How much ‘value’ can teachers really add to student achievement?
Chris Gilbert teaches English at a high school and community college in North Carolina. His work has written for the English Journal of the National Council of Teachers of English, the Language Experience Forum Journal and for this blog. He is a 2013 recipient of national council’s Paul and Kate Farmer Writing Award.By Chris Gilbert
As a high school English teacher, it’s heartening to think I can “add value” to all of my students. Unfortunately, this is completely unrealistic. I can prepare engaging lessons that appeal to different learning styles, maturity levels, and backgrounds. I can also repeat, reteach, and communicate my concerns to students and parents; my influence, though, is ultimately limited. I cannot force students to engage with curriculum, nor can I control study habits outside of my classroom. I cannot negate the effects of poverty, and I am challenged by a system increasingly subjected to misguided reforms, slashed funding, and excessive testing. Teaching is a messy art involving numerous, unpredictable variables and participants, and the learning process spans multiple venues and points in time. A fair evaluation instrument would address this multifaceted reality. The value-added instrument currently utilized in North Carolina and many
