Characteristic
|
Examples
|
| Understand
and Meet Students' Needs
|
Personal
needs Educational needs Skills and technical needs |
| Establish
and Maintain Relationships with the Workplace
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Setting
up internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing Meeting with business and industry |
| Know
the Workplace (micro and macro views)
|
Know
the needs of the local business and community economic base as well as a
knowledge of the global economy
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| Communicate
Effectively about School-to-Work Programs
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Listening
skills Oral communication skills, including telephone and interpersonal skills Writing skills |
| Be
Adaptable and Open to Change
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Flexibility Willingness to change with technological advances |
| Demonstrate
Positive Attitudes Toward Work
|
Care
and concern for others Views work (as a concept) in a positive light, with the realization that the economy is based on the local workforce |
| Be
Professional in Appearance and Conduct
|
Neat Dependable and organized Personable |
| Apply
School Learning to the Workplace
|
Can
give practical workplace examples of how school-based learning is applied in
the workplace
|
| Know
Schools and Schooling
|
Knowledge
of school-based learning beyond own personal discipline
|
| Be
Knowledgeable and Competent in Teaching Area
|
Keep
abreast of changing technology
|
| Be
Creative and Innovative in Teaching
|
Use
of contextual learning projects, simulations, role plays, group assignments,
unique field trips, and other teaching strategies
|
| Be
Committed to Teaching
|
Go
the "extra mile" when dealing with students as well as with the business
community Committed to learning |
Supporting this characteristic of accepting students, a business person from another site noted that "[teachers] have to understand that each student's needs are different." Further elaborating on this idea, two business owners stated,
[The teacher] has to establish a relationship on a one to one basis either through an interview process or viewing the student in the classroom while trying to teach the vocation to see how the student is learning. . . . So the first thing is trying to understand what the student's needs are. The most important characteristic for a teacher to have is an ability to reach their students. [Teachers] must be able to communicate with them, be able to motivate them, be able to understand what makes them tick.A Chamber of Commerce president also mentioned the need for accepting students. This person commented,
. . . educators need the ability to work with students at different levels, just as is done in business. There's no cookie cutter way to treat any one person because they're all different, and something will trigger with one person that doesn't with someone else. . . . I think the ability to identify particular needs within the students is extremely important.Guidance counselors mentioned the need to accept students and to understand that students have different learning styles and different needs. Comments from guidance counselors at different sites follow:
[Teachers must have] a willingness to accept individual learning differences in students. I think knowledge of occupations that their subject matter relates to and willingness to stay up on the world of work [are important. They must] lose the total emphasis given to high academic achievement for the sake of going to an elite university. One of our teachers said, "I don't care what their leaning styles are, this is the way I teach and they better learn this way." That's the kind of thing that bothers me. There has to be a willingness to listen and learn [different ways to teach]. The fact is that only 20% of our kids learn the way a lot of teachers teach because it's still that old traditional "feed it back to me" teaching.
[Teachers] have to be sensitive to the needs of kids who may be afraid or who may not feel they have what it takes and they've got to be convincing [in showing] that you can be successful. [The teachers] have got to have some success stories so they can make students believe in what the program is about.A school board member reinforced the need for teachers to value students:
I think each teacher needs to ask the questions: What am I here for? Am I here for the benefit of these students? Or am I here to please myself and do what I want to do? And I think if you answer the former, then your heart and mind is going to be open to undertaking the sort of training and initiatives required [for a successful school-to-work effort].The characteristic of caring was also noted as important by a business person who said,
I think [teachers] really need to like students. And I think this needs to come across in their body language, how they articulate, what they say to students, how they work with them on a day-by-day basis. That's very important. I think when people feel good about themselves, you can get them to do anything.Administrators, including school-to-work coordinators, also supported the need for teachers to care about and value students. "They must know their students a lot better than most educators" noted a high school principal. Continuing, the principal said,
I'll be blunt about it, teachers are student advocates. They know more about kids than just what their course delivers. They're in tune with kids and they accommodate them. Yet the most important thing is they care about kids. And that may sound fuzzy, but the teacher must care about kids and the kids must know [that they do].School-to-work coordinators at two different sites noted the need for teachers to care about students:
[Teachers need] just true interest in the student, not just coming to earn a paycheck, but to really be there to help the kids and be willing to work toward the goal of molding the student to be that good employee. In terms of personality, I think above and beyond, they basically have to be an advocate for that kid and they have to really, at all costs, be looking at what's best for a kid, not what's best for a system or a program or even a business for that matter.Caring about students was also considered an important characteristic needed by vocational teachers. A health occupations teacher stated, "I wholeheartedly believe the very first thing is to really care for your students. That's number one . . . you need to care about them." Adding to what the health occupations teacher said, a home economics teacher noted, "They have to see the student as being a prized possession. Something that is cherished and loved that can be successful." The following statements from a drafting teacher and an auto mechanics teacher further illustrate the need to value students:
[Teachers] have to have the attitude that they care about students and have to prove that they accept all kids where they are, as they are, and then push them as far as the students' sanity and the teacher's sanity will allow. Of course, all of us know teachers have to have a positive attitude and be willing to work with every type of student that they face and look at them as being able to train them for some particular job in the automotive industry whether it is changing tires or rebuilding engines.Mentioning the need to value students, a social studies teacher noted that teachers "need to look at the student as an individual, not as some type of generic mass of humanity." Further, the teacher who can successfully help students transition to work, was described by a guidance counselor as one who "cares that students are going to be successful" and who cares about "what they're doing each day."
A mathematics teacher stated that "good teachers have to know where they are going and lead each student to it and then let the student explore." Here again, a teacher indicated the need to develop each student. The idea of developing students was also mentioned by a personnel recruiter from business who stated "the teacher must take a genuine interest in the student and care whether the student succeeds or continues to go through the process of improving."
With curriculum content, we tried to get at that level where teaching and learning makes the most difference, and what we have decided that level to be is in the individual classroom between the individual student and the individual teacher. That's where learning can be enhanced. That's where achievement can be enhanced. That's where the action takes place. We can have global goals for schools, but until they are reduced to that basic level where that interaction is enhanced and there is quality interaction between the teacher and the student, we haven't accomplished anything.A restaurant manager confirming the importance of teachers interacting with students said, "The most important thing for a teacher to have to be successful is an ability to reach and interact with their students." Agreeing with this manager's observation, a science teacher said, ". . . being a teacher you have to be able to interact with people, and in particular with students, and be able to have a good relationship with them." From a guidance counselor's perspective, being able to interact with students was described as the "teachers being approachable, so that students can feel comfortable in coming to them and asking questions."
