This blog is about 3 stories.

1. The start-up year for a very different sort of Graduate School of Education. It's a tiny subset of...
2. ...The much larger, national effort to transform teaching and teachers. That is a big subset of...
3. ...A multi-kajillion-dollar effort to improve the ludicrous odds (7% or so) of a poor kid ever getting a college diploma.

Describe what it means to be a great teacher in just 6 words

Posted: January 20th, 2012 | Author: Michael Goldstein | | 7 Comments »

Michelle Rhee dropped by MATCH yesterday. Here she is pictured with future great science teacher Veronica Gentile.

When Michelle launched Students First, her goal was 1 million members. To be honest, I thought that was crazy. Her membership now, if I heard correctly: 1,004,000.

SF just launched a fun contest.

Describe what it means to be a great teacher in just 6 words.

Hmm.

Charlie Sposato used to adapt this quote (origin may be Teddy Roosevelt or John Maxwell): “Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

But that’s 14 words. Can you do 6?

Somehow I don’t think my “Great teaching: 2 SDs above average” is gonna catch fire. Any wonky love out there?

However — and I’m talking to you Kenny Wang at DC Prep, nee MATCH — I can easily think how the Pats should beat the Ravens in 6 words.

“No huddle offense from the jump.”

7 Comments on “Describe what it means to be a great teacher in just 6 words”

  1. 1: mathteacher said at 4:34 pm on January 20th, 2012:

    Developing children to maximize their potential.

  2. 2: Jen said at 5:08 pm on January 20th, 2012:

    Great teaching: 2 SDs above average

    Uhh, but that’s an unachievable goal for most teachers, statistically speaking, right?!

  3. 3: Steve said at 5:17 pm on January 20th, 2012:

    What did Michelle Rhee stop by for?

  4. 4: john thompson said at 7:38 am on January 21st, 2012:

    Great teachers fight Rhee the Hater

  5. 5: Robert Pondiscio said at 11:35 am on January 21st, 2012:

    Teach content. Love kids. Ignore phonies.

  6. 6: Efavorite said at 4:35 pm on January 22nd, 2012:

    You realize that every teacher who submits an entry to this contest automatically becomes a member of Studentsfirst, right?

    On the link, http://www.studentsfirst.org/pages/essay it says, “We will select 30 semi-finalists and then you — our members — will get to vote for the winner.” then it asks for you name and email address.

    You also get a chance for a free IPad!

    They must be really hurting for members. I imagine them wanting to report that they’ve added X number of teachers just in the last month, not mentioning the IPad bribe and the cash awards.

    You also have to join to listen to her podcasts.

    She sure knows how to drive up the numbers!

  7. 7: Michael Goldstein said at 6:09 am on January 23rd, 2012:

    Ef, not sure why you find fault here. Level of coercion:

    a. Become a teacher, automatically become member of union, pay $700 in dues per year

    versus

    b. Give your email address as a condition to see the website (BarackObama.com)

    versus

    c. Give your email address as a condition to enter a contest, but able to see the website without joining if you wish.

Leave a Reply