tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180967199431703655.post3375677396837953208..comments2023-10-25T07:46:15.349-07:00Comments on School Crossing: The Intersection of Education and Society: The Real US Teacher Supply ProblemUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180967199431703655.post-2062321983959932762011-01-25T04:24:31.814-08:002011-01-25T04:24:31.814-08:00An alternative worthy of emulating is Finland'...An alternative worthy of emulating is Finland's approach to teacher preparation. Being a teacher is considered the third most desirable profession, after doctors and lawyers. See this url for a 20m clip on what they do and how they do it:<br /><br />http://www.pearsonfoundation.org/oecd/SinnerGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04378866916956228475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180967199431703655.post-14844416578188722772011-01-21T23:08:11.148-08:002011-01-21T23:08:11.148-08:00I am a student in an education program that is sli...I am a student in an education program that is slightly non-traditional: we're a satellite campus (of a well-respected education school) and most of my classmates are not right out of high school. We really have a great program. <br /><br />However, I definitely see the 50% of students who should not be here. I've often lamented with some of my more motivated, diligent, and yes, intelligent, peers, that there needs to be a more rigorous admissions process. There ought to be an interview process, admissions essays, recommendations, etc. The essential requirement is filling out an application.<br /><br />The lack of knowledge and interest in books and reading is appalling. I love math and was so disappointed with our math class. It was easy, yet most of the class struggled with basic concepts. I wish we were required to take a more formal math class that Elementary Math. We have to take 3 regular English classes, so why not a course in college algebra or statistics, one without the "for teachers" designation? Elementary teachers should be competent and comfortable with basic math, and a little beyond, if they hope to effectively teach their students.<br /><br />All that to say that your post resonated with me. I think that if we want our schools to improve, we need to raise the standard for the quality of teachers we are training.<br /><br />I thought your previous post on the comparability of the results on international tests was interesting. I'd be curious to learn how the top performing nations train their teachers.Annenoreply@blogger.com