As many of you already know, I currently teach at the collegiate level and Mr. S teaches at the K-8 level, so education is very important in our home. We’ve read to our son since the moment they said he could hear our voices. We know that an education is the one thing that no one can take from you, and we fully intend to make sure he has the best education we can provide.
In a country where education is often heralded as the way to a better life, it amazes me that teachers are often still underpaid and unappreciated. The age old saying “those who can’t do…teach” is still prevalent in the way that teachers are treated. But, why? In my opinion, it’s because the people who control American education do not understand what a teacher does on a daily basis. We do not just sit in front of a class and require our students to repeat after us. We do not just assign busy work, so that our classroom is quiet. We are counselors, motivational speakers, mentors, and depending on what age you teach disciplinarians. We find creative ways to teach “requirements.” We change lives… almost every single person can identify one teacher who changed them in some way (good or bad). We also know that how you treat an employee translates into their overall job morale, so it’s no wonder that some teachers have reached their breaking point and are no longer going “above and beyond.” Who suffers? Our students. Let’s change how we treat our educators and see how many more of our students become scholars.
Eva Moskowitz and Arin Lavinia, authors of Mission Possible, understand this very idea. They knew that if they wanted their students to achieve more they needed to support their teachers as well. Teachers at their Success Academies receive more support and training than educators in other New York public schools, and since their students are beating the odds by leaps and bounds I think we can all learn something from their strategies. In Mission Possible, Moskowitz and Lavinia share how the techniques they use can work in any school. They discuss what happens when all the adults in a child’s life are working together towards the same goal. They even share simple classroom techniques and lessons that can help you take your students to the next level.
Interested in talking to the author? Connect with Eva Moskowitz on Facebook and Twitter.
Do you want to receive a copy of Mission Possible? One lucky Mamademics reader will receive a copy of this awesome book thanks to the authors. If you win a copy of the book, you will be a step ahead for the Mamademics book club. We will be reading Mission Possible together this fall. To enter the giveaway follow the instructions below on Rafflecopter. This giveaway closes August 10, 2012 at midnight (EST).
Disclaimer: “I was compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.”
