Promises Kept: Essays from my 2003 Campaign
Great Teachers
There is nothing quite like the first day of school, standing in front of a new class of unfamiliar, expectant, and slightly nervous faces. For five years, I taught business law to undergraduate business majors at Purdue University. Every class is different and each class has its own class leaders, dynamics, and challenges. The pleasures of teaching come from both the intellectual discussions and the nods and smiles in the classroom. The real joy comes when a student says the class changes the way they see the world.
A Chinese proverb says, "A ton of reading does not equal one good teacher." There is much truth in this. While we try for high quality teaching in all classes and at all times, no education is complete without that special teacher that we remember immediately with appreciation years later.
I got lucky early. My first grade teacher Mrs. Sukow had long experience, stood tall, all knowing, and yet reassuring. She brought us all on this wonderful journey of sounding out words, having each student help another, explaining the seasons and how the milkweed seeds carried on the wind. My tenth grade math teacher Mr. Brandt could build confidence in the entire class while somehow working a gentle humor into discussions of difficult equations. In college, Professor Henning amazed me with his ability to make Shakespeare and his characters come alive as if I knew them personally.
Great teachers combine subject mastery, the ability to communicate their enthusiasm for the subject, and a genuine respect and caring for students. Many teachers have a potential to be excellent if supported and encouraged. One area for the School District to constantly investigate are the many opportunities to use new technology and online resources to improve class preparation, eliminate gaps in subject areas or personal skills, and to learn from the best practices of other teachers. I have also been very active as a volunteer in building communication between staff and teachers. These efforts include very practical items such as staff and teacher appreciation lunches and events.
Encouraging great teaching requires appropriate teacher recruitment, helping new teachers adapt to real classrooms, and continual inspiration from school administrators. More than 85% of the budget of the Palo Alto Unified School District goes to salaries and benefits of teachers and staff. Part of these funds should go to developing our teachers to be both educators and inspirers.
With any luck, we all get to experience at least one great teacher. We want every teacher in Palo Alto Unified to aspire to an even older piece of wisdom than the Chinese proverb we started with:
"May my teaching drop like the rain, my speech condense like the dew; like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth."
A school district that encourages great teachers produces great students.
- Camille Townsend