About Those Bar Exams for Teachers...
I'm going to step out on a limb here and declare that I kind of like the idea of a bar exam for teachers. Depending, of course, on what the exam looks like.
A targeted content examination? A test of communication skills? Performance assessments in instructional skills? Demonstrated ability to analyze and improve a lesson? Bring 'em on.
There shouldn't be anyone entering the field who can't show mastery of content and the ability to write coherently, speak clearly, devise multiple ways of explaining something, and present themselves as intelligent adults.
Becoming a master teacher takes more time, but after a few years, teachers ought to have developed a bagful of useful instructional strategies and techniques--and understand how to deal effectively with a range of learners.
A targeted content examination? A test of communication skills? Performance assessments in instructional skills? Demonstrated ability to analyze and improve a lesson? Bring 'em on.
There shouldn't be anyone entering the field who can't show mastery of content and the ability to write coherently, speak clearly, devise multiple ways of explaining something, and present themselves as intelligent adults.
Becoming a master teacher takes more time, but after a few years, teachers ought to have developed a bagful of useful instructional strategies and techniques--and understand how to deal effectively with a range of learners.
