Thursday, October 28, 2010
Human Resources
Hiring effective teachers is critically important. What two or three characteristics/qualities do you believe are most important to look for when hiring a classroom teacher? If you wish to differentiate between different types of teachers (e.g., elementary vs. middle vs. high, electives vs. core) in your answer, please feel free.
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Generally speaking, I would try to identify the individual’s ability to be an effective deliverer of instruction, he or she's level of caring for others, and his or her ability to work within a collaborative environment.
Additionally, one of the most important things to take into consideration when hiring teachers is the context and culture of your school environment. For example, a teacher who is effective in a high SES district, may not be as effective in a lower wealth community. So, I would try to align the characteristics of effective teachers in those environments with my hiring strategies.
The best predictor of future success is past behavior. Thus, I would ask behavioral based questions of the candidates to gain a better understanding of their ability to effectively deliver instruction to various groups of people. I would then try to better understanding how that fits within the framework of my school environment.
I agree with Matt when he talked about aligning the characteristics of the teacher with the school they are applying at. I would also look at their experiences to see how they fit with the school, and figure out what would be their best fit to better impact student learning. I would also ask about their experience with second language learners, and what their classroom management plan is. If it is an experienced teacher, I would like to see them teach. I once heard of a school that asks candidates to videotape themselves teaching and turn it in with their resume. I think this is a great resource to have before meeting with the teacher.
I was intrigued by the article written by Amanda Ripley, "What Makes a Great Teacher?" because I think that she makes some excellent (research based) points about effective teachers that echo my feelings about what constitutes a good teacher. Based on research conducted by Teach for America, she indicates that "great teachers tended to set big goals for their students...constantly reevaluate what they are doing...they avidly recruited students and their families into the process; they maintained focus, ensuring that everything they did contributed to student learning; they planned exhaustively and purposefully—for the next day or the year ahead—by working backward from the desired outcome; and they worked relentlessly, refusing to surrender to the combined menaces of poverty, bureaucracy, and budgetary shortfalls." I think that this is a fantastic summary of the important components of an effective teacher, especially where she mentions a focus on student learning. I think that effective teachers not only plan lessons with student learning at the center, but are constantly assessing whether students learn the intended objectives. I think that all of these components can be assessed within an interview that asks pointed questions and challenges applicants to reflect on their previous experiences. Finally, I completely agree with points that Matt and Maria made about the importance of keeping school context in mind when hiring as well as the power of observing a sample lesson.
Personally, I feel that the teachers an administrator hires have to fit into and understand the school culture and the students they will be working with. I agree with Matt an effective teacher in one particular area does not mean that they will be successful with another different group of students. Teachers must understand the school and students they are working with and it’s the administrator’s decision to make sure that point gets across. I also feel that an administrator should hire teachers that want to get better. Teachers that want to continuously improve their craft make the life of an administrator easier. The hard part though is that prospective teachers can talk the talk, but the administrator may not be able to evaluate their actions on a consistent basis until they are already hired.
In great teachers, I would look for the following: mastery of content area, enthusiasm/passion for teaching (demonstrated in interview and perhaps work samples), my feel for how they mesh with our school's current culture, and specific resume items (exemplary recommendations, avoid teachers who jump schools too frequently, relevant non-classroom experience like coaching or committee work, awards/recognitions/achievements). While race and gender would not preceed other priorities for the hire, when all other factors might balance reasonably well, I might look to then balance whatever team, department, or grade level demographically. That is a consideration for me only if other factors are equal between candidates. I personally am not a fan of rejecting a more qualified candidate for the sake of diversity alone but I do believe you work hard to maintain demographic balance with quality whenever possible. I also don't believe less experienced teachers are at a necessary disadvantage. What they often lack in practical experience, they often make up for in enthusiasm and passion.
I want my teachers to be risk-takers and hard workers. When I think back to when I was hired for my first teaching job, I didn't have a clue as to what to expect in the classroom. Yes, I had student teaching experience and I shadowed "master teachers", but what helped me the most my first year of teaching was the desire to succeed, work hard, and being able to learn by taking risks.
As Heidi mentioned in her post, constant reflection and evaluation of teaching methods is also an important teacher quality to have. In fact, the whole quote Heidi used from the Amanda Ripley article is superb.
