Expectations, goals, and working in a school of need

Back in October, after a New York Time feature piece on Teach For America, I wondered if different types of teacher preparation programs yielded new teachers with different sets of expectations about their teaching career.  I also wondered,

Is someone asking teacher preparation candidates questions like,
- Why do you want to be a teacher?
- How long do you intend to stay in teaching?

Yes! Via Joanne Jacobs, a new study from Public Agenda and the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality offers some fascinating insights, especially on the first question.

Comparing traditionally prepared teachers to teachers from three alternative certification programs* (both teaching in high-needs schools), the study found that alt cert teachers were far more likely to say that the very big goal of “putting underprivileged kids on the path to success” was one of the most important factors in entering teaching (71% of alt cert vs. 44% of traditionally prepared).  On the other hand, alt cert teachers were less likely than traditionally prepared teachers to say that “teaching a subject you love and getting kids excited about it” was a major factor (33% of alt cert vs. 43% of traditionally prepared).

I’m intrigued by this contrast, especially because the two groups experienced life in school very differently. Alt cert teachers were much more likely to feel that the school had assigned them to teach the toughest students (64% vs. 41%) and much more likely to cite lack of support from administrators as a major drawback (54% vs. 20%).  They were twice as likely to rate their administration’s instructional leadership and guidance as fair or poor, and much more likely to rate the assistance received from their colleagues as fair or poor.

To me, it feels like the next set of questions that need to be asked would deal with how people judge their own success or failure and how they judge those around them. Questions like:

- Is it easy for you to see small successes, even when perhaps your larger goal wasn’t accomplished or things didn’t turn out as you had hoped or expected?
- How important is it to you to feel that colleagues share your outlook on the world? Does it negatively impact you when others respond to your optimism with negativity?

There are several relevant TEN discussions right now, as Golden Apple Scholars and others struggle with the realities of working in schools of need.  Please visit them (HERE, HERE, and HERE) and provide your perspective, or leave a comment here!

* The study looked at Teach for America, Troops to Teachers, and the New Teacher Project.

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