A Sense of Calling, Public Agenda attempted to find out what teachers really think of their profession, and to compare their views with those of the administrators who hired them and college graduates who chose different careers. We found that the majority of new teachers possess at least one extraordinarily appealing quality: Their passion for teaching is striking. It is palpable, vastly underappreciated and a valuable asset that money can't buy. Money lies at the heart of a prevailing assumption about teaching that low salaries keep good people away. Teachers do believe that they are underpaid. But based on this study, it seems that raising teacher salaries by itself won't (and probably shouldn't) radically change who enters the field or solve the problem of staff shortages in urban schools. The pay issue overlooks incentives that are significantly more important to most teachers and would-be teachers. What teachers most want is what they believe will make them more effective in their work: smaller classes and much stronger support from administrators and parents. Another debate has been over how well teachers are prepared and whether they need more background in the subjects they teach. We found that teachers believe that how they get kids to persevere, how they explain difficult material, and how they manage a respectful and productive classroom are all as important as "knowing your stuff." What their preparation lacks, they say, is not content, but the training needed to manage a classroom, bring classes alive and make sure their students actually learn. Most beginning teachers tell us that when they first entered the classroom, they were often at a loss when they tried to help struggling students. Yet they had every desire to do so. It is important to point out that what people think and feel about their jobs are not facts. This report, for example, does not shed much light on whether the academic skills of beginning teachers are actually better or worse than those of other college graduates. But it does shed light on something that may be equally important. When it comes to shaping policies, perceptions can take on a monumental importance. Understanding what matters to people, what motivates them and why they do what they do can make the difference between a conversation that moves forward and one that goes nowhere. And it can make the difference between policies that actually work vs. those that go awry.

ISBN-13: 9781889483634
ISBN-10: 188948363X
Publication Date: 5/18/2000
Pages: 54
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: Public Agenda
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Back to the Top ↑

Search - A Sense of Calling: Who Teaches and Why

Loading...