I too liked the quote that Heidi pulled from Amanda Ripley’s article because I viewed all those characteristics as qualities of a driven teacher. A teacher that is driven wants to be better than they are at the moment. The ability to reflect and change practices enables teachers to help make themselves better. As an administrator hiring personnel, one has to probe for these qualities. Unfortunately, I do not have the exact formula on how to dissect a prospective teacher and find these qualities, but the way I would approach this is to look at why is the teacher reflective and driven. What personal connection do those qualities have to them beyond the realm of teaching? Does the prospective teacher show those same qualities outside of the realm of education? I feel this allows the administrator to see if what the teacher is saying is real or not. For prospective teachers, subjective qualities, like being driven or “grittyness” will be seen throughout the life of the teacher outside of education, if not, then the administrator should know that the prospective hire is playing off of buzz words.
As you think through the qualities that you would look for, also think through how you might identify those qualities in applicants. We will do an activity somewhat along those lines in class.
For a great article about how difficult it is to spot good teachers, and good NFL quarterbacks, check out this one from Malcolm Gladwell:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/12/15/081215fa_fact_gladwell
Dr. G
After reading Ripley's article I keep going back to the statements made about the experiences the candidate had in college and how that is one factor that will determine if they will be an effective teacher or not. Trea mentioned it in his second post, that one will be able to see with their involvements outside of education, if the teacher is talking the talk and walking the walk. I agree with Liz, my first year teaching I came in with after school/summer camp/internship experience, but that was not nearly enough to make me an effective teacher. I too had the desire to be a great teacher, and I infused many characteristics that I had learned through other roles within my classroom.
The process of hiring teachers can be somewhat tricky as you can never truly tell what you’re getting. If and when I am in a position to hire teachers or any other staff members, I suppose I would have some sort of strategy in place prior to beginning the interview process. This game plan would be developed with the assistance of a predetermined interview committee. Of course, I would have some specific things I, personally, would focus on. These areas could include:
1. Classroom management strategies used
2. Personal experiences and background
3. Professional habits and aspirations
These three areas can be revealing in that they are all based on personal perspective or preference. A good teacher “salesman” can fake his or her way through any educational practice or content area questions as there are generally set answers for those. However, it is somewhat challenging to fake those things that are of personal value to you…things that only you can explain. I certainly understand the importance of curriculum expertise and content knowledge and I would address these topics as well. In my opinion, I would focus on the person first and what he or she brings to the table, then seek to align these characteristics with the standards relative to the position.
I agree with David that by analyzing what is valued by the prospective teacher can give a good indication into whether they are more than just talk. I almost feel that hiring of teachers with no track record requires instinct and making decisions based on gut feeling. I like to say this requires looking for teaches who have “IT”. Teachers who have that “IT” quality, don’t want to fail and are driven to be better. When they do fail they bounce back trying to change whatever caused the failure. In some sense this goes back to the Teach For America model, where perseverance is a quality that is gauged in the acceptance process. The way I could find the “IT” quality, is by having prospective teachers teach the worst class in your school and having them teach this class twice. I feel this scenario allows you to read nuanced responses that the teacher would not likely verbalize but could be seen through action.
From an elementary stand point:
I would definitely first want to know how the hire could work in collaborative settings. I would ask for some concrete examples of things he/she had done in the past and how open he/she is to having people in their classroom observing, etc. To aid in this, I would want some people from my staff that the hire would possibly work with to see if the personalities would blend well together. Taking their opinions along with mine would help me better to discern how well this person could fit in with my current teachers.
Another thing I would want to gain knowledge about is how well he/she is able to make relationships with children and families that may be in her classroom. I would want details on the types of families (ethnicities, SES, etc.) he/she worked with in the past and how he/she accommodated those families and encouraged them to take part in their child's education.
Lastly, I agree with Trea in that I would want a teacher that wants to improve his/her teaching skills. This may not be obvious through the interview but I think tactful questions can give you a little bit of insight on if this person is willing to do that.
Interesting article Dr. Graham.
This can be so true but I wonder if that is a fair way to deal with teachers coming from different environments/school districts. Surely if comparing teachers within the same area, this would be a great way to see success in the classroom.
When hiring brand new teachers (or teachers for grades without standardized scores (k-2) other measures would have to be used and I would be interested in what others have to say about how to really gain perspective on those individuals. How do you get past the rhetoric? I think you can see/tell when people are especially passionate about certain things and you may just have to use your gut to see if the person has the "IT" quality that Trea mentions.
