Comments on: Don’t Knock the Less Experienced Teacher http://tweenteacher.com/2008/05/23/dont-knock-the-less-experienced-teacher/ Heather Wolpert-Gawron Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:35:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: heather http://tweenteacher.com/2008/05/23/dont-knock-the-less-experienced-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-19 heather Thu, 29 May 2008 02:52:45 +0000 http://tweenteacher.com/?p=58#comment-19 Thanks for your comment, Linda. I agree that there needs to be a mix and along with it should come the respect due each groups' contributions to a school. Administrators are going to need to figure out how to plug up the turn-around in our profession soon, because the onslaught of retirees is soon upon us. Thanks so much for your input and insight. Take care, Tweenteacher Thanks for your comment, Linda. I agree that there needs to be a mix and along with it should come the respect due each groups’ contributions to a school. Administrators are going to need to figure out how to plug up the turn-around in our profession soon, because the onslaught of retirees is soon upon us.
Thanks so much for your input and insight.
Take care,
Tweenteacher

]]> By: Linda F http://tweenteacher.com/2008/05/23/dont-knock-the-less-experienced-teacher/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Linda F Wed, 28 May 2008 18:15:53 +0000 http://tweenteacher.com/?p=58#comment-18 YES! I am nearing the end of my teaching career, and I know I simply don't have the boundless energy of my younger years. Ideally, most schools should have a mix - the fresh new teacher, the old sages, and a good seasoning of middle-years teachers. In too many urban schools, the young teachers are there, and the nearing-retirement teachers (and few of those) - what is missing is the last group. Teachers still having energy to keep up with youthful antics, but experienced, as well. Bad administration is the major reason for the outflow of teachers. Too often, the support for the urban principals is not there. They WILL have more suspensions - get over it. They WILL have a need for more security - get over it. And, when a teacher or staff member isn't doing his/her job, they need to be empowered to get rid of them (not just shove them off on another urban school). And, if not allowed to hold students to high standards (being pressured to pass more students, regardless of effort), they will look good on paper, but bad in the real world. How do you tell a good school? Downtown needs to go, unannounced, and walk around. 15 minutes of walking around will tell you more than all the paper reports in the system. YES!

I am nearing the end of my teaching career, and I know I simply don’t have the boundless energy of my younger years. Ideally, most schools should have a mix – the fresh new teacher, the old sages, and a good seasoning of middle-years teachers.

In too many urban schools, the young teachers are there, and the nearing-retirement teachers (and few of those) – what is missing is the last group. Teachers still having energy to keep up with youthful antics, but experienced, as well. Bad administration is the major reason for the outflow of teachers.

Too often, the support for the urban principals is not there. They WILL have more suspensions – get over it. They WILL have a need for more security – get over it. And, when a teacher or staff member isn’t doing his/her job, they need to be empowered to get rid of them (not just shove them off on another urban school). And, if not allowed to hold students to high standards (being pressured to pass more students, regardless of effort), they will look good on paper, but bad in the real world.

How do you tell a good school? Downtown needs to go, unannounced, and walk around. 15 minutes of walking around will tell you more than all the paper reports in the system.

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