What I’ve Learned: Classrooms Need Technology But Nothing Beats a Great Teacher
Educators may spend their careers preparing lessons, but often the most memorable are those they learn themselves. With that in mind, NEA Today asked school staff – everyone from classroom teachers and bus drivers to guidance counselors and school nurses – to share the everyday lessons they’ve picked up along the way in a series called “What I’ve Learned.”
Tracey Matt is a Language Arts educator at Albia Community High School in Albia, Iowa, where she teaches 11th grade English and Contemporary Literature for 10-12th graders. Over the course of her 19 years in the classroom, she says she learns something new every week, if not every day. Following are some of her lessons learned.
I have learned that, in an ever changing world of technology, nothing can take the place of a great teacher. Students need the personal connection of a well-versed instructor to guide them through their learning. The role of a teacher is no longer to disseminate information that kids regurgitate back for a grade – a teacher should be there to help students maximize technology, and to nurture, guide, and encourage kids to explore, research, create, and develop their skills to allow them to compete in a global world and economy. It takes a great teacher to foster independent learners. This must be done with the use of technology on the forefront, but it should not supersede the importance of an instructor.
Language arts teacher Tracey Matt
Today more than ever, teachers have to make profound connections with students to keep them engaged in the classroom. Kids today have so many distractions to their learning that didn’t exist even five years ago. If a teacher isn’t a dynamic presenter of instruction with compelling real world activities, students will tune out very quickly. I’ve learned that the best way to engage them is to always listen to their
