| The week of May 4-10 has been designated Teacher Appreciation
Week by the National PTA, and it includes the May 4 birthday of Horace Mann, father
of American public education, and National Teacher Day on May 6. In honor of these
events, help students learn more about your profession.
Teaching
in the Old World Teachers impart skills or information to students, and
this activity has helped us survive and evolve. Yet teaching as a profession emerged
only recently. Teaching in ancient Indian, Chinese, Egyptian and Judean
cultures was performed by priests or prophets. Ancient Greeks saw the value of
educating children, and the wealthiest added teachers to their households. Often
these teachers were slaves from conquered states, a tradition the Romans continued.
In fact, the word "pedagogue" is derived from the Greek word for slave. During
the 5th through 15th centuries in Europe, the Roman Catholic Church took responsibility
for teaching, most of which occurred in monasteries and specially designated learning
centers. Later, as more Europeans became interested in educating children, education
reformers founded model schools for youth and trained new teachers to advance
their theories and methods. Teaching in America Soon after the American
Revolution, our founders argued education was essential for our nation's survival
and prosperity. Thomas Jefferson became the first American leader to propose a
publicly supported system of free schools for all persons. However an organized
system did not exist until the 1840s. Education reformers like Horace Mann and
Henry Barnard, working in Massachusetts and Connecticut respectively, helped create
statewide common-school systems. Mann also sought support for improved teacher
training and pay. Yet not until the late 20th century did teaching begin
to attain professional status in the U.S. Until then, emphasis was on teachers
with nurturing skills rather than instructional expertise. However, a 1983 report
by the U.S. Department of Education, A Nation at Risk, introduced a new era of
educational reform. The report called for rigorous standards of teacher
preparation, while acknowledging new challenges for U.S. teachers from more diverse
student populations and more complex teaching technologies. A 1996 education department
report cited additional barriers to improved teacher training, including: inadequate
teacher education programs; poor teacher recruiting efforts, especially in math
and science; poor administrative practices such as placing new teachers in the
most demanding assignments; and lack of rewards for teachers with outstanding
skills and performance. What's next? In January 2002, President Bush signed into
law the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as No Child Left
Behind (NCLB). The plan sets high goals for schools and focuses on teachers' professional
development to achieve them. States are currently developing plans to implement
NCLB by the July 2003 deadline. Implementing these plans and meeting the goals
represent new challenges for teachers. At the same time, teachers continue
to face the increased poverty, family instability and immigration that have created
our highly diverse student body. Teachers daily face overcrowded classrooms, run-down
buildings, malnutrition and illness, drug and alcohol abuse, and inadequate funding
from state and federal sources. Yet despite these challenges, dedicated
teachers across the country work daily to help youth learn. And American schools
continue to be a model to other nations as more countries recognize the relationship
between stable government, economic development and effective schooling. The
following resources can help illuminate more clearly the work you do. Current education issues
Bureau of Labor Statistics
GO!
Teaching
as a career, according to the government
National
Center for Education Information GO!
Explore the need for teachers in the future.
Southwest Educational Development
Laboratory
GO!
Looking at classrooms around the world . . . science and math
History of teaching
Edwin C. Hewett's A Treatise on Pedagogy for Young
Teachers GO!
An 1884 teacher education textbook provides information about teaching methods
and school curricula during the 19th century.
History of American Education
Web Project GO!
A site created and maintained by college education students Horace Mann the Educator GO!
Covers the life of America's father of public education, from the company that
bears his name
Horace Mann biography GO!
Another short bio on the man who is required reading for eighth grade social studies.
19th Century School Books GO! The
Old Rural School as I Remember It GO!
Offers the recollections of a rural school teacher Outline of Horace Mann's
Career GO! The
Scopes Trial GO!
Spring
1828. Education for Females in America. GO! The
Story of American Public Education GO!
Visit the companion site to the PBS series; it includes a look at current problems
and reforms. Teachers Certification Exam from 1895 GO! U.S.
History of Education GO!
A compendium of sources on the Internet
Teacher appreciation resources
Motivating
teacher quotes and stories GO!
National
Teacher Day GO!
The National Education Association's page provides the history of this observation.
National
Teacher Day quotes GO! Teachers
as Heroes GO! Teachers
get paid too much GO! Teaching
Quotes GO!
Teacher support
resources
Bully Online GO!
Information for bullied teachers and lecturers
Educator Scholarships GO!
Grant
opportunities for teachers GO!
Teacher
salaries GO!
Get a comprehensive view from the AFT Research Department.
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