Would Abby Lee Make It As a Public School Teacher?

I've been hearing about "Dance Moms" for months now, and finally caught an episode last night.  For those who haven't heard, Abby Lee Miller is a dance teacher and her drama-filled studio* is the subject of the Lifetime network series "Dance Moms".  As a teacher, I loathe the teaching methods Abby uses with her students; in the episode I saw last night she taught mainly by screaming directions and berating/belittling her students.  She doesn't have any better behavior reserved for the moms who pay tuition for their daughters to learn from her; she treats them just as poorly as the girls.  (Not that the behavior of the moms is exemplary...)

Evaluation systems discourage student teachers??

Sigh.  Here's one more thing that makes a career in teaching unappealing...some states adopting tough teacher evaluation systems as law are actually discouraging schools from allowing student teachers to get their experience.

Of course teachers need to be evaluated, but so many states' lawmakers are pushing evaluation systems through quickly without thought to how effective they will really be.  Is the system effective if it relies on student test scores? Teachers can only control what goes on in their classroom during school hours...home life makes a huge difference in the success of the student.  And what about us in the special subject areas?  We do not administer standardized tests in our subject area, and in my district, my students do not receive a grade for music.  How does that translate into a teacher evaluation?

Teacher evaluation systems should not discourage districts from allowing student teachers to teach in the schools.  My principals have always welcomed the extra help in the classrooms, and everyone sees student teaching as a positive asset to our schools.  We should be using the evaluation system as a tool to identify the most effective teachers, who should be the ones mentoring the student teachers. 

Teacher Attitudes: What makes an impression on your students?"

Recently, I attended an excellent workshop for cooperating teachers at Slippery Rock University. Part of the presentation included a discussion panel of five university students, ready to embark on their student teaching assignments this fall.  The students answered a series of questions about their needs, skills they want to improve, and concerns that they will bring to the student teaching experience.  Finally, the students were asked about attributes of their own most memorable teachers.

Comments?...

Does anyone under 33 know this guy?  Or has the movie been played enough on cable that age doesn't matter?



Have you ever worked with someone as dried up and in need of retirement as this guy? Or were you a student with a crusty teacher?

I think I should make a video of myself for my blog, saying "Comments?... Comments?  Comments?..."

Educator or Entertainer?

"The cardinal sin

of an educator

is to be boring."

-Theodore Roethke


Haven't we all been there? Nodding off at a desk, counting the minutes, doodling in our notebook, watching the clock...(I had a teacher in my pre-cell phone high school days who removed the clock from the room because too many students checked it constantly!) all of these memories conclude that education is not always entertaining.

And that's OK by me.  Sometimes it's like taking a bad-tasting medicine..it will make you better in the end.  I had a childhood where we didn't have cable TV or video games and we were allowed to be bored, and I believe those experiences stretch the mind into creativity.  But, today's kids are not OK with boredom, or anything that doesn't smack of pure entertainment.  I have watched a student of mine come into the classroom, plunk himself in a seat, and announce immediately, "I'm bored!" before the class even began! Talk about a tough crowd...