CER 1

Create:

Evaluate:
Web inquiry: Useful Websites

• Valuable Advice: https://www.teachervision.com/new-teacher/resource/6495.html 
• Irrelevant Advice:http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jan/28/teachers-may-be-giving-bad-advice-on-personal-statements
• Practical/ Logical Advice:http://www.theconfidentteacher.com/
• Words of Inspiration:http://www.slideshare.net/ouidamarie/words-of-encouragement-surviving-when-teachign-gets-tough
• Lessons- Things to watch out for/ mistakes to avoid:http://www.nea.org/home/40525.htm

Relate:

• What does it mean to be a qualified teacher?

Being a qualified teacher does not only mean having a degree that makes them be able to teach. Qualified teacher care about their students first and are constantly finding new ways to engage and motive their students. Many teachers only care about test scores and do not know their students. I think we have all had an unqualified teacher, who put in the least amount of effort possible. Unqualified teachers do what is easy for them, not what benefits their students. Qualified teachers are always making observations and changing lessons/activities as necessary. Their main concern is on their students and their well-being and giving them the tools they will need to succeed, not only in their class but in their future education. The difference between a qualified and unqualified teacher is easy to see, the qualified teacher's students are engaged in learning and are learning through many different techniques and medias. 

• How do you assess qualification?

I think many people assess the qualifications of a teacher based on their student's grades and performance on tests, but this is not how to measure this. I think it can only really be measured by observing the students with the teacher and their interactions together. A teacher may be trying and doing everything possible, but has students that are not succeed (the student's home life may be affecting their motivation). Qualification of teachers goes beyond where they went to school and the grades they received in school. They are always learning, growing and taking these things into account to when coming up with new ways to reach their students. 

• What is good teaching and how is it measured?

Good teaching is personalizing their lessons to the needs of their students. They can't just use the same lesson as last year, because their students this year may be different or they need change lessons for more ELL or special education students they may now be in their class. It should be measured by the student's experience in the class and not just on test scores and grades. If the students are engaged and motivated to learn then this is the real measurement of good teaching. 

• How do qualified teachers make a difference? What knowledge/skills do they have that unqualified teachers do not have?

Qualified teachers really care about their students and make them feel like valuable assets in the classroom. A qualified teacher is interested in learning and knowing about their students to better help them succeed. They have knowledge and skills of how to best help the different children in their class and care about them. They are constantly trying new ways to reach students and will do anything to help them grow and learn the skills they need to have. Unqualified teacher's use a lot of lower-thinking skills, they are not putting in the exact time to make up with new and fun ways to get their students excited about learning. They use cookie cutter approaching that help some students but not all. Their students are less engaged and less motivated about learning. 

• How do school systems that may have a paucity of a "qualified teacher" (urban/rural schools) work to meet the requirements established by No Child Left Behind?

I think urban and rural schools are the ones that need great teachers the most. Often students are not exposed to things they need to know on State Tests (museums, vacations and other experiences). These teachers need to recreate these activities in the classroom to properly expose them to new vocabulary and experiences. No Child Left Behind really punishes the teacher and school because the schools can close or the teacher could be fired if their students are not performing where they should be. Often teachers are teaching things missed in other grades or have other areas they need to focus on before they can work on the curriculum.