"You [the teacher] would definitely have to have a good working relationship with your students," noted an auto mechanics teachers. Other vocational teachers supported the need to interact positively with students. The following examples from a health occupations teacher and a cooperative work experience coordinator, illustrate this characteristic:
I've found right from the beginning of teaching that you can find one or more wonderful things about anybody. So find out that wonderful thing right off the bat . . . and concentrate on it. Maybe when the student acts inappropriately for the tenth time, it's hard to remember those things, but if you just remember the good points and concentrate on those, you can really [work with the student]. [Teachers] have to spend a little more time listening to the students. I think it is a natural thing for one adult to listen to another one. I think it is an acquired skill for a 40-year-old to listen to a 16-year-old. I'm not sure we teachers do that as well as we should.
A business representative emphasized the need for teachers "to know how to link themselves with the workplace, with government organizations, and with the community in general." At another site an industrial coordinator explained the idea of linking more fully:
[Teachers must] see how they're linked and must see from both sides. They have an opportunity to let business and industry know what goes on in the schools. So, it's a two way street . . . [The teachers] build enough rapport so they can come in and [help business] understand the reasoning as to why some of the things are done as they are in the educational system. . . . [Business] can then get a real understanding of why things are taught the way they are and can clear up a lot of doubts business may have and break down a lot of barriers that exist between educational institutions and business. And when [educators] break those barriers down, then they have the opportunity to work with private industry.Addressing linking from a different perspective, a business representative stated,
I don't think there is anything more important than [teachers] understanding what businesses need and then doing what they can to provide that . . . . [Teachers and business] have to be able to get together and communicate and develop some consensus. . . . [Teachers] need to be able to talk to businesspeople and say "What do you need and what is really important to you?"A language arts teacher perceived having businesspeople come to the school as an important component of linking. The teacher explained,
I'd like to see business leaders come into the schools and connect with the teachers--all of them, and have, for example, a whole day of workshops where business leaders explain exactly what they need. They could come to us and say what type of student they need. . . . I'd like to see us meeting about once a month with businesses and asking "Are things getting better?"An English teacher pointed out that teachers "have to be willing to accept that there is a world out there that was not there when they were kids. Teachers have to try to learn enough of what's going on to keep current." Teachers realized that to do this would take time and would require getting out of the school and classroom. A business teacher noted that "the teacher has to participate professionally whether it be on the business tours, helping chaperone the job shadowing, or taking part in career fairs." This teacher continued, "I just think teachers have to be active outside their classrooms." An early childhood teacher also confirmed the need for making "those contacts in the community and spending time outside the school day to be involved with businesses." Elaborating on the benefits of teachers being involved with business outside the classroom, a transportation teacher noted,
I walk into a business and say "I'm a vocational instructor and I'm here to help." It's like the IRS trying to help, and the business person is not going to let me help until that person has confidence that I have the ability to help. . . . That's why I think it's important to get out into industry and work with businesspeople and to talk with them occasionally. Just go by and visit and see what's new. It's thrilling to have someone from industry call and say "I've got a problem and I don't know you, but I heard by word-of-mouth that you can help."A technical college dean also spoke to the importance of teachers linking actively with the workplace:
[Most teachers] have never existed outside the educational system as a professional. . . . Their real understanding of life issues that businesses face today are absolutely out of touch. And businesses are somewhat out of touch with what the real issues [are] that teachers face in our schools today.Further, a principal noted that teachers "have to keep connections with the workplace." He said, "They can't just talk about what the workplace is like, they have to go out there and work at it. [They must] have connections, linkages, and they have to keep current." Business representatives were particularly emphatic in identifying the need for teachers to be able to get involved in the workplace. As one noted,
I think teachers should not just stay in the classroom. Every so often, they should go out into the workplace and see what is going on. That would not only give them an idea as to how they can update their curriculums, but they might also be able to give the employer some idea of how to improve based on what is being done in the classroom.At the same site, a restaurant owner noted,
If you are a teacher in the Food Service Department, . . . I would certainly make sure that I wrote letters on a regular basis or had personal communications with at least one successful person in the fast food industry, a manager or regional manager. I would make sure I had regular communications with somebody in the hotel industry, as well as made acquaintances with both the community college food services professionals and a private enterprise restaurant owner. I'd make sure I had at least five people in my bag of tricks that I could call on and say "I'd like you to come in, if you wouldn't mind and give me an hour of your time and talk to my students."At another site, an owner of a child-care center spoke positively of the relationship she had with the child care program teacher. The owner explained,
[The teacher] seeks input from us, she asks for suggestions. She asks how what she is doing helps the students who work here, and she asks what could be done differently. She tries as much as she can to make connections with us out in the community to see how we can help her better the program.A workforce development coordinator described the need for teachers being committed to involvement with the workplace.
[Teachers] need to be willing to take a little bit of extra time because it's going to take a little extra time to call the businesses, to do the worksite visits. . . . If I'm the math teacher, I need to take time to call the appropriate person at the worksite to get the flavor for "Hey, if I do this in my classroom, is this going to be helpful for you if the students comes to work for you?" So teachers need to take the extra time.Knowing how to approach, meet, and work with people from the workplace was perceived as an important skill needed by teachers. Classically describing this skill, a vocational teacher noted, "you've got to be able to go out there and you've got to be able to walk the walk with a business person, you've got to be able to talk the talk, and you've got to know when to push and when to back off." An autocad teacher saw the need for "being very organized up front and knowing what you're going to ask the employer before you sit down with the employer as helpful." And a math teacher cautioned teachers to go to the worksite and "be very courteous and respectful of whatever the work is." This teacher also noted that teachers need to approach businesspeople with a lack of arrogance. A business teacher saw the need for knowing what to say and how to say it as follows:
When I was working with [a major employer in the area], there were a lot of people who wanted to tell me just what was wrong with education. And you have to listen to that because some of what they say is real. And say to them "yes that is a good point, but what do [you] think we can do about it," instead of being on the defensive. . . . [Further], I have found that people who are most critical sometimes are the ones willing to help if you approach them by asking "how can you help me" instead of "you don't know what you are talking about."A guidance counselor felt that teachers needed relationship building skills, being able to work "one-on-one with the employers to develop the teachers' credibility." Adding to this point, a guidance counselor at another site felt that teachers needed to get to know businesspeople personally so that "when picking up the phone, it's not Mr. `this,' it's Jerry [or whatever the person's first name is]."
