Victoria Jensen
English 1010
Section 2
Jackie Burr
22 December 2017
American students are not receiving an optimal education because they are not being
taught effectively by their teachers. As a result of this quality of education, only 86% of students
within the state of Utah are graduating-many children in elementary grade levels are testing
below national averages and are failing to progress within the education system as they should
(Board of Education 3). In order to improve the education system, school district administrations
should allow their teachers more freedoms regarding how they teach in their classrooms.
Teachers should aspire to inspire their students with a love of gaining knowledge rather than
learning becomes more enjoyable and engaging (Benjamin 57). Learning is also more engaging
and effective when the instructor is highly qualified (Friel 2). To provide the highest quality
instruction for students, schools should asses each teacher’s abilities and qualifications to
effectively instruct prior to hiring. Within schools, teachers should utilize the resource of each
other-by sharing lesson plans, discussing teaching methods and shadowing other effective
teachers, teachers learn how to teach more effectively. By acknowledging the potential for
improved academic success within public school systems, due to making changes to how schools
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are run by teachers and administration, America can maintain a higher education system and
Students who experience the freedom of personal decision making in a school setting
Amy Benjamin, emphasizes the importance that students are given the opportunity to make
meaningful choices in school, “Having a choice gives students a sense of self-determination that
translates into increased commitment” (57). It is human nature to practice independence. During
the crucial developmental stage of a child’s life, students crave exploration to learn for
themselves. Knowledge is stored for longer periods of time and with more accuracy as material
is studied with both repetition and variance; another way teachers can provide an enjoyable and
effective environment for their students is by incorporating various methods of teaching and
testing into a curriculum. There is no need for all teachers to follow the same outline for their
lesson plans, how they choose to weight graded assignments and tests or how they choose to
captivate their students (Benjamin 58-59). Educators are capable of assessing their specific
situation within their schools, and formatting a plan specifically to their student’s needs.
Unfortunately, many great teachers are prohibited from teaching this way. In public schooling,
the state board of education sets requirements for each district-school districts then create
standardized tests and curriculum to be taught-principals and administration decide how that
curriculum will be taught within the school, restricting teachers from teaching how they please.
Award winning educator, Brian Le Starge, remarked in personal interview that being an educator
discouragement by the administration. Le Starge plans to change careers because of the policies
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pushed on him by a school administration with little teaching experience. The last thing students
need is abandonment by their inspirational teachers; state education boards should reevaluate
their methods of restricting teacher freedom. For knowledge and learning to thrive in public
schools, each student needs the opportunity to make meaningful choices to engage enjoyment
and comprehension-these choices can only be provided by teachers who are given freedom in
their classrooms.
Passionate teachers have the ability to engage an audience and inspire a love for subject
into each student. A student who enjoys and succeeds in school is more likely to have the desire
for a higher education, resulting in a greater chance of pursuing a stable career in the future
(Nazaryan 36). There are multiple reasons adults choose to pursue a career in teaching. The three
main components to be considered are their altruistic, intrinsic and extrinsic motivations
(Löfström 38). Typically, teachers are primarily motivated altruistically; they aspire to become
great teachers in order to share their passion of the subject, and increase the well-being of their
student’s lives. On the other hand, few teachers find the extrinsic value of a teacher’s salary
appealing, turning off many adults capable of pursuing a career in education. This poses a
serious problem in America: there is a shortage of qualified public school teachers. Debates are
often made over teacher salary in the United States, many believe that raising teacher benefits,
such as salary, will attract more qualified educators-improving the education system. However,
in research published by Brian Friel, no positive correlation is found between teacher salary and
student success (3). Data was collected from each state in America regarding teacher salaries,
4th-grade test scores compared with national averages, and percentage of high qualified teachers.