To limit it to only three, I'd say:
1) Perseverance:
Teaching is hard, and it requires sustained committment and energy. What evidence can the applicant show proving that, even when confronted with obstacles, he or she continues to work relentlessly towards goals?
2) Achievement:
Regardless of state testing, every classroom teacher should have ambitious and measurable goals for his or her students. Does the applicant have a record of achieving challenging results in his or her past work experience?
3) Sense of possibility:
It is easy to become disillusioned by the many challenges teachers face. What sort of outlook or philosophy does the teacher hold concerning his or her work with students, parents, colleagues, and community members?
So I just read the Gladwell article, and the following phrase struck me: "But there's a hitch: no one knows what a person with the potential to be a great teacher looks like. The school system has a quarterback problem."
I disagree. While I understand that a teacher hire will never be a "sure thing," there are specific, observable qualities that high-performing teachers posess. A record of these qualities from past experience combined with strong references and a good interview are what school leaders should base their hiring on. Besides, I think it's dangerous for school leaders to just say, "Oh, well, it's impossible to know if we're hiring good teachers unless we completely revamp the system." While I think some of Gladwell's ideas about how to make the teacher hiring process better--such as establishing an apprenticeship in which teachers are judged once they actually get into the job--are great, I think that in the meantime we need to do the best we can with what we've got. The system won't be reformed anytime soon, so let's use what we do have--evidence of past excellent teachers--to think about the ways we should hire the most promising teachers now.
In order to identify characteristics, I would focus on previous actions and behaviors that would indicate that teachers have exhibited those characteristics as a part of their past performance. I would ask questions that focus on past decisions and actions, rather than ask questions that focus on the hypothetical situations that merely test how a teacher can answer interview questions.
Three characteristics/qualities I believe are most important to look for when hiring a classroom teacher:
Mastery of Content- It is important that a teacher is knowledgeable in his or her content area or it is almost definite that he or she will not be effective in the classroom. The purpose of formal education is to teach others what they do not know.
Able to Manage a Classroom- often times a teacher has a vast amount of knowledge that can be shared; however, due to the fact that the teacher can not manage the class most of one's instructional time is spent getting the class in order. To assess how well a teacher may manage a class I would provide scenarios and ask the perspective teacher to share how he or she would handle the respective situation.
Instruction tailored for students- A lot of teachers plan their lessons based on what is best for him or her, when instruction should be catered to the students. A teacher should be able to evaluate how successful he or she was in conveying the message and if it is found that the lesson was unsuccessful he or she should be able to reteach using a different method. During the interview the perspective teacher should bring a lesson plan and be able to share two different plans in which the objectives/content from the lesson can be presented.
Life Long Learner- a teacher regardless of age and/or experience should be willing to constantly learn and evolve. Although this is difficult to judge during one meeting, one can be asked to share recent professional development sessions, workshops, conferences, or classes one has attended; as well as any other methods one has taken advantage of to hone one's craft.
I like what Matt said about focusing on previous actions and behaviors and past decisions and actions in order to identify characteristics/qualities in teachers. I also like David and Trea's point about the importance of finding what teachers value. I'm curious about "Teach for America's" interview process and training program. It sounds like they have a good system in place and I wonder if other schools are following their lead.
In reading the various posts, one thing I want us all to keep in mind (including me, based on my ideal qualities for candidates): we will basically be developing the whole of our opinion on a prospective teacher based on three items: the resume, the interview, and the references. There are many intangible, unquantifiable qualities mentioned in our posts on "what we're looking for in an ideal teacher." There will not realistically be an opportunity to observe teacher candidates in the classroom prior to offering a position unless the candidate was a student teacher or intern at our school. Therefore, it is critical for school leaders to master the art of interviewing, and learn how to uncover the truth behind the resume and references.
It is critical for us to predict job-seeking cliches ("I believe teaching requires life-long learning, I'm a team player, etc.")and instantly ask masterful follow-up questions of candidates as well as ask direct, pointed questions of references to uncover the potential or predicted worth of the candidates. In many or most instances of interviews, and certainly at Job Fairs, you are capturing a brief snapshot of a teacher's career and potential value to your school. Time is short when interviews are scheduled at every half hour in the summer. Becoming a masterful interviewer, recruiter, and researcher may mean the difference between your staff as a superficially qualified, underwhelming, disjointed group vs. a cohesive, talented team.
