Are You a Learner?

Andrea Reichenberger contributed today's post.

Even in my current position as a coach, I still wear many hats, and one of my responsibilities is interviewing new English teachers. Unfortunately, these days, a good English/language arts (ELA) teacher is really hard to find.  We want ELA teachers who understand how to develop students’ literacy skills, not just how to teach writing, grammar and literature. What I’m discovering is that many teachers graduate from local universities not knowing how to design an effective lesson or unit that incorporates these skills. It is extremely important to take the time to keep abreast of the research and trends that are necessary for student learning and engagement in today’s ELA classrooms.

The ELA classroom should look and sound much differently than it did when we sat in them as students. Remember when the desks were in rows, all facing the teacher at the front of the room? We were expected to be quiet---we weren’t allowed to talk unless we raised our hand and were called on to answer. We looked to that teacher to have all of the answers. We also completed grammar worksheets and fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice packets. We wrote five- paragraph essays and got them back with all of our mechanical errors marked in red pen.  The teacher would walk us through an entire novel and tell us what he/she thought the text meant so we could get away without having to read the book at all, especially since we also watched most movie versions of the novels we were asked to read.

Most of us became ELA teachers because we loved literature or writing or both; however, we have to remember that most of our students do not plan on doing the same.  We need to prepare them for the skills they need outside of the school walls, whether it’s college, the military, or straight into the workforce. The ELA classrooms we are creating today have less teacher talk and more collaborative conversations among students.  Students are allowed more choice in what they read; book offerings are based on universal themes; and a mentor text is used rather than a whole class novel.

So, what kind of teachers do we need to hire?  In every interview, I ask myself: Is this person a learner? and Is this person good for our kids? I can live with a new teacher who doesn’t have some of the knowledge, but I do need someone who is willing to learn what he/she doesn’t know and is willing to be coached. The following is a list of tips to consider before interviewing for an ELA teaching position, but it’s useful for other content areas as well.

• Be prepared to share titles of both young adult novels and professional books you are currently reading.
• Make sure you understand the following and be able to provide examples of each: formative assessment, summative assessment, and your understanding of the standards.
• Explain how you motivate and engage students and are able to make content relevant and interesting.
• Become very familiar with an effective instructional model/philosophy. I recommend UbD from Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, GANAGh (from Jane Pollock’s Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time) or GRR (from Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey’s Better Learning through Structured Teaching.
• Provide specific examples of how you differentiate for English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities.
• Share examples that demonstrate how you effectively incorporate reading, writing, and speaking into every lesson.
• Display your sincere belief  that every student CAN learn!
• Present yourself as a learner too!