Does a credential define a fine teacher?
Just because you know it doesn’t mean you can teach it. After lighting his pipe, my history professor would take out his crinkled ancient-yellow notes and read the day’s lecture regarding American Indian history – as he had done for others over many many years. He helped put my curiosity about such history to sleep for a bit. I remember the time my boring high school geometry teacher completely blew up at our class and yelled out, “You guys just don’t give a damn!” We never saw him again after that day. Twenty years ago, as a fifth grade teacher myself, I knew that the only other male teacher on our faculty corrected no papers, recorded no grades, and was quite ineffectual in dealing with his students and parents. Yet he had little problem filling out report cards! The principal was aware of this as well. But because of a strong teachers’ union and contract, there was no practical way to get rid of this piece of deadwood – we had to wait until he retired. He finally did. Discussion abo