Spencer I agree with your last post. A friend of mine works at the Duke School and once shared the process she went through when applying. She submitted a video of a lesson, met with an interviewing committee, and then met with the administrator. I know you are all thinking, who has the time to do that, I agree! But imagine the quality of teachers we would hire if we went through this process. There are many people who are great interviewers, but then what? I would structure interviews with cases, give teachers scenarios and see how they respond. I would definetely follow up with references and talk about their previous experiences at previous schools they've worked at, or, for new teachers, experience in college.
I've been in several discussions about this topic over the last few days because of the school board election yesterday. Everyone says that teachers must know their content area and be effective classroom managers, but that's not getting the job done! I agree with what many of you are posting; I know that we are to work with what's been given to us. We are not able to change the factors outside of school. But, with all that teachers are doing and things are not changing, I want to ask what makes a good parent? You can have the best, however you define that word, teacher in a school and still have children missing the achievement mark. What are the parents doing at home to help the teacher?
I'm not trying to say that teachers can't make a difference, but from my conversations lately I've been bothered by the thoughts that teachers have to do it all!
Good points Spencer, Maria, and Courtnee. Courtnee, just the other day I was having the same conversation with my sister-in-law, who teaches at East Chapel Hill High School. She cannot stand how the success of every child (academic or non-academic) seems to rest solely on the teacher. What about other factors, such as parents, extended family members, or other community members? Obviously, there's no easy answer to this question, but I do feel it's an important perspective to keep in mind.
I believe great teachers should have the following characteristics:
1. Strong desire to succeed and help students succeed- A teacher's first priority should be to help all students learn. If this is not their focus or their passion they should not be teaching.
2. Be willing to learn anything!- A great teacher is a teacher that is always willing to learn. Personally, that is what teaching is all about. Nobody is a master teacher when they first begin. Achieving mastery includes continuing to learn and getting better in areas that you previously were not. The difference between a good teacher and a great teacher is rooted in a teacher's willingness and desire to learn more about their craft. With this is mind you can learn anything; how to collaborate with others, content knowledge, classroom management, etc.
3. Be reflective- Teaching is a continuous cycle of reflection and adapting. In order to understand what you need to work on or areas where you need to grow then you have to reflect. Teachers should constantly reevaluate what they are doing and if it meets the needs of their students.
Spencer, I like your post about the importance of becoming a solid interviewer. I'm with Maria, though: why not change up the interview process? Make teachers bring in a videotape of themselves teaching, or give them scenarios, or have them co-teach with an existing teacher? Just some thoughts.
I agree with what Maria and Elena suggested about the addition of a video component or something like it which enables you to better assess an applicant's strengths and weaknesses. I think that this component is what makes the Teach for America hiring process
(as described in the Ripley article) so exemplary. They combine the basic interview process with this hands on component allowing them to see what the applicants are bringing to the table. One way that they do this more efficiently which would be worth considering in hiring new teachers is by using other applicants during the teaching piece. While the time required for this is more significant, if it results in the hiring of more high quality, effective teachers you will inevitably be saving yourself time in the future. The hiring process is time consuming, but if investing just a little more time means saving yourself an HR headache in the long run I personally think it is worth it.
While there have been great points made about different ways of asking questions whose answers help you to identify effective teachers, I agree with what Trea said about how sometimes you have to rely solely on your instincts and make decisions on your gut feelings. I think that part of the challenge than becomes developing a trustworthy gut instinct. While this may sound a little crazy, I think that as an administrator in charge of hiring new teachers, it is important to reflect on experiences with effective and ineffective teachers to establish a baseline of behaviors and attitudes consistent with effective teachers. Taking these observations and experiences in mind can only help you make better gut decisions when hiring new teachers.
In response to Courtnee and Liz's posts about parents and it being "all up to the teacher," I agree about parents and the "it takes a village" mentality but that doesn't remotely change what I look for in a solid teacher or how I look for it. Just because parents should play a substantially more productive and positively influential role doesn't mean that we shouldn't seek and secure the best possible classroom managers and content-proficient instructors. Anything less would be irresponsible. We can only control what we can control.