Businesspeople mentioned that teachers should know how to ask for help. Describing how this might be done, a bank officer said,
[Teachers] have got to feel comfortable in asking people to do things for them that they've never asked them to do before. And if they don't feel comfortable in asking someone in a business setting to help, they can't do it. [Helping students transition to work] is a cooperative effort, teachers can't do it unless business is willing to help. The other thing is teachers have to learn how to get information in a hurry because businesspeople do not have a lot of time to give to this effort. So [teachers] have to be able to communicate quickly what they want business to do and what are the [anticipated] outcomes.In addition, a school-to-work director commented about asking the individuals in the workplace for help:
What [teachers] need to realize is that if they'll approach a business person and let that person know this kid is not finished yet and we're looking at this as you being able to contribute to that, the businesses take on a wonderful role of being part of the extended family. They say, "Hey great, we can help."Several interviewees addressed the importance of teachers being able to mediate student problems that might be encountered in workplace settings. One employer described the process as follows:
[Teachers] are going to have to be a mediator in some cases between the student and the company. They're going to have to have their educational hat on to determine what the requirements of the business are. They need to have good observation skills in particular instances and translate from business jargon to academic jargon [for their students].Speaking to the role of teachers as mediators between businesses and students, a marketing teacher described what the teacher needs to do:
You must not over-react when a situation comes up and the student's ready to quit or the employer's ready to toss the kid, that type of thing. You must be the calm amongst the storm so to speak, and not believe completely either one. I tell the students that I am going to tend to side with the employer because I'm going to have to work with the employer after the student is gone. I'm a student advocate, but many times I have to side with business and industry.Being involved in the community at large was seen as a way for teachers to build relationships with businesses. Teachers should "get more involved in community, civic, and social organizations" noted a Chamber of Commerce president. A school board member extended the idea of teacher involvement in the community to one of teachers and students volunteering. The school board member discussed the significance of this involvement, stating,
The students in the [health occupations] program actually go into nursing homes and give some of their time as part of their classwork. . . . The medical profession or the nursing home community is always ready with open arms to have anybody come in and help. . . . It would be nice if there was a way to take that model and apply it to other types of businesses so that students in other fields could volunteer their time to actually do tasks of businesses. . . . When you think of it from a business perspective, the business person will automatically realize that any time devoted to working with a student is going to be a cost. . . . If schools develop a program where students go out in the community and offered services on a volunteer basis, I think there might be a wider exposure for the students to be able to go out and test their educational experiences in the real world.Summing up the importance of community involvement for teachers, an employment manager noted,
I think [teachers] need to have contacts within the businesses. If a student has an interest in a certain area, maybe the teacher can guide that student to an internship or a summer job or may just have a speaker come in and talk to the class. Or talk to that one student, one on one. [Teachers] need to be involved in the community; not just in the school community, but with people in the workplace. . . . I realize that we're all busy doing our jobs, but I think there are opportunities for all of us to get involved. If not during the day, in the evenings [when] all types of business networking opportunities [are available].
[Teachers must] be willing to change and keep up with new demands of the world and recognize them and know that even here we are talking about the shrinking world and its global economy. . . . You know we've got people here who may become international bankers, marketers, and entrepreneurs.A high school assistant principal described this knowledge more in terms of helping students, saying that teachers need to relate to "local goals as far as where we would like our students to be in the year 2000." Continuing, the principal noted that teachers need to think about "what types of jobs will be available in the area and how do we train our students to be employable in those positions in 2000 and 2010." Another administrator suggested that the way for teachers to gain this knowledge is "to do a lot of reading and a lot of communicating to know what's going on in the business world." This administrator suggested that teachers read a special section of the local paper that provided business information.
Two school-to-work coordinators addressed the need for teachers to understand the business climate:
[Teachers need] an understanding of what's going on in the workplace, which jobs are doing well, which industries are doing well, which are doing poorly. . . . Basically, they need a good idea of what's going on within the workplace right now and what's anticipated to happen within the next year or two. Traditionally, this area has had a high percentage of manufacturing. Well, two big employers have just gone out of business. . . . The manufacturers are struggling here because a lot of work is being done in other countries where the labor is cheaper. So, like it or not, this area is being forced to change. [Teachers need] to look ahead, see what's predicted and make the changes in their curriculum when they see trends. [Teachers need] to pick up a paper, listen to the news, just be aware of what's happening in their area.Interviewees from businesses and community representatives, many of whom were also businesspeople, were concerned that teachers lack an understanding of the business environment. Elaborating, a manager of a manufacturing business stated, "We would like teachers to have a sensitivity, understanding, and appreciation for the free enterprise system. The importance of total quality in a job well done." Another business person describing the dichotomy between the business world and the school world, explained
I think there has to be some education by the workplace to the teacher population of what [business] is all about. . . . I don't like to generalize, but sometimes education is such an overwhelming profession that maybe there isn't time or effort left [for teachers] to see what all of us regular people in the business world do. I think there needs to be an appreciation for those of us in business."I think sometimes our teachers have taught for so long or that's the only job they've ever had that they don't fully understand the workplace" noted a school board member. Discussing the difference between the school world and the business world, a school board member at another site who was also a business person, said
[Teachers] have to understand when they're talking to businesspeople that the framework is bottom lines, margins, and dollars. In this area there's a lot of openness in the workplace to assisting education and listening and trying to help. . . . [However], if the teacher can know something about the business person's needs and problems, I think that educator could bring a lot of success, or the likelihood of success, to partnerships [with business] being made.Interestingly, a school-to-work director commented on the need for teachers to know what business can and cannot do for education. The director said,
Teachers will go out to the workplace and they don't understand how business works, they don't understand the structure, the timelines, and just the intricacies of being in business. They will request things that are unreasonable and at the same time overlook obvious things that they didn't know were available.Another school-to-work coordinator discussed the fact that businesses are not out there to be an adjunct to the school system. The coordinator emphasized that schools need to be sensitive to the fact that "businesses are in business to make money." They may be willing to open their doors to educators, but educators must understand their perspective. Adding to this idea, a business manager at a large manufacturing plant discussed the difference between school and work and the need for change in the school environment as follows:
One of the first things [educators] need to look at is attendance because you cannot have a bad attendance record at this company. . . . The difference is "I'll go to school whenever I want," while on the job [its] "I have to get this done, I am responsible and accountable to people who are down the line from me. I am going to be customer oriented." So I sense a difference between the corporate culture and the education culture.Businesspeople and administrators perceived that teachers need to be knowledgeable of the rapid changes occurring in the workplace. "Things that were emphasized five years ago" need to be examined as to whether they are appropriate for today's business manager. Explaining some of the change that has occurred in the workplace, an industry coordinator said,
