Teacher “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery” Mark van Doren (American educator, 1894-1972) “Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task.” Haim Ginott (Israeli educator, 1922-1973) "A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron." Horace Mann (American politician, 1796-1859)

What makes for a good teacher? What are the qualities of a good teacher? What are the qualities of a bad teacher?

Why teach? Professional commitment Serving society Working with young people/watching them grow “Born to teach” Joy in subject Opportunity for creativity/challenge Marston, Susan Hemphill. (2010). Why do they teach? A comparison of elementary, high school and college teachers. Education, V131, I2, p437-454.

How do we get there? The best induction programs blend support for novice teachers with expertise from veteran teachers, creating collegial groups that benefit all teachers and all students. Systemwide commitment, including culture of learning from principals. Teaching conditions matter to supporting and keeping newbies. Online communities are timely, cost-effective mentoring. Moir, Ellen. (2009). Accelerating Teacher Effectiveness: Lessons learned from two decades of new teacher induction. Phi Delta Kappan, v91, i2, p14-21.

What teachers say Flexibility, the ability to anticipate questions/problems, willingness to continue learning and experimenting in the classroom. Consistency, being prepared, clear expectations Compassion, discipline, respect and motivation to always be better The teacher should do engaging activities and present material in diverse ways. Focus on the successes, learn from the failures. A teacher learns a lot as they teach. They talk “with” and not “to” their students. The ability to see more in students than they see in themselves. (this coming from 25+ years of experience!)

How should teachers be paid? Education/designation (National Board) Time in service Test scores No method currently in use

Average starting salary (NC) Bachelor’s - $30,430 Master’s - $33,470 w/National Board Professional Teaching Standards certification (Year 3) Bachelor’s - $34,080 Master’s – $37,490 Principal: Base monthly salary $4,243 NC Department of Public Instruction

…and then After 20 years teaching: Bachelor’s - $42,860 Master’s - $48,000 County supplements (Avg.) Buncombe - $3,731 Asheville city - $3,252 Transylvania - $3,140 McDowell - $2,775 Henderson – $2,437 Haywood - $1,955 Yancey – $300 Jackson - $147 Madison – No supplements reported Highest county supplement: Wake County ($6,031) Buncombe County band director ($1,800) Asheville City assistant principal ($4,642) Haywood County supervisor ($2,788) Madison County coach ($2,738)

State ranks According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009) North Carolina (44) $42,556 Tennessee (33) $45,926 Virginia (8) $57,873 South Carolina (32) $46,306 Georgia (19) $51,050 Kentucky (27) $48,226 Highest state: Rhode Island ($67,060)

Pay for test scores “Since the 1996/97 school year, the state of North Carolina has awarded bonuses of up to $1,500 to teachers in schools that exhibit test score gains above certain thresholds. There is some evidence to suggest an improvement in overall test scores, particularly in math, but less evidence to suggest that achievement gaps have narrowed. The bonus program has been associated with higher rates of turnover in lowperforming schools” Average bonuses ~$1,500 paid out to all teachers sometimes regardless of EOC/EOG areas. Vigdor, Jacob. (2008). Teacher salary bonuses in North Carolina. Prepared for NCPI conference – Vanderbilt University. Retrieved from www.caldercenter.org/PDF/1001200_Teacher_Bonuses.pdf

Bad teachers Schools generally have performance improvement plans in place, based on principal observation and test scores.

Leaving? Conflicts with other teachers/principal/parents Higher supplement at other schools Extra-curricular opportunities at other schools Unsuccessful at job/stress management Feeling that teaching wasn’t what they expected Did not have adequate support No Child Left Behind accountability factors North Carolina’s “Mission Possible” tried to retain good teachers but lacked good principals. McLaurin, S. E., Smith, W., & Smillie, A. (2009). Teacher Retention. Online Submission, Retrieved from www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED507446.pdf.