What makes a good teacher.

this comments from my teacher

You provide an accurate overview of the opinions of four different authors about an important topic facing American schools today. You also lay out the ongoing debate and communicate why it is an important debate to have. That said, I did notice some issues that have me concerned.

Your introduction does a good job laying out the issue. What’s missing is any opinion, whether by the authors or yourself, about potential solutions. This paper should be more than a summary. You should enter into the conversation, including by stating your opinion up front in the introduction.

There are a few MLA formatting issues that need addressing. First, article titles should be in quotation marks, not italics. Second, your paper is missing page numbers. Third, your Works Cited section should start on a new page.

You set up the debate well in your first body paragraph; however, I think you could improve the paper overall by introducing the authors you are discussing earlier. You say there is a debate, but your discussion about that debate is somewhat general at first and lacks citations. Also, you start your paper by talking about the education debate across the country, but follow that up in your second paragraph with a discussion over a specific proposal in New York schools. Be sure to define the problem accurately to avoid confusing your reader or overstating the scope of your topic.

Once you get into the discussion of your specific authors, your paper reads well. You summarize each author’s point of view and provide additional details regarding educational philosophies. I was confused, however, by the way you integrated additional research (which was not required for this assignment). For example, you write: “Unlike many countries, Ripley notes, Finnish teachers must undergo a very rigorous teacher training protocol in order to work as a public school teacher. This training lasts several years, and ensures that the government is producing teachers who are qualified to educate the next generation of citizens (Schwarz 150)” (2). You say Ripley is making the claim in the section I have quoted, but you cite to Schwarz. Which is it? Very confusing. This happens a number of times throughout your paper.

Finally, for a synthesis paper, I would like to see you compare and contrast the various opinions of the authors you are looking at — and you need to enter into the conversation yourself. You end your paper by writing the following: “Several individuals have taken part in the debate and thus bring out a more holistic view. Teachers’ evaluation is important and a good way of improving the quality of education but it must be taken more carefully” (5). You need to give me a sense of this “holistic view” by making the comparisons for me. How do they relate and talk to each other? Also, can you follow up on your final sentence? I’m not sure I understand why you think that teacher evaluations are a good idea or what you mean when you say that the quality of education needs to “be taken more carefully.” Explain these statements in your own words, but also by referring back to the authors you have examined.

