Reflection 1- EDF1005

Reflection 1

Teacher preparation from colonial times to the present day has changed drastically. Teachers have worked in deplorable conditions and most teachers were not trained to enter the classrooms. Teachers felt very discouraged by the poor working conditions, lack of respect and low wages. Most teachers were not empowered in their jobs and they were dissatisfied with the negative public image that they were faced with. At that time teachers were not recognized for the work they did every day. Very few teachers were prepared for the classroom. Most teachers had just a little more than elementary schooling themselves and rarely received professional training. They felt inadequate and could not handle the daily challenges in the classroom. Teachers were paid very little and much was not budgeted for educational programs. All this contributed to negative public image and decline in teacher morale.

After some reform in the 1980’s, working conditions had improved in schools and teachers felt more responsible. There were many initiatives to improve public schooling and teacher’s morale was boosted. Spending in public schools had improved and teachers received reasonable wages and more money was budgeted for teacher preparation. There was a significant improvement of teaching methods and more textbooks and other school supplies were readily available. During the nineteenth century there was an influx of trained women in the teaching profession. Teachers were mandated to attend teacher colleges before entering the classroom. Frequent revisions were made to the school’s curricula and there was need for more training programs for teachers. There was more specialized training and teachers had to meet higher professional training standards while student performance improved. Because authorities demanded better quality, training programs became more intense. There were more stringent licensing mechanisms and much improved national certification standards. In some school districts master teachers were required and only qualified teachers were admitted in classrooms. The Teach for America can be a good idea if teachers are adequately prepared because students who are most vulnerable are taught by teachers who are unprepared. Although the Teach for America is a well developed program, it does not meet the standards for quality teacher preparation. I think it has helped .to formulate strong policies on teacher preparation. It is my view that teachers in the twenty first century need to be better trained to prepare learners for a highly industrial and technical world.