Methods courses? What methods courses!

After a few years as a principal in different schools, I began to notice that my novice teachers had no idea what I meant when I asked about their college methods courses. It wasn't long before I started receiving complaints from veteran teachers on how ill prepared their new students were. A closer look revealed that a good number were coming from our novice teachers. Sound familiar to you?

I discovered that our colleges and universities no longer taught educational methods courses. Therefore new teachers have no idea of what room environment is or the role it plays in good instruction. They had no training on penmanship, much less how to teach to mechanics of writing or letter formation in the early grades. When they "taught" physical education they would sit on the bench and students were on their own: no rules of the game, no teaching of skills, no sportsmanship taught. They were never taught how to teach literature, math, art, music, principles of student discipline, the role of classroom environment or much less the ethics of the profession. No wonder new teachers had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned "methods courses"

Do you ever wonder when Johnny started on the downward trend? Yep!... right about that time. So what's a principal to do? Well... I would suggest start teaching methods courses during your professional development time; how to make sociograms, where, how and why you sit students in groups, which students need to be closer to the teacher, who needs to be closer to the board, why you shouldn't sit students facing bright windows, who will be student helpers and so on. The courses not taught leave other questions unanswered like, "Is it important to maintain a clean safe, structured classroom? or " why must a teacher model good penmanship with large letters"? These new teachers may not know how to line students up when entering and leaving the classrooms or why there are assigned line up and play areas out om the yard... and we haven't covered how to teach reading, math, art, music, science and citizenship.

Fortunately every school has some excellent teachers on staff. I call them the upper 25%:they are the gate keepers and they take their profession seriously . They expect only the best from themselves and their colleagues. They are your instructional leaders. They know how to lead and guide. Cherish and support them. You can count on them to help our new teachers and those who need re-tooling. They are the ones who are always alert to new trends and improvements in their profession.

I have encountered many of these continuous learners during my years in the schools. They teach more, teach better, get better student results and, yes, they should be paid more.
I had the pleasure of meeting "some" of these teachers at the last school I worked in for a short time as an itinerant principal. By the way, my experiences tell me that every school has this 25% of competent, caring, hard working, educators. The examples that I recall include a young man deeply committed to his students; anytime I walked into his classroom he was engaged in the teaching learning process. I also fondly remember an experienced teacher who refused to waste any instructional time. She would remind me to cut down classroom interruptions, or the mentor teacher who demanded excellence not only from her students but from other teachers. These are the ones who can help you change your school culture. Seek them out. Support them and use them as a resource to improve the school culture as a whole, before they come looking for you.

The following poem was shared with me by a student poet, a fourth grade student, at one of the schools I worked in LAUSD as interim principal. The reader can judge the results of good instruction.



Stay tuned for the bottom 25%...