Elena, regarding your and Maria's points about tapes, I agree- what a wonderful and thorough idea for school leaders to ask for or be offered such a thing. A few key concerns with it:
1. New teachers fresh out of school may not have taped lessons and if they do, it may be unfair to view them compared to a master teacher unless done with proper perspective.
2. I helped screen candidates for an open counselor position at my school two summers ago. My principal literally forwarded all of the candidates' resumes to me, numbering approximately 60. It would be unrealistic to view 60 tapes. Of course, we could utilize a cut system and only view those teachers whose applications and resumes make the first cut but still, that's a lot of tapes. Tech issues and video/audio quality plays into it too. I'd say it would be a neat supplement but I would draw no hard and fast conclusions based on a video supplement (not that you were suggesting you would either).
3. Ethically, you run into student confidentiality issues with any and all class video-taping. Hence, the reason you have to secure waivers from all students when videotaping for National Board Certification.
Many of you have made some good points regarding the process for which we may use to select or assist with selecting teachers to work at our schools. It is good to hear of the different approaches and or techniques that could be used along the way.
I think it will ultimately depend upon the person who is making the decision. What a person internalizes as valuable and effective will play a role in the interview process. We must admit that not all administrators were master teachers or even effective teachers. With this, they are less likely to recognize the qualities associated with being an effective teacher. I tend to believe we generally chose what we like and not always what’s best.
Whether a new teacher or veteran teacher, you can never truly tell how they will perform in a given situation. What I would ask first is, why do want to teach at my school? A new teacher’s answer will be far different that those with years of experience. Additionally, I would be more likely to probe a tenured teacher more closely as he or she would have some baggage to unpack for me. There has to be a reason that they are interviewing at my school.
As for having a video component, I can see some value in it. However, I think what you would most likely get is a “dog and pony show.” I mean, if it’s my video, I get to determine what you see. It’s kind of like having an announced observation; I’m going to teach something that is safe and within my comfort zone that the kids can do, not a lesson that has a complex concept to teach…which would have more relative value as it pertains to effectiveness. Anyway, it is what it is…subjective…
I really like the idea Elena brought up. I went through my head about the video taping component a few times and although I think you could see a lot, it certainly would be a dog and pony show of myself if I were in the hot seat. I'd pull out my best lesson because of course you would want to sell yourself. However, co-teaching with an existing teacher is a neat idea. Although this would not be possible if it were right before the year started, which is when much hiring goes on, maybe if it were at feasible times that would be a neat thing to watch as part of an interview process.
Thinking about the qualities that I most desire in a teacher is like asking what part of a car engine is my favorite. Its difficult to point to any one attribute as the selling factor in determining what makes a good teacher worth hiring. But, if I had to narrow it down to two or three characteristics, I would say that a teacher with a well developed content knowledge, an experienced classroom management plan, and the ability to effectively assess student achievement data. Of course, with that said, my expectations in all three areas would vary according to which grade level I was hiring them for.
I completely agree with Heidi and by extension Trea that at the end of the day it's basically going to come down to your gut instincts about the person. I have often thought about my interview process for when I'm trying to hire a qualified teacher and I keep having a variety of ideas that may give some insight, but ultimately I do believe that a developed gut instinct will be the most valuable tool.
I agree with Matt that a very important characteristic to consider when hiring a new teacher is whether or not they are a good fit for the school's culture. If their beliefs go against that of the schools, they are more likely to be ostracized which will probably lead to a lesser than stellar performance in the classroom.
David I agree that the administrator will ultimately make a decision that works for him/her. Being able to decipher through the "dog and pony show" that we all have up our sleeve is very important. Do you think it would ever be possible that teachers will have a shorter probationary period? Because administrators have to choose based on resumes, interviews and a few references, bad teachers will make it through to the classroom. With a shorter probationary period, these bad teachers can be replaced before the year is over.
The top 3 characteristics I'd look for are 1)willingness to evaluate and re-evaluate teaching strategies in the classroom, 2)an optimistic passion for improving the "lives" of the students, not just their test scores, and 3) an ability to relate to the cultural, social, and economic plights of the specific students they serve.
Of course, mastery of content and other aspects of professional knowledge are key, but those factors are non-negotiables and I would expect my teachers to have those tangibles. 2 of my 3 characteristics are intangibles, and focus on the intrinsic qualities the candidates possess as opposed to factors like years of experience, undergrad/graduate work, etc.
