I was a master teacher in my earlier life. Although it was in music I also taught remedial math..the basic stuff for kids who were math challenged. One year I had 175 students who were grade level deficient in math scores by over 3 years. Never mind that in a high school of 1,000 almost 20% could barely make change. It was the best year of my teaching life...sure beat being a University Professor by a long shot. 140 of that 175 made grade level in basic math skills. What happened?
I'm not going to brag on it because it was just common sense. Teach the student, don't teach the subject or the test. TEACH THE STUDENT. I had that drilled in me during my student teaching semester. We used to have our tutorial at 6am so we wouldn't miss a beat in the school day which was summer school so the kids were in 4 hour classes and I had 2 of them a day. He asked us every morning "what are you doing for a living or gonna do?" and the answer had better be automatically "I teach kids yada yada"...and never I teach math or I teach music.
My son is a teacher in NYC. The regents pass rate in his classes are the best in the school and rank at the top of all NYC schools. They have for a number of years. He isn't fluid in front of a class like some. He isn't an orator and most of all he isn't a martinet who teaches a "test to the kids". He teaches kids. The administration hates him. His kids are mediocre at NCLB. But when it comes to mastery of the subject..well his kids shine.
So...off my high horse. Sorry. But damn it I'm close to Social Security and there aren't going to be enough people contributing to it as it is and I want people to contribute to it that hold good jobs and know what they are doing..not just kids who can pass that one yearly test.