We have gone from that one level, one operation type thing where a person could come in and do the same thing routinely over and over again to a point in time where a problem is developed and a team gets together and solves that problem, or at least a [worker] knows how to move toward solving it or getting the answers to solve the problem.A community college business management dean explained that teachers "keeping current is probably most important especially in the business world. It's changing quickly, [for example], computers that were first-line five years ago are way out-of-date today." Further discussing the need for teachers to stay current with regard to workplace changes, an assistant principal discussed the fate of computer programming training:
Ten years ago, we had computer programming and all of the high schools had computer programming classes. . . . There are probably a million people out there who started out taking computer programming classes now doing something else. When the timber industries started failing they said take training in computer programming. . . . Now, how many computer programmers are out there? Not that many. . . . So, now I don't know what our present example of computer programming might be.A director of business services summed up the need for teachers to be aware of the changing work environment:
[Teachers] need to keep on top of changes in the workforce and different things like new technologies and changing jobs in general. . . . Teachers need to be aware generally of what is going on in the workplace in terms of new jobs, in terms of where opportunities are, where good jobs are.Businesspeople, administrators, and teachers spoke to the need for teachers to be knowledgeable of skills needed in the workplace. For example, a community representative from industry stated that teachers need to know "the value of math and of a basic understanding of science in the workplace"; while an economic development corporation vice president felt that teachers need to realize that "many factories are highly technical, highly automated, and they need to prepare students for these jobs with math and problem solving skills." An industry representative from another site commented that a teacher needs to know what skills are needed to enter the workplace and see that students get those skills. Discussing workplace skills, a restaurant owner who was sponsoring a school-to-work intern from a culinary arts program noted that a variety of skills are needed:
It takes a lot for a customer to sit down and get good service and good food in a comfortable atmosphere. It takes a team of people to do that. It takes a good waitress, a good cook, and obviously a good manager. Not just cooking, that's just one small part of it. . . . [Culinary arts students] need to know the entire business. They can't just be great cooks. [On the job], they must figure out food costs, not yell at the waitresses, and get along with the manager.Confirming the need for broad-based skills that the interviewees from the workplace described, a technical center administrator said,
Don't send us a person in manufacturing that has a very narrow scope and a very deep intensity in one area of study. In other words, don't send us a machinist that is an absolute expert lathe operator but doesn't understand computer-aided drafting, computer-aided manufacturing, metallurgy, principles of welding, pneumatics, hydraulics, and marketing. . . . [We are, however,] turning out teachers with this narrower and narrower, more specialized focus that's going in exactly the opposite direction of this.Giving the teachers' perspective on their need for knowing the skills of the workplace, a science teacher said "we don't know what an employer wants and when students go out and can't give the employer what is wanted, then, we haven't done our job." Adding to this comment, an auto body teacher said, "we must have good information about what industry requires, what industry wants." A business teacher more fully discussing the need for teachers to know skills of the workplace stated,
I think [knowing skills needed] is really important. What skills does the student have to have. What skills are required, and so I guess that goes back to communication with the business. What is that particular business looking for. What will it take for the student to do the work successfully.To address the problem of teachers knowing skills needed in the workplace, a guidance counselor reported,
We're going to bring in businesspeople, people who are involved in vocational education beyond high school, and some college people. We're going to listen to what they're looking for.
The impression I have about a lot of teachers from when I was going to school is that typically they go through college, earn their teaching certificate, get their degree, and right off they go into teaching. They may not have ever worked in private industry, in manufacturing, or an office setting, so they may not have an idea of what is required there.A vice president for an economic development corporation felt that teachers perceived factory work as "dirty and `grungy,' while many factories are highly technical, highly automated." Summing up the concern that businesspeople have about teachers' knowledge of the workplace, a workforce development director noted,
[Teachers] need to have some first-hand knowledge and therefore direct interaction with people from the work place. . . . They need to become actively involved and avail themselves of the interaction [with business] that is available to them.Administrators also perceived that teachers need knowledge of the world of work. A community college dean noted that "they need to know it extremely well and therefore need to get out and see it first hand." Adding to this comment, a high school principal felt that many teachers live in a world isolated from the workplace. "They need to be personally knowledgeable of the world of work," he said. An assistant principal promoted teacher internships as a good way for them to gain this knowledge, commenting, "[I think teachers] need to get out and see [the workplace]. I wish there were six-week internships, or ten-week internships, . . . where we could put all teachers so they could see how real job settings, where our students will be going, are [structured]." A school-to-work coordinator reinforced the need for teachers to know the workplace before being involved in school-to-work efforts, stating,
My advice would be to take that teacher and match the teacher up with the local Chamber of Commerce first and get the teacher involved at that level. Then, set up some release time where the teacher can go and just visit businesses for no other purpose than to visit; don't even think about starting a school-to-work partnership because the first thing they have to do is understand the nature of the beast they're working with if they go out and try to start partnerships.Reinforcing the administrators' comments, a community representative discussed the preparation of teachers as follows:
There ought to be more emphasis on their getting out into the community to actually see behaviors that employers value. . . . The more time that teachers can spend in a variety of different work environments the more relevant they can make their curriculum.Several vocational teachers addressed the importance of teachers having first-hand knowledge of the workplace. An auto mechanics teacher said, "You have to stay current in your [teaching] field; you wouldn't want to teach information that's outdated." One way this teacher kept current was through information secured from friends in industry. Confirming what the auto mechanics instructor said, a health specialties teacher reported,
[Teachers] need to understand what's going on in business, what are the business's needs. So we have to communicate with businesses. . . . When I started this health specialties program, I didn't know much about dental or veterinarian. So what I did one summer was took all these books home and I studied and I learned and I went to the dentists' offices, the veterinarians' offices, to all the different places my students were going to be. And, I got a feel for what the students had to know and had them tell me what the students needed to know.Having a background of actual work experience was perceived as an important way for teachers to gain knowledge of the workplace. A community action program representative noted that a teacher "needs to have some business experience to have a real feeling for what business is like." A community member at another site, providing reinforcement for teachers having actual work experience, said "The more time that teachers can spend in a variety of different work environments the more relevant they can make their curriculum."
Naturally, a number of vocational teachers cited actual work experience as important. "They have to have a working knowledge of the industry related to their teaching," said an auto mechanics teacher. Continuing the teacher added, "They have to have experience in industry. You don't learn that out of a textbook or by watching a video. Work experience in the industry is [essential]." A cooperative work experience teacher with a background of working in the steel mills of Pittsburgh said that for most teachers working in industry is "totally beyond their comprehension." This teacher noted that "[It] takes a great deal of experience to know what is involved in that transition at the age of 16 or 17 to the [world of work]." A business teacher indicated that after college, "I did work in industry for five years in several different jobs and that has helped me." Another business teacher supported the need for actual work experience stating,
I've had experiences with running my own business and that experience helps me be better at doing the school-to work program versus a [teacher] coming straight from college.Expressing the need for teachers to have work experience to be effective in school-to-work settings, a health occupations teacher explained,
I'm in health occupations, my background is nursing, I'm a nurse first. I think teachers need to have knowledge of the field they're trying to provide instruction in.