Unexpectedly, the 4th-grade testing scores percentages were not influenced by the teacher’s
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salary-disproving the theory that increasing teacher salary will attract better teachers and increase
student learning. The study also shows an interesting correlation between the percentage of
qualified teachers and 4th-grade test scores. States with above average testing scores had an
average of at least 80 percent of their teachers considered highly qualified (Friel 9). Altering the
salary of American teachers will not solve the issue of teacher shortages, nor will it improve the
quality of their current teaching. To attract more passionate and engaging teachers, public school
systems should provide a greater opportunity for highly qualified teachers to inspire their
Teachers are experts on the art of learning. They spend the waking moments of each day
discovering how to ingrain knowledge into the minds of their students. There are many
components that contribute to effective teaching. “Strong teachers insist that effective teaching is
neither mysterious nor magical. It is neither a function of dynamic personality nor dramatic
performance" (qtd. in Rippley 63). Many variables go into the art of teaching, an art seemingly
impossible to perfect; however, by utilizing the resource of each other to gain expertise in
teaching, teachers have potential to develop their abilities greater than they would be able to on
their own.
ideas, encouragement, tips, avenue for reflection, and a wealth of sources. But
planning time. This doesn't mean conversations in the copy room or having lunch
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together. Shared planning time means taking teachers away from their classrooms
every few weeks to have serious, focused, and businesslike discussions about
professional concerns. Ideally these sessions are conducted under the leadership
Initiating programs of collegiality into schools will decrease the amount of time teachers spend
perfecting their teaching methods, and increase the amount of time teachers have to focus on the
needs of their students. By utilizing teacher collaboration, students in each school will be given a
more equivalent education experience, a greater variety of learning technique will be used to
The ultimate goal for public school education is for each student to graduate highschool
and have the opportunity and desire for a higher level of education. In the state of Utah, racial
diversity and graduation rates have an association; however, race is not a determining factor for
experts, family income and race continue to be key factors in whether students do well in school,
but the most important factor in student achievement that schools can control is teacher quality”
(Friel 2). The greatest variable the education system can improve in order to increase the number
Figure 1: “Utah Graduation Rate by Student Group and School Year.” Chart. Data and Statistics.
Utah State Board of Education, December 1 2017. Web. 10 Dec. 2017.
In order to improve the education system in America, students must receive the highest
caliber education possible by being taught effectively by their teachers. By providing the
opportunity for personal decision making among students in the classroom setting, education
situation for mental growth. These practices of decision making and personal exploration in
public school systems are only possible when school administration provides each teacher with
the freedom necessary to teach this way. Passionate teachers who enjoy the teaching profession
have a greater potential to influence their students-they are motivated by their ability to inspire a
love of learning into each student. As schools seek to employ teachers with the desire to inspire
their students to gain love and respect for learning, student abilities will increase beyond their
previous capacities. The higher quality teachers schools employ, the greater education its
each child in America has the potential and the right to receive a fulfilling public education. Each
citizen of America should not be merely pushed through a system of standardized testing but
should be given the opportunity to gain meaningful knowledge. Outstanding teachers are the key;
teachers do not have to be abnormally intelligent or charismatic to engage their students, all that
is required is a desire to teach quality curriculum, motivation to inspire the youth, and
collaboration from other qualified teachers in order to effectively educate students and lead them
Works Cited
Benjamin, Amy. "Valuing Differentiated Instruction." Education Digest, vol. 72, no. 1, Sept.
Friel, Brian. "No Teacher Left behind." National Journal, vol. 36, no. 37, 11 Sept. 2004, p. 2712.
Löfström, Erika, et al. "Supporting Emerging Teacher Identities: Can We Identify Teacher
Potential among Students?." European Journal of Teacher Education, vol. 33, no. 2, May
Nazaryan, Alexander. "Goin' Old School." Newsweek Global, vol. 167, no. 6, 19 Aug. 2016,
Ripley, Amanda. "What Makes a Great Teacher?." Atlantic, vol. 305, no. 1, Jan/Feb2010, p. 58.
Stewart, Peggy. "The Progressive Teaching Initiative: A Cohesive Model for School
Transformation." Education Digest, vol. 78, no. 2, Oct. 2012, p. 36. EBSCOhost. Web.
12 Dec. 2017.
“Utah Graduation Rate by Student Group and School Year.” Chart. Data and Statistics.