Since when was teaching hard?!

All my life I have had friends and family members advocate for my teaching career. Whether it was my wonderful years as a camp counselor or challenging talented, sophomore students in college, teaching has been at the crux of my life pursuits. I thought it was easy. Apparently, I was wrong.

As of last week, according to the rubric that Teach For America uses to rank teachers’ teaching level (Novice, Beginning Proficient, Advance Proficient, and Exemplary), I am at Beginning Proficient. The level is calculated by averaging individual rankings of proficiency in 6 categories Teach for America has found make effective teachers: make big goals, plan purposefully, invest in students, execute effectively, increase effectiveness, and work hard. The entire rubric can be found at http://teachingasleadership.org/ .

So here I am, entering the teaching profession, thinking I was excellent, realizing I am only beginning proficient.

Now, I know at this point many people will have questions, objections, and comments about the last three paragraphs, but I want to change the tone of this situation.

How wonderful it is to know that I can improve. Not only can I just improve, but I also know specific areas and specific actions I can take to become a better teacher. For example, in the past I’ve never had measurements to determine whether or not students learned what I taught them that day. This is probably important to improve my teaching and the student’s learning. Now, I’m not saying that the Teaching as Leadership rubric is the best way to train teachers, but as of right now it gives me direction, which is perhaps the most important thing I need right now.

Learning different styles of teaching can’t hurt. I can only see this as giving me a tool to become the best teacher I can be later on in life.

I would highly recommend going to the Teaching as Leadership website to see the areas Teach for America trains people in. You can download the rubric that I was graded on at the website in the bottom left-hand corner of the page under TAL rubric.

Perhaps you too may find some direction!