[Teachers] need to be able to communicate with people, they need to be able to communicate with business, they need to keep the lines of communication open at all times. I think sometimes we [educators] get off in our own little world and feel like we are up-to-date when we're really way behind.Businesspeople explained that effective communication includes listening. A store manager emphasized that teachers promoting school-to-work activities need to be "good communicators and good listeners." Further expanding on this idea, a human resource manager for a manufacturing company noted,
Teachers want to be in control and teachers who tend to be in control sometimes don't listen well. . . . [Teachers] need to listen to people in the workplace, listen to the students, and be creative in how they teach students.Knowing how to communicate was addressed by school-to-work coordinators in different settings. A technical center school-to-work coordinator described a horticulture teacher who "is not comfortable with formal presentations nor putting his thoughts and ideas down on paper, but is very comfortable with [local horticulture business] owners. His interaction with the community is on a personal one-to-one basis." Expanding on how teachers can effectively communicate with businesspeople, a community college technology coordinator suggested the following:
The real key to [communicating] is listening and never being afraid to state your point of view. And never be offended by anybody's remarks. It's a laid-back, easy attitude approach that really works. Most businesspeople, amazingly to me, are good in their businesses but they're nervous about being in an education setting. I think we need to make them at ease, bring them into the fold.When communicating about school-to-work transition, teachers need to show enthusiasm. They "must have the desire to know what's going on in the business world, that enthusiasm for knowing what is so important," stated a business owner. However, an attorney who sponsored student interns was concerned that not all teachers seem to have the needed enthusiasm for what they are doing. Using the word "excited," an employment manager described how teachers must feel to communicate effectively:
I've worked with educators, and you can tell those that are excited about the program and those who are just going through the phases because they think it's right and, you know, we have to deal with this. But those that really have an excitement and want to take that back to the students, there's a real difference in them.A school-to-work coordinator characterized the teachers who communicate effectively as "real go-getters." They are "willing to do what it takes to reach a goal instead of just sitting back and waiting for things to come to them." The coordinator continued, explaining that they are "visionaries that can see things that aren't there yet." A principal characterized these people as "real shakers and bakers." He said, "I have to ask myself what makes them the shakers and bakers?" The one common trait the principal saw these teachers as having was being "enthusiastic about what they do." Summing up the need for being enthusiastic, a vice principal described a core of six teachers who spearheaded school-to-work efforts as follows:
[These teachers] have to be very excited about what they are doing and they have to communicate that excitement not only to students, but to staff members. They have to be enthusiastic, have high energy. We have that. I mean the teachers have gotten me so excited about Tech Prep and school-to-work and they have gotten this school on board in many ways.Echoing the need for enthusiasm for school-to-work efforts, a transportation teacher said,
[Teachers] need to have a positive attitude that they can be professionals because attitude and enthusiasm are very catching. If I'm excited and I'm enthused then pretty soon you're excited and enthused and if I feel good about what we're doing then you're going to feel good about what we're doing. The industries, the students, the teachers, everybody has to have a bit of enthusiasm and excitement and like what they're doing. It's very catching when people are excited and interested in what they [are] doing which is a definite plus [in school-to-work activities].A school board member describing the excellent technical programs available through the cities schools was concerned that the teachers "haven't done a real good job marketing their programs." To effectively communicate about school-to-work, a bank manager recommended that teachers assume the role of salespersons, promoters of the program. "You've got to be able to convince the businesspeople to work with you, to work with your students, and you've got to be able to communicate with them," stated the bank manager. A technical center placement director felt that the way to achieve this goal was "to have good rapport with businesspeople because you need to talk to them and get them to help you."
Vocational teachers involved in finding work-based learning experiences for their students discussed the importance of selling both the program and their students. A manufacturing and welding technology teacher characterized what the teacher needs to do as "you have to go to these businesses and you have to convince them that you are interested in providing them with a service and a product that they want." One way to do this noted a food production teacher is to "let them know that you are skilled in your area and that you [have] students prepared with the job skills that are important to them." A technology teacher at another site found that teachers must use "the what's in it for me perspective" in promoting their programs to businesspeople. They must let the businesspeople know how they will benefit. Continuing, this teacher stated,
The most important thing is to have good communication skills and be able to convince people that what you are doing is important. I think you have to be able to sell them on the advantages to them. Why should they be involved. . . . If you tell most teachers they have to be salespersons, they say no, I'm just a teacher.A health occupations teacher described the same need for teachers to be able to sell their programs and students commenting,
We're taking time out of [business peoples'] busy day for them to be partnering with the students, so we basically have to sell the program to them. Then you have to be available to them so if problems come up, they know you can do the problem solving.
[Teachers] need flexibility to recognize how quickly things are changing and be able to adapt to that. . . . [But,] flexibility is sometimes difficult to deal with in education because [educators] tend to be more bureaucratic and more set in their ways. They need to be willing to listen; they need to be open to change.Teachers themselves addressed the need for being open to change. "You have to be open minded, you have to be willing to learn, constantly willing to learn, you can't just learn your content area and plan to deliver it the same way for thirty years," noted an English teacher. Being flexible and able to relate to a wide variety of people was seen as important by a math teacher. A social studies teacher also saw the need for teachers to change, stating,
[Teachers] have to be willing and open-minded when they go out and talk with others and to learn from others. Basically going out and getting their hands dirty with industry. [They must] sit down with that industry and be willing to learn whatever industry people are saying. I think that often some teachers kind of deal with philosophy of education rather than the realities of education.A community college dean of career and technical education noted that teachers are not going to be able to teach as they have taught in the past and they will need to change their course content much more quickly than they would have 15 years ago. Teachers must realize that just as in business, "what worked yesterday won't necessarily work today" stated a human relations director from industry. Discussing how teachers can adapt to changes required for school-to-work transition, an autocad teacher commented,
I think it's important that teachers are willing to change even if it's just a little bit at a time. If you remember what it was like to first learn a computer, you probably thought, "I can write this faster by hand than I can put it into this dumb computer." But then you found that computers weren't so bad and their use had advantages, and made it easier. . . . So for school-to-work, teachers need to pull things that they're already doing that are school-to-work [related] and take them a step further. Build on something they already know and are already working with, but they have to be willing to change.Teachers should bring to their classrooms "new workplace information," said a Chamber of Commerce director citing the need for teachers to exhibit open-mindedness. A principal perceived a need for teachers to understand that in business "techniques, technology, everything is changing." Some teachers, however, "aren't accepting feedback from business," noted a guidance counselor addressing the need for teachers to be flexible and adaptable. A school-to-work coordinator spoke about how teachers must change:
First of all and foremost is a willingness [for teachers] to change. Willing to have an outlook on today's industry and today's technology. None of the instructors at this school are fixed in the sense of "This is the technique I learned. I'm not going to change." Teachers have to have the attitude to accept change and to improve themselves.Several interviewees expressed concern about teachers changing the way they teach. For example, a Chamber of Commerce president saw educators as "resistant to change, [they've] done things the same way for so long." A school board member expressed similar concern stating, "Teachers do what they want to after the door of the classroom closes." Continuing, the school board member said, "Unless their hearts and minds are oriented towards doing things in a systematically different way, it's simply not going to happen." Agreeing, a guidance counselor noted, "Teachers cannot be resistant to change and insist on teaching as they've always done."
Teachers themselves expressed concern about implementing changes in instruction. An early childhood teacher saw the need for "an open attitude and being flexible in terms of accepting other people's standards." Further, a social studies teacher saw a need "to be very flexible and willing to change the use of allotted class time."