Overall, this paper is moving in the correct direction, but it needs a more cohesive feel along with a clearer statement about your own opinion on the issues.
What Makes a Good Teacher?
All across the country, standards of excellence in public education seem to be on the decline. Not only are students performing at a lower level academically, there are also many indicators that the education system in itself is broken. This downward trend has sparked concern among numerous stakeholders in American education, including teachers, government officials, and parents. While different sectors point to different causes of the problem, many government officials blame the poor performance of students on the teachers who instruct them (Thomas 83). This assertion has roused a response from teachers who, as a whole, feel they are being blamed for a problem which they believe has roots in much larger, systemic issues in society. [talk about what the teachers, government officials, and parents think are the solution to the problem of education in American society] this is from writing center
Governor Andrew Cuomo is one spokesperson for greater teacher efficacy and accountability. His proposals in the state of New York have raised questions about the ways public educators and schools in that state interact with their students. Cuomo’s proposed legislation would pressure teachers to organize their classes in a way that primes students to excel at standardized tests. If the students score poorly on these tests, it reflects on the teacher’s performance, impacting their ability to seek tenure and other benefits. This limited approach to education has encouraged backlash from many stakeholders in the education sector, including school administrators, teachers, parents, and even the students. They argue that Cuomo’s legislation would harm education by impairing the freedom of teachers to govern their classes as they see fit. Many critics of Cuomo’s proposals also question the efficacy of standardized tests themselves, and suggest that the tests are poor indicators of a student’s knowledge and academic ability (Schwarz 149). This conversation over the merits of standardized testing has stimulated a larger discussion on how American teachers should be evaluated compared to teachers of other countries. In my opinion, the alternative to standardized tests is a collection of quizzes, midterm tests, and exams. This portfolio of school work would be a great reflection on the teacher’s performance as well as the individual progress of each student in a given course. [explain why quizzes, midterms, and exams are better than standardized testing? How does this help the teacher’s profile and show student’s progress?] [look at another source that focuses on this same issue, but maybe a different place?]
Education is among the most crucial sectors of the economy, and plays a significant role on the quality of life for current and future generations. It is because the stakes are so high that any change to the fabric of education legislation should be handled with subtlety and respect. Amanda Ripley, author of The Smartest Kids in the World, approaches the topic of American education by comparing facts and data from a variety of different countries. Ripley shows how in the country of Finland – ranked as one the highest in regards to quality of education – teachers are allotted a significant amount of resources by the government. Finland is also an example of a country which invests in its education on a cultural level, where the profession of a teacher is treated with significant respect (Westerheikden, Stensaker, and Rosa 63). Unlike many countries, Ripley notes, Finnish teachers must undergo a very rigorous teacher training protocol in order to work as a public school teacher. This training lasts several years, and ensures that the government is producing teachers who are qualified to educate the next generation of citizens (Schwarz 150). Ripley argues that this selection process allows teachers to receive a uniform set of skills and techniques which enable them to excel as instructors. [a lot of summarizing-add your own opinion, add opinions of the other authors. Compare and contrast-see how the opinions differ or how they are similar]
In addition to an established teacher training program, Finland also utilizes a complex array of programs for monitoring and evaluating teacher performance. These evaluation systems ensure that teachers are being held to a national standard by threatening strict penalties for teachers who routinely underperform. As a result of this built-in evaluation system, teachers are impelled to make each student an academic success story – largely because the teacher is held accountable by the government, the parents, the students, and other community stakeholders (Westerheijden, Stensaker, and Rosa 68). As Finland is an international leader in public education, the United States has a significant incentive to consider adopting a similar model of training and evaluating teachers [maybe add another example of evaluation systems, add your opinion as well as the opinion of other authors].
Another potential cause of academic underperformance in American public education is the disproportionate connection between the expectations placed on teachers and their salaries. In short: teachers are more likely to perform well when they feel adequately recompensed for their work. The teaching profession is essential to the quality of life of both individuals and the government, and the fair compensation of teachers should be a matter of a public concern. Unfortunately, most teachers in the United States earn incomes that are considerably lower than their peers in other sectors. Eric Hanushek argues that for evaluation to be effective, teachers must be paid well as an incentive for meeting additional demands. They need to reap the benefits of their work, and earn an income which allows them a sense of dignity comparable to members of other professions (Thomas 84). Yet despite the fundamental benefits which education imparts to the country, this sector ranks among the worst in terms of salary – making it difficult to attract professionals who would otherwise be excellent teachers. [maybe add an opinion from an author who thinks teachers shouldn’t be paid highly-who disagrees Hanushek] However, if the states’ governments were to end the plague of the nationwide standardized test scandals, funding for schools and teachers would be proportional and fair among all states. Therefore, states’ governments should be under more pressure by teachers, schools, and parents to ensure adequate funding for primary and secondary schools.
If teachers are to be evaluated for their performance, they should be paid well enough to merit the extra work and effort required by such performance. While Hanushek agrees that teacher evaluation is critical, he questions the model which the United States uses for doing so –
adding that other stakeholders, such as education officials and supervisors, should also be assessed for performance. Placing the burden of student performance on teachers alone overlooks the duty of administrators to also work effectively to improve the sector (Westerheijden, Stensaker and Rosa 65). [explain why-connect back to your thesis]
[On the other hand, there are many people who oppose the idea of teacher evaluation] For example- In her article, Stop Testing and Punishing Teachers, Mercedes Schneider strongly opposes the aspect of teacher evaluation. She sees this as a way of punishing teachers and treating them ruthlessly. She opposes the fact that the deterioration of the quality of education in the country is as a result of teachers and in this way does not support the view that quality can be restored through evaluation of teachers. She views this discrimination by teachers as political and that it should not be used. [summary again-need to analysis]
According to her, standardized tests are not the best way of evaluating teachers. Tests are not a standard measure of achievement in a student and thus cannot be used as a true measurement of the performance of teachers. Students need to be multifaceted human beings that can excel in all other facets of life and not excel in education alone. Using standardized tests as a way of evaluating teachers will make teachers train students on how to pass the tests and not become whole round individuals who can succeed in all spheres of life.
A healthy way of student development should be adopted that will help to improve them all round and not only in their academics. Students should be tested in and outside of class to ensure that they can succeed in many spheres of life (Thomas 86). Therefore, students should also receive more hands-on experience in other fun and engaging activities. In fact, teachers should train their students to participate in scientific and mathematical competitions that would place a much greater value on their learning experiences.
According to Kaya Henderson who authored Real Respect Is the Path to Great Teaching, respect in the chief thing that teachers need in order to improve their performance further. She is opposed to the use of tests as a way of evaluating teachers in order to improve the quality of education. Teachers have in the past been disrespected by politicians and other professionals who underrate the work of the teacher in education.
Teachers deserve a better pay and other better-working conditions that they are subjected to currently. Training of teachers should also be improved to be more thorough and of high quality. Matters touching on education should also not be politicized and politicians should stop critiquing teachers (Westerheijden, Stensaker and Rosa 74).
This debate has been very effective in education as it brings out very fundamental issues that touch on the quality of education and the evaluation of teachers. Several individuals have taken part in the debate and thus bring out a more holistic view. Teachers’ evaluation is important and a good way of improving the quality of education but it must be taken more carefully. The debate should not only stop at teachers’ performance and financial compensation, but also extends to students’ learning environment. In my opinion, teachers should be an integral part in finding solutions to many problems that encounter their students, such as living in areas of high-crime rates, income inequality, and malnutrition. Therefore, teachers should be listened to by the community, rather than being punished for circumstances that are beyond their control.

Works Cited
Muhammad, Ozier. “How to Ensure and Improve Teacher Quality”. The New York Times, 03 Mar. 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/03/03/how-to-ensure-and-improve-teacher-quality/real-respect-is-the-path-to-great-teaching>.

Schwarz, Daniel R. “Endtimes: Crises and Turmoil”.The New York Times, 1999-2009. 2014. Print.

Thomas, Nancy L. Educating for Deliberative Democracy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010. Print.

Westerheijden, Don F., Stensaker, Bjørn and Rosa, Maria J. Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Trends in Regulation, Translation and Transformation. Dordrecht: Springer, 2007. Print.