Thoughts by Carl J. Wenning, Education Specialist
Physics Teacher Education Program
Illinois State University
(Last updated 1/13/2011)
As you progress to become a teacher, it is exceedingly important that you learn how to successfully manage your own learning. If you fail to successfully manage your own learning, how can I expect you to be successful managing the learning of 125 high school students? This is what high school principals and department chairpersons will ask themselves when they review your university transcript as part of a hiring process. This question will be critical to your success as a teacher; think about it!
With the growing number of high school performance standards and increasing accountability for teachers, being "adequate" just isn't good enough any more. School districts want to hire only the best teachers. Good grades tend to translate into good jobs and visa versa. Do you want to be "stuck" in a school with low performing students who don't care about learning and your pay is related to that learning? This might become the new reality under state legislation related to No Child Left Behind assessments. If this prospect does not appeal to you, then do everything you can now to build the best possible resume and university transcript.
During a recent semester in one of my teacher education courses, the average course grade was a B- for about a half dozen students. In another recent year, 25% of the students in this course "earned" a grade of F. Some students were amazed that I would assign B's and C's and worse in a course so intimately related to the profession. The reason these grades were assigned was due to the fact that the students earned those grades. Here is what I believe were the rudimentary causes of such poor performance:
1) Poor Work Ethic: Some students were of the opinion that just because they came to class and kept a seat warm that they would get an A. Not so. Other students felt that as an education course, this course wouldn't be at all challenging. What a surprise! Some students were of the opinion that as an education course, that the subject matter is easy - just repeat what the instructor says. How wrong could they be? Others, still, felt that I have low standards and that anything that they submitted would earn a high score. Wrong! Others felt that they were up to the task, and that it would be easy to get the work done in just a little bit of time. Hah! Moving from student to teacher, you will be expected to exhibit a good work ethic. This (or a lack of it) is reflected in the course grade. The tasks that I assign as part of this course are not necessarily all that difficult, but they are time consuming. Only an excellent work ethic will get you through this course with a good grade. Avoid procrastination; it's a killer. Slow and steady like the turtle is always better than a jackrabbit finish.
2) Lack of Priority: Others felt that it was more important to spend time working on an upper level physics content course to earn a good score there, and did so at at the expense of the pedagogical course. Is this a wise choice? Which grade will a school be more interested in? Sometimes students would skip class so that they could get other "more important" work done. Is this short sighted? Some were just happy to get by with minimum effort. How can I write good letters of recommendation for these students when I see this?
3) Lack of Understanding/Awareness: Some students expressed surprise and dismay that so many different tasks (multiple assessments) were due as part of this course, and when the last weeks came upon them they panicked to get work done. It is my belief that some students in this course never read the course syllabus. Do yourself a favor. View and review the course syllabus; reread pertinent sections daily so that you aren't missing work or coming to class unprepared.
4) Failure to Take Advantage of "Assessment-as-Learning" Policy: Many students didn't take advantage of this policy to maximize their understanding and scores. Most didn't seem to understand that this policy means a "second chance," so long as work is completed before the deadline. Not every interaction between student and instructor should be based upon summative assessments, and that's not my intention. Formative assessments, helping students to learn from their errors, is what it's all about in terms of maximizing learning.
5) Inadequate Time and Work Management Systems: When the last weeks of the course come about, students were angry with me for allowing them to get so far behind in their work. Somehow it had become my fault because I didn't set hard and fast deadlines for submission of work. I had assumed that the students would act like professionals, set their own pace, and get their work done in a timely fashion. Was I wrong in doing so? Teaching is a complex task, and if anything, teachers have to learn how to juggle their schedules and spend their time appropriately. If you don't want to miss deadlines, then set up a good time and work management system. If you don't know how to do this, then talk with me.
So, what do poor grades say about the future job applicant? Poor grades often make job interviewers think, "This candidate either can't do the work or won't do the work." So, poor grades say a lot about prospective teachers. GRADES COUNT!
Becoming a teacher demands that the student begin to make a transition now to a new reality. You will no longer be told when and how to get your work done; you will be expected to know when and how to get your work done. I hold this expectation for all students in Physics Teacher Education.