Addressing what was seen as the narrow perception teachers have of learning, an associate superintendent said, "Teachers need to recognize that education is not confined by the four walls of their classrooms and that there are very good learning experiences that happen outside of their classrooms." In support of this superintendent's observation, a school-to-work coordinator commented,
[Teachers] need to be open-minded. Many of the teachers who have taught for years and years and years still have the mindset that learning [only] takes place in the classroom. It's a new concept that a lot of learning takes place outside the classroom. And a ton of it does. Those students who are working 40 hours a week all summer long are learning all that time and they're learning a tremendous amount.
I think a teacher's attitude toward the person who is going into the workforce is terribly important and we [teachers] don't fully appreciate the fact that our economic base here in our county and in most school systems is based in the local workforce. . . . [When] teachers go to the workplace and come back in the classroom, we hope they will come back and say positive things about working in this area.Teachers also need to see their students as entering the world of work, not just going on for further education. A former Chamber of Commerce director noted that he had not seen teachers place much value on the workplace and felt that they must "believe in workplace-bound versus college-bound." An industrial education coordinator expressed the same sentiment, stating that "teachers must understand that all of our kids are not going to college and they need to have the skills to get along in the workplace." Teachers must not focus only on academic students cautioned a principal:
Different kids learn and grow in different ways and may need alternative paths to be successful. [As educators,] we might like a straight academic program. [But] students who have not been successful may not be mature enough, they may not be psychologically ready, they may not share the same value system. [Teachers] must be patient in working with them, giving them the skills they need to work with an employer.In displaying a positive attitude toward work, teachers also need to serve as role models for their students. A community action representative discussed their emulating the positive attitudes of businesspeople as one way to do this. "They need to tell their students that [on-the-job experience] is an opportunity and will give them more alternatives in life," noted a business owner. A school-to-work coordinator adding to this idea felt that having "a positive attitude is critical because teachers have to model for the students what's appropriate. I think," continued the coordinator "that they're one of the most important role models in terms of success of the students out in the workplace."
Vocational teachers reinforced the idea that teachers need to show their students that they value work. A food production and management teacher said "I have to have a positive attitude that this is going to work and that we are going to set up good relationships [with business]." The teacher added, "If I have a positive attitude toward work, the students will be more likely to have positive attitudes." Explaining in more concrete terms how teachers can show their students that they value work, a business teacher said,
[The teacher must] serve as a role model of the workplace. I think it's important that the teacher develop, not [just] develop but demonstrate qualities that the workplace demands, like punctuality, efficient time management, and really putting in a day's work for a day's pay.
A drafting teacher noted the importance of personal grooming and habits in setting an example for students. He said, "Students see how you're dressed, they see if you shine your shoes, they see those personal things. Kids want role models and you have to be one for them." The following comments from a science teacher reinforce those of the drafting teacher:
Teachers need to be role models. Every time I have been out into business, I find businesspeople look at school teaching as not a real job. When we go out to businesses, we need to be more professional. Teachers need to be able to dress professionally, to act professional, to have empathy for what's going on in the workplace, and to realize they are role models for what business thinks about schools.From the perspective of the workplace, a Chamber of Commerce president expressed concern about many teachers not setting the appropriate example. This interviewee commented,
Teachers really need to set an example for the students the way that business dresses. I have to speak in a lot of schools and I'll tell you I'm absolutely shocked and dismayed when I go in and I see teachers in sweatshirts and denims, clothes like that in the classrooms. I just think that if you want to teach kids, you have to be a good example. And when we talk about work and being professional, you have to dress the part. . . . I just can't emphasize enough the importance of dress in the workplace. When teachers go to work, they're supposed to set the example, not dress down like the kids do.Business teachers, in particular, felt that they needed to set a positive example as far as dress is concerned. One of them said, "A business teacher, especially, should not come dressed too casually even though this is not a business place. The teacher is setting an example for the student. They need to see that businesspeople have to dress-up." Another business teacher noted, "that the teacher going into school-to-work activities needs to model the look [appropriate for business]."
A director for a Big Brothers/Big Sisters program at one site noted that teachers need to teach more than just academic and technical skills. They need to emphasize with their students "communication, problem solving, thinking on their feet, . . . negotiation, conflict resolution, and dealing with people," stated this interviewee. Further, they need to emphasize how these skills are used in work settings. A community college school-to-work coordinator commented that from associations with "CEOs and high level supervisors as well as technicians" that he saw the need for teaching teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. "I think any of these could be modeled in the classroom and developed through contextual learning so that students then could transfer them to the workplace," he noted. An automotive technology teacher also addressed teaching more than technical and academic skills so that students can transfer them to the workplace. He said,
[Auto] technicians are going to interact more and more with the customers. So not only do they have to look good, they have to look professional, they have to speak professionally, and they have to be able to interact with the customer, because in the automotive industry we make our money on customer loyalty. . . . So when a customer brings in a car, the customer wants to know what's wrong with it. [The technician] needs to be able to tell the customer what is happening and why.Several interviewees observed the need for basic skills to be taught in context. A school board member stated, "I see a lot of skills being taught in school but the students can't tie what's being taught in the classroom with the real world and the way things really happen in the world." Agreeing with the school board member, an administrator said,
We can't teach math by standing up and talking about mathematics and writing theoretical problems on a chalkboard, handing out mimeographed math activities, and having students fill them out and hand them back. That's not a good way to teach math whether it's at the 4th grade level or the 12th grade level. . . . [The teachers] need to realize that they are not teachers of subject matter, but are teachers of students. Mathematics is an area which happens to have skills applicable [to the workplace].A store manager was also concerned about students not relating math taught in school to what they need in their lives. The manager described a conversation he had with students who were working for him:
For marketing, "I'm talking multiplying, adding, dividing, and figuring percentages," I said. And one of the kids asked, "Are you really serious?" I said, "Yes." "Then why am I taking all this trig and calculus?" the kid asked. I said, "Because it's helping you learn to think logically and do things like that." . . . Well, I have to believe that the teacher didn't say anything about why the students were taking calculus and what they were going to get from it. You know, in my store, I can't get anybody to do anything if I don't tell them why.At another site, however, a business teacher did speak positively of learning that was tied to workplace requirements students were experiencing in math, science, and English courses. She said,
In academic classes, I think the teachers have done a tremendous job in trying to relate math to why it is important on the job. And we have science teachers that have the students do different activities that show how science is important for the workforce, and the English teachers do the same. [For example], the Tech Prep math teacher has students go out and find people in jobs and interview them asking how they use math in their jobs. The people can be electricians, doctors, or anyone the students want to interview in the workplace. The students come back and they write up their interviews, which is writing in a math class. . . . It's a pretty good size project and it involves integration. It involves showing the students why they are learning what they are and how they are going to be using it.Summing up the need for relating the learning of basic skills to the workplace, an assistant principal commented,
We need to learn how to tie the academic part into the vocational part so that our kids know those things that are also needed. You know, a lot of our kids who are in vocational programs don't realize that they need to write. They need to know how to speak. They need to know how to work a computer. So there's a lot of areas that tie into each other. I think that's the biggest thing that the teachers are working on and will continue to work on.