Salient point Spencer! Yes, there are a lot of intangibles that are listed but I think it shows that many of us recognize the value of those skills/characteristics/personality traits.
Creating "a cohesive, talented team" should be the goal of every administrator and thus, in many respects, administrators play a MAJOR role in pre-determining the success or failure of students.
If a principal, I could not be content to simply believe that it's hard to judge someone's intrinsic abilities from the interview. Certainly, job fairs present unique challenges/time constraints and I don't suggest that we do away with standard evaluations like resumes, interviews, etc.
What I do suggest, is that as principal, it would be my responsibility to pray for and seek as much wisdom and guidance as possible (for my personal tasks) so that I could be more discerning when it comes to how candidates would perform. In addition to all the professional knowledge and leadership/management skills a strong administrator should have a good sense of assessing one's intangibles, and processing that (albeit quickly and w/o full info) in a way that helps them create the most "cohesive and talented team."
Because the culture of the school starts from the top, and b/c research shows that kids are primarily influenced by their teachers in the class, it is unequivocally the responsibility of principals to hone the skills necessary to accurately assess a candidates FULL worth, not just that on paper.
Courtnee, unfortunately, not enough parents are taking responsibility for their roles in educating kids. It would be easy to single out the socially and economically disadvantaged in this case, but I think the growing trend has become more applicable to all ethnicities and economic groups.
So what do teachers do? Take all the blame while receiving no credit? Become so frustrated about being the scapegoats that they embrace disillusionment and neglect the students?
Interestingly, when having a conversation with a principal in D.C. for our "Principal Interview" project, I posed similar questions and he responded this way: (slightly paraphrased)
"In my school, we do not accept any excuses for a lack of student achievement. I do not care what neighborhoods they come from, what their academic pasts have been, and most importantly, whether their parents are currently involved. I train my staff to operate under the federal law of "local parentis" from 7 a.m. to 5-6 p.m. everyday. Local parentis states that "in the absence of a parent, I assume all the duties and responsibilities of a parent, executing those duties with the best of intentions for the child."
I found that fascinating! In large part, there is a top-to-bottom philosophy at his school that his staff should (and can) embrace their professional roles of teaching with the same type of nurturing, tough love, guidance, and sensitivity that they would/should extend to their own children. In essence, he eliminated any external, or internal, convos or excuses about a lack of parent involvement by simply substituting for and filling that role throughout the school day.
Interestingly enough, that philosophy has enabled him to significantly increase consistent parental involvement and partnership at his school.
And by the way, his school caters to Special Education students, grades K-8, exclusively from Southeast D.C. 99% are on free or reduced lunch.
I'd like to believe that if he could pull that off in Southeast D.C., it can be done anywhere! Again though, it started with the principal and that gave the teachers the directives, comfort, and support structure they needed to execute the good intentions in their hearts and minds anyway!
Stay encouraged.
Well, it wouldn't necessarily have to be a videotaped lesson, it could be a 5 minute lesson on anything done right there...?
I want to see clear evidence in the life of a potential hire that he or she is a driven, goal oriented person. The potential hire should demonstrate through the interview, collected documentation, references and through past life experiences that goals have been set and achieved. Previous demonstrated success with children is important as well. The potential hire should be able to articulate how he or she will use data to inform instruction. I would also need to see a clear demonstration of team work and collaborative successes over the course of previous life experiences whether in the context of another school or in other professional experiences. I would like for a potential new hire to know enough about the school culture to have ideas and to express desires about ways he or she may be able to contribute to academics and to the life of the school. I would also like to see clear comfort with self and confidence in the potential hire.
Another important aspect of making a potential hire is the central role that well established, successful teachers in my school play in the decision. The teachers that I have the greatest repect for in terms of their ability to get results for children will be central in the decision making process. There is some truth to the idea that it helps to have excellent teachers identify other excellent teachers. A new teacher needs to want it enough to face multiple interviews with my best teachers and a potential new hire needs to come in and substitute or teach one or more times under the scrutiny of trusted expert teachers. Ideally, we already have an ongoing short list of potential hires at the school who substitute on occasion and who have been thoroughly vetted by my expert teachers over the course of months or years. I know this is pie in the sky kind of stuff but it is an ideal we can set goals for. I think this becomes more of a possibility if your school develops a reputation as a GREAT place to work with a staff of consummate professionals that get superior results for kids.
