Is Good Teaching Like Pornography?

 Is Good Teaching Like Pornography?

 

Justice Potter Stewart in 1964 as part of a Supreme Court decision said that while he could not define hard core pornography, he knew it when he saw it.  Some folks will tell you that teaching is the same thing.  They can’t describe it so therefore there should be no pay based on merit BUT we all know great teaching when we see it.

Folks who say that are only half right.   We all know great teaching when we see it AND it can be defined.

Teaching is both an art and a science.  The science is the easy part.  Good teachers match method to the way the child learns, not to the latest and greatest magical way to teach.  There is no one best method to teach reading to all kids.  The independent variable in teaching is the way the child learns.  So, any “perfect” method will only be perfect for that group of students who learn that particular way.  The rest of the kids will be in the “third” group and we all know what that is regardless of what it is called.  Reading, math and writing are the core academic areas and a technically good teacher has enough methods in her tool kit that she can use those tools that match the child’s learning traits.   Science and social studies are supporting academic areas.  We teach them for the basic reasons that well over 50% of local budgets go toward providing a free public education to all who want it.  The major value of social studies is to assist children to understand how we got to where we are in the world.  The idea being that if we understand how we got here we won’t make these same mistakes twice.   The purpose of social studies really has nothing to do with the chronology of battles and wars, unfortunately that is how we teach it.  Our present state of politics clearly shows we are not teaching government and civics at all.  The point of teaching science if for kids to understand our physical world.  We have totally lost track of that too.

Demonstrating the science of good teaching definitely makes for good teachers.

But we are after GREAT teachers and that is where the art comes in.  People can be taught the science of how to be a good teacher.  They cannot be taught the art of teaching because the art of great teaching comes from the heart.  The great teacher sees each and every child as an individual.  The great teacher values and respects every child and will manipulate the learning experience so that each child is successful at that child’s level and interest.   The great teacher wants to be remembered by every child as the second most important person in that child’s life- right after the parents.   Will the great teacher be able to achieve that?  Nope, but that should be the mission.  Great teachers make sure kids feel great coming into that classroom.

Schools and school districts should make sure every teacher is good.  They should do their very best to have as many great teachers as possible and get out of their way so they can be great.  Because just like pornography, we all know great teaching when we see it.  Those folks who can’t, at minimum, be good teachers need to go into a less important line of work.