From the perspective of the teachers themselves, a language arts teacher found that teachers need to learn all they can about what is going on in their schools. For school-to-work to succeed, the teacher said, "We need to get out of our own little classrooms and become more aware of each other and interlink." A math teacher agreed, stating that "teachers need a frame of reference [for school-to-work transition], they need to see the big picture." Addressing this concern, a technology teacher noted that teachers being organized in career clusters helped them learn about changes that were being made. This teacher, too, felt that teachers tended to isolate themselves in their own classrooms. He noted that he had seen "teachers who worked in the same building but didn't have any contact with one another." A science teacher also spoke of difficulty in learning about school-to-work changes. The teacher said, "I think maybe more of our staff development time might go toward actually having time to get together with other teachers, with the vocational people, so we can tie in more with them." A guidance counselor spoke of a staff development activity where the teachers from different disciplines did meet together. The counselor reported,
By the end of the day, when we would recap the day's activities, we heard the teachers say it was just so beneficial for them to have a technical person sitting next to someone who teaches rhetoric, for example, and having that interchange of ideas. Yes, the disciplines are different, but there is a lot of commonality between them also. [The teachers] got ideas from each other, I just think that they learned quite a bit from each other.Several interviewees spoke of providing the opportunity for teachers to learn about school-to-work activities in their schools. For example, an administrator who told about a staff development day noted,
One of the major activities for us was to make sure our own faculty and staff within our institution were aware of what school-to-work was all about because our faculty had a real learning curve [for it]. When you start talking about applied academics, that raises a red flag in the mind of a lot of faculty and we had to make them understand that the paradigm has shifted. [Through the applied academics], we're talking about raising the level of rigor and level of preparation.An industrial education coordinator had the opportunity "to spend half a day in each [vocational] class, licensed practical nursing, welding, electrical, heat and air, cosmetology, and so on." He said, "I would sit there and see what went on and it was the best experience." Continuing, this coordinator noted that he would never have been able to discuss what the students' programs were about with employers without having had this experience. A math teacher spoke about learning what goes on in vocational classes through mini-lessons provided by the vocational teachers. Through the help of the electronics teacher, the math teacher had completed mini-lessons on a special type of micrometer and on different current types.
A guidance counselor felt that teachers involved with school-to-work have the responsibility to let others know about their programs. For example, at this site, brochures explaining the school-to-work internship and pre-apprentice programs are placed in every room in the building. The counselor believed that "sooner or later, somebody is going to pick up the brochures and read them, or create class discussion around them."
[Teachers] need to do just as I have to keep abreast. I've gone to school all of my career practically and I'm always in training and I'm always in workshops and I'm always looking for new things and new avenues [to improve]. I'll go home at night and I'm always thinking of new ways to make this building better every day, you know, more creative things to do, more innovative things to do, and more ways that are going to make the students in this building be successful. I think teachers have to take that same attitude. They must constantly be regrouping and restructuring. All the time [teachers] must keep abreast of what's happening outside this [building].A school-to-work coordinator noted that "it would be beneficial if teachers had the desire for lifelong learning because that's the only way they can be current in the discipline they teach and be aware of the latest developments." Concurring with the coordinator, a pharmacy teacher said "teachers have to be open to change in education and have the drive and motivation to learn new things"; while a business teacher said, "Teachers have to constantly update as to what is expected in business and transfer that knowledge back to the classroom." A science teacher observing what teachers must do today to provide up-to-date instruction said,
Teachers have to be more competent now than they have been in the past. By that I mean, and I'm a science teacher, I can't just explain protein synthesis, now I have to tell why it's important and where it fits into the [real world]. I have to go beyond the level of competency that I was comfortable with in the past.A business manager for a construction company described the knowledge and competence needed by a teacher as one of understanding relevant technical aspects of business as well having the ability to instruct. These two areas were also identified by a principal at a vocational center:
Technical competence certainly is necessary, but I don't think as quickly as the world is changing now that we can expect any one teacher to keep up with everything, . . . But I think it's real important that they know how to identify resources that can support them, and I think they also must teach students something about how their going to have to function in the world.Supporting that teachers need both content knowledge and to know how to teach, a manufacturing and welding teacher said, "Teachers must really understand their subject and they've got to realize that the students don't know it." Thus, they must also know how to teach it. Adding to this teacher's thoughts, a health occupations teacher said, "I believe if you don't know your stuff, the kids are going to know it and they are not going to listen to you. It's very important for you to work part-time or in the summer or to have an employment association [of some type]."
Speaking to changes in the workplace, a business representative noted that "the way things are changing in the environment we live in, things change in 12 months not 5 years." Continuing he said,
Teachers need to be ready for change so they can prepare the students for that change. . . . They need to change their teaching techniques to reflect those changes that students are going to need to know when they leave [school].A school board member, addressing the need for up-to-date technical knowledge, felt that competent teachers "need to be confident in the high-tech end of what goes on with computers and some of the software that's available." An automotive technician program teacher noted, "Computers drive everything today on an automobile." The teacher has "to understand the new technology and computers; math and science are very, very important; and they have to be able to read technical material." Confirming the need for computer knowledge as well as other technical knowledge, a restaurant owner discussed the work environment in that industry:
You can't service a table anymore if you can't effectively use a computer because no one writes down orders anymore. Everything is keyed through a computer so that the inventory is always accurate. That's one area. In the kitchen, the technologies in food preparation are also changing--different kind of equipment, [for example]. Things can be done in vastly shorter periods of time.A vocational coordinator supported the comments of the restaurant owner in discussing how a teacher at a vocational center updates what is taught:
Our auto body teacher next year will have a new curriculum up and in place. And that's not because it fell into his lap, but it is because of what he does in the summer. He works as an auto body technician and what comes across his desk there, the publications, and what is required for success in the workplace is what he requires his students to do.Teachers cannot rely on experiences learned from business and industry 25 years ago noted a fabricating company manager. Yet the manager believed that "we have teachers that worked in industry 25 years ago and are still teaching information that has been obsolete for 15 or 20 years already." Concurring with this comment, an automotive industry executive said, "You can't teach students 1930s skills and expect them to fit into the 1990s market. Teachers must have the foresight to be able to update and change their curriculums." To remedy this situation, a middle school principal indicated that teachers must be aware of the fact that the knowledge will constantly change and they have to adapt to that. The principal suggested "that if business provides the teachers with an opportunity, they have to take that [information] and integrate it into existing programs."
