EDF 1005 Reflection Paper #1

Jackie Lawrence
Reflection Paper #1
EDF 1005
I truly believed the answer to the question on Quiz #1 relating to teachers in colonial times was that they aspired to be “masters” of their lifelong career. Once I learned that a large amount of teachers were actually indentured servants paying their way into America through their short-term job, I was slightly surprised, to say the least. America’s first normal schools in Concord, Vermont and Lexington, Massachusetts provided only two years of teacher training. That is a great start, but schoolteachers were actually required to sweep and mop their classrooms! To me, the contract imposed on these women was disrespectful and almost ridiculous, especially for a meager salary of $75 per month. Why would anybody want to teach for a living? It was not until the 1980s that significant changes were made. In 1986, the Holmes Group and the Carnegie Forum issued reports demanding reformation in America’s education system. They fought for higher standards and longer training for aspiring teachers. Eventually, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards was created, which recognized competent, over-achieving teachers. It’s a shame the cost to become board-certified is so high. Teachers that teach because they have a passion and a desire to feel fulfilled in life should absolutely be appreciated. To me, that’s about as professional as it gets. I was raised to always respect my schoolteachers, not just because they could fail me, but because they were my main source of knowledge and my outlet to a successful future.
In terms of preparing future teachers with alternative programs such as Teach for America, I agree with critic Linda Darling-Hammond’s outlook. I’m glad TFA has been able to recruit motivated and determined people, but I do not think a one to two year program is enough. I think a lot of teachers out there today are trying to take the easy way out. The biggest reason I want to become a school psychologist someday is because I want to make an impact and be a good influence for teenagers. The teachers out there just trying to make their pension and go on summer vacations cannot possibly be teaching for the right reasons. A better approach to make sure aspiring teachers become proficient, professional role models is to increase their length of training. And if the average teacher salary was increased, I can pretty much guarantee more people will put in the effort to work their way up to an exciting and fun career with rewarding perks.