Our teachers' skills aren't being used effectively

Edgworthy said the following on Joanne Jacobs' website.

Feb 21st, 2006 at 10:56 am

"The only way Math teaching is useful on a mass scale is if it can be taught by an average math teacher. Any conceptual method that relies upon a highly skilled, creative and flexible teacher as a prerequisite for success is doomed to failure."

But what if we have highly skilled, creative and flexible master teachers spending time in every classroom, giving instruction, taking responsibility for children's learning, and guiding "average" teachers in how to follow up on those lessons? Some of the "average" teachers would become master teachers themselves. Some wouldn't. But every child would learn.

Of course, the highly skilled, creative and flexible individuals would have to be lured by higher salaries. I suggest double the salaries of average teachers. The master teachers would be responsible for several classrooms.

And Americans wouldn't have to be embarrassed by test scores that would embarrass the citizens of much of the rest of the world.


http://joannejacobs.com/2006/02/20/procedures-first/