Students Learn More When Teachers Teach More by Clarissa

Students Learn More When Teachers Teach More by Clarissa - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

I aspire to be a history teacher. When I saw this month’s topic, I was overjoyed to discuss a subject I have studied for years preparing for an education major. After changing subjects several times, I decided my one piece of advice for teachers to help me learn the most is to make the most of their class time. Teachers are only allotted, on average, one hour every school day for each class. In this allotted time, proficient teachers, teachers that use their class time, will cover three times more curriculum than those teachers that fail to efficiently manage their valuable class time. These high-performing teachers recognize the significance of holding a productive class every possible day and of challenging kids consistently.

Todd Whitaker writes that “one of the best things about teaching is that teaching matters and makes a difference, especially to the students. What makes teaching hard is that it matters every day.” (47) There should be no gaps during class time to allow a student to daydream idly or doodle without purpose. Instead, teachers should structure class time so that students are actively engaged in the course material. I have a history teacher who teaches from bell to bell every day we have class. Everyone holds their questions until the end of class to allow him to teach all the material he needs to get through for the next test. Every student takes notes the whole class period and most obtain other students notes as well. Even though high school history is often a class students can pass without studying, this teacher makes it clear that his class requires work outside of school. Nevertheless, students can drift off in even the most captivating classes, but high performing teachers bring their attention back individually by having them answer a question, rather than continuing with class. By consistently instructing and holding a new class every day, students come to class prepared to be taught.

Students arrive every day with different expectations for each class. They may expect to be able to study for 3rd period’s test in 2nd period history because Mr.Stephens never cares if they take notes or not. However, if today Mr.Stephens decides to take up the student’s science in the middle of class, this student now is not only unprepared for his science test, but is unaware of Mr.Stephens’ expectations for his class. If this history teacher had engaged the class and not allowed other class work to be done consistently from the beginning of the year, the student may have studied the night before, knowing there would be no time the next day. Moreover, students blame teachers when they fail tests only if they feel they did not have the chance to learn in class or were unaware of the material on the test. I had the privilege of having the same math teacher for both Algebra one and two. We held class and learned something new every single day she was there. After every test, we had one week to retake a test over the same material with different questions on our own time. If we were in her class, we were expected to be focused on math. Every student that enters her classroom stands in the back until she acknowledges them and state “excuse me for interrupting” before asking any questions because she establishes from the beginning of the year that her class time is important. She did not state all these rules at the beginning of the year or have a list of “class rules” hanging in her room, she commanded the class from the beginning and made it clear that her class would require hard work and constant attention. Every student who has failed her class says they did not work hard enough, no student ever says she did not prepare them. Students never whine about a teacher constantly instructing class, no student signs up for a class thinking they can sleep through it. Unless the teacher does not start the year from the first day of school.

No student begins a class expecting off days and a constant review of classes they have already completed. Students, like me, come to class at the beginning of the year expecting to learn the subject they signed up to learn. However, we also understand that teachers are people and some days will be harder than others. We expect teachers, on those off days, to prepare worksheets for us or to keep the class quiet so everyone can study or complete work for other classes. In order to cover all the course material plus what students will need for their next class, teachers have to prepare for every day possible and take advantage of a class that is ready to learn. Every day is a challenge for the teacher to create a challenge for the student.

Whitaker, Todd. What Great Teachers Do Differently: Fourteen Things That Matter Most. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.