(Good) Teachers Worry Deep
In today’s data-driven life, everyone wants a way to measure (and perhaps pay) a good teacher. Parents have always wanted a way to “know who the good teachers are.” Administrators want a way to put a quantitative label on what they know (?) is happening in their schools. But the only measure anyone has offered so far is student achievement. In a non-widgetmaking process as slippery as learning, finding a measure of what makes a good teacher is as elusive as a second grader on his way out to recess.
A favorite quote in my family is, “Moms worry deep.” The core-level angst of a mother is what makes her a good teacher and nurturer of her children. When something is wrong with one of her children, she just knows it. The level of stress this can cause her may not always be healthy, but that mom-deep worry is essential to her effectiveness.
Some doctors worry deep, too. I once had a pediatrician who called me, the mom, because what he had seen at my child’s morning appointment so gnawed at him that he could not wait for my post-naptime call to find out whether things were better. He had not been able to diagnose the problem and had sent us home. But he knew something was not right so called us back in. He eventually did diagnose the problem, driven by a level of involvement with his patient that went beyond the norm.
I would hypothesize that it is a similar involvement with students that makes a teacher effective — even stellar. I have seen some teachers agonize over the students who “gnaw” at them. When these students struggled, the teacher struggled more. When the student did not seem “right,” the teacher wanted to get to the bottom of it. When the class bombed a test or sat like cinder blocks during a lesson, the teacher had to figure out why. These teachers have a level of involvement, a “Teacher Involvement Quotient” (TIQ) that makes a difference far broader and more lasting than a single test score. There are even some ways to assess that TIQ. When faced with a scenario, those with the higher TIQ would respond differently:
Think of the last time a student failed a project or test in your class. What did you do? (score based on the response)
Or, instead of asking, WATCH what he/she does, note it, and measure it. Yes, we need to develop a scale, but would it be any harder than designing high-stakes tests?
There are those who see teaching as a series of steps they follow in a certain room at certain times.
There are those who see teaching as designing well-marked trails for students to follow, waiting to see who comes out at the other end.
There are those who see teaching as the trail their students forge for themselves while the teacher watches and lures them uphill, worrying deeply for those who trip and fall.
Can’t we assess TIQ? Wouldn’t it be worth a try? This is the learning I agonize about these days.
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While I agree with you that a teacher who has a higher TIQ is probably more effective than one with a lower TIQ, I still have to wonder about those teachers with the highest TIQ. Mothers who worry can raise their kids better, but not always. Sometimes they get too worried or over anxious, and their involvement becomes annoying and frustrating to their kids. Is there any data to support that mothers who worry even raise their kids better? Psychology has shown that over-involvement from family members can cause disorders in children. At what point do we drawn the line? When we relate the topic back to teaching, what problems could be caused by over-worrying? I don’t doubt the significance that TIQ plays in students’ learning (although studies on it couldn’t hurt), but what is the significance, and is it something that we necessarily want?
Comment by idontwanttoputmyname — September 22, 2009 @ 7:48 am
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idont,
I, too, am concerned about unproductive or excessive “worry” by teachers. We want teachers to be reflective in their practice and constantly vigilant about their students. “Worry” may have too negative a connotation, but there is a visceral element to parental (and good teacher) concern. There is a nagging, gut-level, something-isn’t-right-here response that good teachers have about their students. If the awareness is not there, the teacher has no reason to change or correct to resolve the issue that is “not right.” In many ways, such awareness is like a meld of interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. I colloquially call it “worry,” but it is far deeper. There may be multiple dimensions to it, as well. Only a good look can determine the significance.
Comment by Candace Hackett Shively — September 22, 2009 @ 12:38 pm
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Yes, too much worry can be a bad thing, but I think a good teacher knows how to find a good balance. I would love to see more research about TIQ. It seems to me that a teacher with a high TIQ would be more effective.
Comment by Emily Dobbins — October 1, 2009 @ 11:10 am
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