<p>I can’t say any of my kids has had a bunch of great teachers, but some stand out. The ones that were great understood not just my kids but ALL of their kids. They knew who was good at math and could work ahead. They knew who could go to a grade up (or two or three) for reading. They knew which kids needed “You can do better” on every other paper because they were lazy and not because that was the best they could do. They knew when a kid needed extra help with a topic. They knew when there was a problem at home that needed addressing. </p>
<p>The best ones weren’t the ones with the most teaching experience but definitely the ones with the most LIFE experience. Not that that translated into being older-just not naive or rose-colored glasses or thinking that all kids from all cultures learn the same way. They offered multiple ways for kids to learn the material, and involved the parents or caregivers in the process.</p>
<p>The worst ones might have been good on paper but for some kids were poison, like the one who had lower expectations of kids of color (including mine). Or the ones who thought that whatever a kid put on his or her paper was all they could do. Or the one who quietly steered immigrant kids out of her class. Or the one who corrected a research paper not just for standards but felt compelled to add personal comments that segregation “wasn’t all that bad”.</p>
<p>My youngest is at a school now where as far as I can tell ALL of the teachers are pretty darn good. Every one is tasked with helping the stragglers catch up and moving the achievers ahead. They need to understand diversity and what that means for teachers. We’re fortunate that it’s a 6-12 school so we’re set until she graduates. She plans to become a teacher, and these people are her role models. I should add that her goal is to teach low-income minority students because she’s seen those students being left behind far too often.</p>