Teacher Quality & Shortage Issue

One issue in education that is becoming bigger and bigger is the quality of teachers and the number of teachers. There many teachers that are currently approaching the age of retirement. And there is currently a teacher shortage national already, so it is only going to get worse. It is expected that we will need more than 2 million teachers within the next ten years. The high school areas are where the problem is the least signifigant. The problem is effecting more of the elementary schools and middle schools.
There is also a problem with the quality of teachers. Many school systems feel that students need younger teachers. But there is a problem with that too, 20% of new teachers leave within the first year. I was surprised to learn this until I found out that the reason they are leaving is because of lack of training and support in the classroom. New teachers aren't clear on what their expectations are. It's not that the new teachers aren't qualified, they just feel they can't handle it without support.
For people my age this may look like an okay thing because it means by the time we're reading to go into the teaching field there will be plenty of jobs. But how do we know if there will be enough, you never know how many students are studying to be teachers right now, and if they will be able to fill the gap. This article also made me a little nervous because I want to know that when I enter a school that I know what my expectations are, and that I can seek out help if necessary. Hopefully things will turn around for new teachers, and this shortage crisis will not continue to get worse.

Article link:
http://www.nea.org/teachershortage/index.html

Standardized Testing Pictures

http://ndn.newsweek.com/media/63/071116_StandardizedTests_wi-horizontal.jpg

http://www.solidarity.com/hkcartoons/teachertoons/images/miketest6.gif

Link for Standarized Test Article

The link below is related to the topic of Standarized Tests.
http://www.engines4ed.org/hyperbook/nodes/NODE-69-pg.html

Are Standardized Tests a Positive or Negative Aspect of Pubic School Systems?

The topic of standardized testing has been around for a long time. Some people believe it is very imporant to use standardized tests in schools, and others feel they do not reflect someones academic abilities. I feel it is important to understand both sides to this topic mainly because it has been debated for so long.
The people who believe in standarized testing say that it shows a child's academic achievement or how much they have remebered out of all of the things they have learned. In other words students who do well have paid attention in school, and put effort into their learning, and students who do poorly on the tests have not put enough effort into their school work in order to pass these tests. Although this may be true to some students, it in no way describes all students taking these tests.
Standardized tests can be very stressful to some students. Some may get so nervous about the test that when the day comes they are so stressed out that they rush through it and do poorly. Other students may devote all of their time to studying for these tests, and then when the get it, the questions don't match up with the things they've studied.
For me, I canno't stand these tests. I found myself worrying about them way too much, and I never really did all that well on them. Even though I never did great, I don't think it reflects how capable I am as a student or a learner. I don't think these tests show what anyone is truly capable of.

About Me =)

Hi Everyone!

I'm Lindsay, this is my first year at Salem State. I went to Wheelock College in Boston last year, but decided to come home and go to Salem. I am an Elementary Education and Psychology major. I can't wait to be a full time teacher, but for right now I am enjoying the time I spend at Salem State, working towards my goal!