Posted by
Waski_the_Squirrel on Thursday, August 03, 2006 12:03:28 AM
On Thursday I'm making the journey to Minot (a 150 mile round trip) all with the goal of being highly qualified to teach math. This year I've spent nearly $1000 on becoming highly qualified.
So what does it mean? I need to show that I have the content knowledge to teach the classes I teach: Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Biology, and Math. This is all thanks to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law.
I went to college and received a degree in Physics. According to NCLB, I'm highly qualified to teach only Physics. That's a problem in North Dakota. Only a handful of schools in the state need a full time Physics teacher (those would be Bismarck, Fargo, Minot, and Grand Forks). Since those wouldn't work for me, I needed certification in other areas.
My first job involved teaching 6 different science and math classes. Under the old law, I was able to do this. Now my job options could be very limited. To become "highly qualified" to teach the other classes, I have several options. I can take tests, get a major, or do something called a portfolio.
For Physics, I had the major. For the other 3 sciences, I chose to take the tests at about $100 a pop. For the math, I was almost set. I'd taken a lot of math for my major, and took some math electives. Right now, I'm close to a master's in math. I had to spend about $700 for the one class I hadn't yet taken: math methods. This gave me a math major. I'm going to Minot to take care of the paperwork on this.
I didn't really enjoy going through all of this, but I understand the need for it. There are a lot of teachers out there who are teaching and do not understand what they're teaching. I had a math teacher like that for 2 years in a row.
After having been through the process, I can say that a teacher who cannot handle either of these options really should not be teaching that subject. Realistically, teaching skills are important, but a teacher who does not know the subject could have a great classroom that accomplishes nothing.
Of course, all the subject knowledge in the world means nothing if the teacher cannot teach. Although it isn't used to its full potential, the apparatus is already in place for evaluating classroom skills: student teaching.
I have been the teacher without the subject knowledge. I have never liked Biology. During my first year of teaching, I clung desperately to my Biology book. I made many embarrassing mistakes. Fortunately for my future students, I made the effort to learn. After 5 years of teaching Biology, I think I finally did a good job.
The love of the subject still isn't there. I'd sooner teach any of the physical sciences. However, I'm able to accurately communicate the subject and I have enough subject knowledge that I can handle questions and applications.
I shouldn't have been allowed to teach Biology during those first 5 years. I also don't think I'd have passed the test. Approximately 80 students missed out in those 5 years because their teacher wasn't good enough. The story is the same all over. In many schools, of course, it's the physical sciences where students miss out. I know a woman who "dreads" her Physics class. She hates the subject.