Not too many people would be keen to trust their lives to a doctor who hadn't graduated from a reputable medical school, and rightly so. And so it goes for most professional people - dentists, nurses, lawyers, and so forth. We trust them - because we know that their professional education draws on an established body of knowledge, teaches them how to do their job, and has well-honed standards they must meet and refresher courses they must take.
And many (most?) people would include teachers in the same category - thinking of teachers as professionals with a strong grasp of their subject content and training in research-based pedagogical methods who are periodically required to learn about advances in their field. However, sadly none of this is true when it comes to teachers.
Teachers' grasp of their subject matter is rarely if ever examined, and in any case they are often required to teach out-of-field.
Few if any faculties of education teach research-based pedagogical methods or practical subjects like class management.
There is no requirement for teachers to remain current. (more...)
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