This article reports on a recent study indicating that teachers with more experience are likely to have better results in the classroom than those who have advanced degrees.
“In the first few years on the job, a teacher gains considerably in her or his ability to improve the academic performance of students,” said the report issued Sunday by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy.
And this:
Researchers found a dramatic improvement in student achievement between one and five years of teacher experience and a more gradual boost in the years following.
This is interesting information. We lose a lot of teachers in the first five years of teaching (see previous post: Teachers On the Ledge) and those who wish to continue must invest in continuing education. If advanced degrees aren’t making a difference in the classroom, how can we support new teachers and offer training that will benefit both the teacher and the students?
I’m guessing that this news is a mixed blessing for teachers. If there is less emphasis on going to grad school, it frees up time and money for other kinds of training and enrichment activities. On the other hand, those who have already been to grad school (especially the youngish and newish teachers) and considered it an investment in themselves and their careers are likely to questions the benefits received from the extra $20-50,000 in education.
But the real news is this: if we have a chronic turnover in teachers (especially new ones), then we never get to the good stuff. We have a shortage of experienced teachers (the ones shown to do the best work in the classroom) and a lack of training and support for new teachers who may quit before becoming experienced teachers themselves.
The solution? Spend more time, effort and yes, even money on training and supporting teachers in their first five years on the job. Hire teachers before they’ve been to grad school and invest in them early by providing mentors and on-the-job support. If they want to go on to get their master’s degrees after having spent five years teaching, they can, but don’t make grad school a requirement. See if they have what it takes to be committed classroom teachers before asking them to spend thousands of dollars on a grad school degree that might not benefit their students.
Let’s be honest. A graduate degree in education is a career move. Those who want to move into administrative positions need the master’s degree, but those who really want to dig into the classroom don’t. This study confirms it. The best teachers are great because they have been well trained, they have experience, and they love what they do and have a commitment to the kids in their classrooms. And yes, some teachers are truly gifted and they need to be able to focus what they do best.
We need to find–and encourage–the right combination of all of the above.