Cierre. I am encouraged!
"In essence, he eliminated any external, or internal, convos or excuses about a lack of parent involvement by simply substituting for and filling that role throughout the school day." I found this post from Cierre la Boca to be inspiring in that he gave an example of a principal setting clear expectations for his teachers. He would not tolerate excuses nad further it is obvious that he took on a very positive attitude towards what needed to happen for these kids with the greatest needs. Its obvious that negativity is not part of the conversation at this school. I would want a potential new hire to exude this kind of positive, it can be done, attitude that would contribute to the positive attitude within the school.
If I am a high school administrator who trusts the ability of the existing teaching staff and department chairs, I would hope to implement the system Maria notes whereby the top candidates are selected, interviewed and observed (a sample in-class lesson plan) by departmental staff. My only job would be a final approval or a decision between two equal candidates.
If at a rebuilding school, I would personally prioritize candidates who demonstrate mastery of their content, achieved previous high-level successes in education and/or work, and can communicate an existing connection or specific desire to work at our school in this community. Using this criteria to select the top two or three candidates, I or another administrator would observe each candidate teaching a sample lesson, with a corresponding post-conference, to identify evidence of the ‘squishable’ necessities such as classroom management, passion, reflection, assessment, etc. As others already stated, I too trust my gut more in watching a teacher in the classroom than in a formal interview. Perhaps I am naïve to think any principal has time to observe finalists teach sample lesson plans, especially at a rebuilding school with any rate of teacher turnover, but time spent here will surely save time, effort, and resources in the future.
It is primarily, as mentioned in some of the answers, flexibility. If I was the HR person, I would provide some case scenarios, with no right or wrong answer and determine how many possible solutions can the teacher being interviewed can find. Is the teacher flexible with answers or trying to provide the perfect answer?
In my experience, the most difficult people to work with are perfectionists. Who have the perfect lesson plan, with the perfect activities and then when a kid or two mess up their plan, all h______ breaks loose. The flexible teacher with a series of options with a "guideline" plan focused on the big ideas and not so much the details, can handle the sudden surprises with greater ease,
I am not sure how to do this, but as a hiring principal, I would also try to identify skilled teachers who will want to remain in the classroom for a significant period of time. The flaw of the Atlantic article is that everyone (except for Jason Kamras) characterized in this story on “great” teaching left the classroom after only two or three years. I think this is where commitment to the community and/or school is certainly preferable. Also, I have no data of this, but anecdotally mid-life lateral entry teachers, at least in Chicago, tend to remain in the classroom longer than graduate school teachers.
For those who are interested in value-added assessments and performance-based pay, Durham Public Schools dedicated their Monday board meeting to a discussion of the feasibility of instituting these measures:
http://www.bullcityrising.com/2010/11/dps-briefing-on-value-added-and-pay-for-performance-models-illuminates-research-and-different-board-.html?cid=6a00d8341c786253ef0133f58fb487970b
I agree with Maria on the video component. Granted, it may be the "teacher show" but with a trained eye one can get a, in the words of Dr. Veitch, global scan through peripherals: who kids react, does it look natural or artificial, again, is flexibility evident or rigidity, etc.
Sorry, for the typo I meant : "how" kids react and not who kids react. Matt I think that your 3 elements:ability to be an effective deliverer of instruction, he or she's level of caring for others, and his or her ability to work within a collaborative environment. " But I will take a teacher with very limited knowledge in this area but with an amazing capacity for empathy and openness to be mentored.
After reading more of the post, there was one point that Trey shared that is very reflective of my own thoughts. He said that the perspective teacher had to have "it". This is something that can't be found on a resume or shared through answers to interview questions; we as administrators must depend on past experience and intuition. We have all been around great teachers and bad teachers; often times, it was neither necessary to go into that teacher's classroom nor ask his or her students. We are able to conclude if that teacher has "it" by the passion in his or her voice, by seeing where his or her time is spent and how it is spent outside of the classroom, by their aura....Yes, this sounds subjective and sentimental; but, sometimes we must go beyond the objective and practical to get the best person possible for the job!
As an administrator I would love to observe potential hires in the classroom setting; either electronically via a videotape or in person. The potential problem with this is that it is time consuming and you do risk seeing the "dog and pony show". However I do feel that by obligating teachers to do this you may automatically create a higher level applicant pool.
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