A school-to-work program director summarizing the need for teachers to be knowledgeable and competent in their teaching area commented,
A teacher needs to know where to find the answers. A teacher needs to be aware that in a changing world where we don't know what's coming, we must always be current in how to find the answers. Today, that's becoming more and more technology based. Computers are here and teachers had better know the valuable resource they present. I think more than ever, and again, I'm going back to skills which we all need, teachers need to be self-aware of their own skills and be developing their expertise in their own areas. They need to teach their students to access information from anywhere when they want a real expert. When students can do that, they will make the teacher's day.
A bank manager compared the innovative, creative teacher to one who looks at teaching as employees of a progressive bank look at banking today. Teachers must think "out of the box," noted the manager. In other words, teachers today must be constantly concerned with their students learning and "build lesson plans that are more appealing to their students. Students have to be involved in activities, they can't just listen," the banker continued. A social studies teacher added to what teachers must do today, stating that a teacher must "get out of the room, open the door, let the world come in and don't be a teacher that `says this is my dirty desk, these are my 30 students, I'm going to close this door and I'll see you at the end of the year.'" Speaking to the need for teachers to integrate their instruction with that of other teachers, a technical center director commented,
Teachers' attitudes have to be based upon flexibility and creativity and not the traditional comfort zone mentality that I teach physical education or I teach math. [They must think] I teach students in preparation for integration into the workplace. . . . There has been a lack of flexibility in our instruction with the segregation of academic subject matter. We ring a bell, we put one book away and get another book out. We were studying English, now we're studying history, now we're studying science. And a bell rings and we put our science away and now we're studying math. That is absolutely absurd in my opinion.From the workplace, a fabricating company manager noted that learning should be fun. The manager said, "algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and mechanical drawing can be boring if you're not having any fun and maybe you're not learning either." One answer to this problem, the manager noted was for the "teacher to be enthused and have a positive attitude." He continued by describing the effectiveness of teachers who involved their students in designing an electric car where they learned these subjects, as well as English, in a contextual setting. Also supporting contextual learning, a local government official noted,
I think it is essential for teachers to do a lot of practicums where they have students simulate [for example] banking. Students go into the bank [here at the school] and they simulate the functions of a bank. They also have a [restaurant] management model where they simulate work in a restaurant and a law simulation with a mock trial. They do legal research and things like that so they actually create real experiences for the student in a school setting. And they have the medical lab where the students have a pharmacy, so they're actually doing the work and not just reading about it.A principal at an urban magnet school felt that teachers have to have instruction "that's really moving and shaking to keep the students interested and learning today." Agreeing with the principal's sentiments, a school board member from another site discussed the need for teachers to be "fundamentally creative, enthusiastic, and willing to deliver instruction in a significantly different way." The school board member saw contextual learning experiences, such as those described above, as important. He said, "It's a lot harder to create contextual experiences than to lecture out of a textbook. It's a lot more demanding and a lot more creative. It is quite frankly, harder work," but something teachers must do.
Teachers discussed helping students transition to work by meeting their individual needs. A transportation teacher said, "it's not just one teaching method because students learn differently and we must learn to teach to keep all students interested and involved, make them want to get as much as they can out of the class." A workplace development director who echoed the transportation teacher's concern said,
To instruct a whole classroom of kids with different ways of learning, teachers have to be intuitive and willing to try to model their teaching style to what will benefit all of those different students. That's probably the most difficult thing that teachers in public education have to deal with.Teachers told about various strategies that they had used to interest students. "I think creativity is a very important factor. If one way doesn't work, the teacher has to be able to think of five different ways" to reach students, noted a language arts teacher. Group projects were an effective method used by a science teacher, a social studies teacher, and a drafting teacher. The three teachers reported on experiences they had with students working in groups as follows:
One thing we do in this [science] lab is teach group work, or use cooperative learning to teach students how to work together in a group . . . because in the business world, most of the work is done in groups. And some kids don't know how to work with a group and they need to know how. I made them draw a map of the high school. I taught them how to use map making tools to draw the map. They had to put the houses, the school, the businesses in. The ones I saw doing the most work and leading the way in the groups got the better grades. The ones who did presentations got the better grades. So when we did work in groups, I did grade them differently than when they did regular book work. [Students need] the personal traits of getting along with people and [of being] able to work in a group of four, five, six people. What I do in my class is have group projects were kids work together for a week. They don't have a choice of others they work with. They pay each other at the end with their grades and points they assign one another. That's kind of modeling what is done in industry.A health occupations teacher saw student organizations as useful in making instruction relevant. Through the organization the student come to feel that "they're part of a family and that they're involved"; while a law and government teacher reported having speakers with different experiences related to law come to class and taking the students on unique field trips. For example, the students went to a local university and sat in on a law class and they went to the hall of justice in the downtown area.
At one site, the teachers described how they were having students take control and be responsible for their own learning. An English teacher noted, "I let the students take control. I show them the game plan, what needs to be done" and they decide how to do it. For this approach, the teacher has to accept the fact that "there is a lot of commotion, a lot of moving around, and it is difficult because as an adult you want to have control and structure." Adding to this a social studies teacher said, "You have to be able to adjust to the students taking control." This teacher continued saying, "Instead of standing up and lecturing which is easy, you have to get up there and connect things. Use your imagination and have the students do it." A math teacher vividly described the learning situation when students are in control as follows:
[For teachers] what's comfortable is just standing up lecturing kids who are sitting being quiet. . . . When they were working in groups they organized, I wasn't continually in control. I'm more of a facilitator and that takes some adjustment. . . . [The teacher] must not mind that the students are moving about, are in and out of the room going to the library to do research, doing outside labs, and other things. [The teacher] must trust them enough for them to be able to get their job done and not be continually making sure they're always totally on track, allowing them leeway to meet deadlines as they would on the job. Just kind of releasing some of your hold over them and letting them do things their own way.One factor in innovative, creative teaching that a principal identified was teachers' finding "opportunities for students to use skills they have acquired and be recognized for excellence." The principal noted that this was the one special thing that happened in his school: "kids have opportunities to show off." The rewards were not just for the academically talented or those who had excelled in sports.
If teachers want that level of recognition [as professionals] then they must be willing to undertake the sort of inventiveness, the sort of problem solving, the sort of creativity, the sort of commitment [required of professionals].A special education coordinator felt that "teachers have to have a commitment and a love and a determination that students are going to progress and really do well in the workplace." This coordinator further commented that "teachers must be highly motivated,
Teachers have to be committed to the education of the whole child and they have to philosophically believe that every student can and must be a contributing member of society, there are no throw away children. They have to be willing to give unselfishly of their time and give hours they will never be paid for.Teachers, in particular, felt that they needed to be committed to students. "We must want to help somebody else grow," said an autocad teacher. While an automotive technology teacher characterized teacher commitment to students as their "enjoying working with kids, and . . . enjoying just getting to school in the morning and seeing the students' shiny faces." And a science teacher spoke about commitment in terms of being "really sincere about what you are doing." This teacher cautioned that students can tell when teachers are not sincere.