I am tired of teachers being blamed for educational woes. I'm sure that the proportion of talent is similar to any industry, yet it would be hard to find a profession that has more people dedicated to a common goal.
For example, one of my colleagues recently forwarded an email from an area teacher we'd invited to participate in a focus group. Sue apologized for not responding to the offer immediately, but she'd been out of the city at a summer institute for National Board Certified Teachers. She has a short vacation window, and then it's back to professional development at a workshop sponsored by her school district. That takes her to the end of July, and she spends August integrating what she's learned into her back-to-school lessons.
Sue is not alone in her dedication to her profession. I recently read an article in the local paper about math and science teachers who are working with area businesses during the summer. The teachers are in the master's program at the University of Arizona, which is collaborating with major businesses. Seventh-grade math teacher John Guerrero is working as a field engineer with a major construction firm on the $15 million expansion/renovation of a Tucson high school.
"What I wanted to do," said Guerrero, "was hone my craft as a teacher. When I saw this, I was really drawn to the idea of getting into the real world and seeing how to bring that into the classroom." And, boy oh boy, does he have a terrific lesson planned for his return to the classroom. Students learn about ratios and fractions in seventh grade. He plans to have his students measure one of the buildings at their school and scale it down.
Other teachers are exploring new areas in laser and fiber optics, testing hardware, and troubleshooting production glitches at high-tech firms. These industry internships appear to be valuable to the educators, as they can see real-life application of science and math skills in the workplace. They're also valuable to key businesses that can show educators the skills they will need in a future workforce.
Hi Bob! Thanks for recognizing the work teachers do all year long. When we are not in the classroom we are thinking, planning, learning and reading about how to be more successful with our students. Learning is a lifelong journey.... for teachers as well as kids!