Teacher Training By Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski

I’m looking forward to viewing the education documentary film Waiting For “Superman” which will be in select theatres on September 24. Waiting for “Superman” is by filmakers Davis Guggenheim and Lesley Chilcott. Waiting for “Superman” is a wake-up call to Americans that the American public school system is in crisis. From failing millions of students to producing as many drop-outs as graduates, the American public school system is in dire need of reform. Waiting for “Superman” is a deeply powerful exploration of the current state of pulic education in the U.S. and how it’s affecting our children. Film director Davis Guggenheim sets off on a probing journey into the lives of five unforgettable kids whose dreams, hopes and untapped potential reveal all that is at stake at this critical moment. The underlying premise of both the movie and the companion book is to demand world-class standards for all students and that every child deserves a great teacher. And that’s is where the work begins. Selecting the best candidates for classroom teachers, and providing those individuals with excellent training opportunities throughout their entire teaching careers.

In addition to the Waiting for “Superman” movie, on sale now is the companion book Waiting For “Superman.”  Waiting  for “Superman” companion book offers powerful insights from some of those at the leading edge of educational innovation, including:

• Bill and Melinda Gates, whose foundation’s groundbreaking work reshapes how schools select, train, support, and reward teachers;
• Geoffrey Canada, leader of the Harlem Children’s Zone;
• Michelle Rhee, chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools;
• Jay Matthews, the nation’s leading education reporter;
• Eric Schwarz, creator of the Citizens Schools movement; and others…

You can purchase Waiting For “Superman” companion book from Amazon.com via this site, at no extra charge.

Last week September 13th, 2010, Robert J. Samuelson, a Newsweek Reporter had an interesting article “Why School Reform Fails: Student motivation is the problem” read Samuelson’s article here. Samuelson’s article provided data on the amount of money that has been spent on school reform over the decades, which is an extremely large sum, along with data on test scores which are not showing positive gains for the dollars spent. Samuelson believes that the problem with school reform is that students lack motivation. “The student is the problem. If students are not motivated, even capable teachers may fail.”  If you visit the majority of early childhood through first grade classrooms  the majority of the children are curious, eager to learn, and motivated. Unfortunately, as the child progresses through the grade levels  many of the children who started off eager to learn become disenchanted with school. I think we have to ask ourselves as a nation what is the cause for students becoming less motivated as they progress through the school system. As a teacher trainer who has been presenting teacher training workshops nationwide for decades I would have to side with Time Reporters Amanda Ripley and John Cloud  in TIME What Makes a School Great…. It All Starts With the Teachers.  Both Ripley and Cloud’s school reform articles point out that to have great schools and children who are excelling, we must have excellent  teachers in every classroom. Ripley and Cloud’s articles present statistical data and extensive research on the importance of providing quality teacher training programs. Statistical data is presented on data from teachers who have graduated from traditional teacher education university programs compared to teachers who have been trained through teacher training programs that are run by organizations such as Teach For America (TFA) and New Teacher Project (TNTP). Programs like TFA and TNTP are producing teachers that are having a major positive impact on student gains in the classroom, as well as reshaping entire schools.  Many of these organizations are receiving funding for their non-traditional approaches to teacher training from non-profit organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Additionally, the articles cover charter schools, the new education reform movie “Waiting for Superman,” and alternative pathways to teaching. Read Amanda Ripley’s article “A Call to Action for Public Schools”  here and John Cloud’s article How to Recruit Better Teachers here. Basically it’s quite simple. Every student in the nation deserves a quality education provided by individuals that have excellent teaching abilities, are highly motivated, and strive to instill a lifelong love of learning in all those they teach.