Dear High-Impact Teacher,
Today I read this definition of a high-impact teacher on a reputable website that shall remain nameless. “Simply put, our criteria for a high-impact teacher is to be in the top 30% statewide based on Aggregate VAM (if available) scores in ELA or Math.”
The ironic phrase “simply put” as a reference to an aggregate VAM score is precisely what is wrong with education today. What does this even mean? I have a Master's degree in education and nearly 20 years of teaching experience, and I don’t have the foggiest idea what this "simply put" definition means.
Make no mistake, I am not minimizing the fact that student achievement as measured by a statewide assessment (or any other assessment tool for that matter) is a fairly strong indicator that solid instruction is happening in a classroom.
However, I am saying passing a state test is way too small of a thing to live for, for both kids and teachers alike. In the testing mayhem, I truly believe we have lost sight of the fact that stellar results should be a byproduct, not an end product. Far too often, I have seen teachers striving to get results without striving to focus on learning one bit. It is akin to a weight loss program that is results-driven without an emphasis on the core of the inner being, which is to be healthy and whole. And we all know how that ends. It won’t stick. It won’t last. Before long, the results-driven obsession will wane, and the person will end up deflated and worse off than he or she was before the attempt. The same is true for our students. Oh, what a school system we could have if we simply placed an emphasis on the core and getting that right. This starts with a high impact teacher who could careless about her VAM score.
Simply put, a high impact teacher is one who stops making excuses for kids and starts setting high, but attainable, expectations. She clarifies confusing concepts like apostrophe usage, and checks to see if little Anne mastered the concept before moving on to the next lesson. She places a card on Josh’s desk telling him she’s sorry his mom was diagnosed with cancer, and she asks Mary to come by after school for tutoring. Then, before bed, she closes her eyes and prays for God’s resources to kick in when all hers have run out.
There’s no tick mark on a teacher evaluation rubric that can measure this kind of attention, but "simply put," I have found it to be the highest predictor of student success.
And ultimately, isn’t that what all of us want?
-CDB
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