Project 012: Help Someone Else Teach for America
- Posted by: GOOD
- on September 30, 2008 at 3:37 pm
For Project 012 we asked you to think of ways your local public schools could be improved. David Shepard proposes we give teachers an extra pair of hands. Details after the jump.
“I recently finished my undergraduate degree in Economics and Urban Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, where I was very involved in education initiatives in St. Louis and East St. Louis. Now, I am a first-year teacher in West Philadelphia. Here is my idea:
As a first-year teacher, the thing that I have noticed most is that teachers seem to have an incredible number of ideas for their students. I wish I had the time to take them on field trips, tutor them, and stay in communication with their parents every week, while at the same time making sure I have time available to create posters, plan engaging lessons and make copies. Furthermore, I don’t think that any two teachers have the same ideas. Therefore, I think that the best way for individuals to help students in their community would be to partner with a teacher. Teacher partners could run errands for teachers who need last minute supplies, help plan and chaperon field trips, or tutor a student after school. I envision a simple database that matches teachers with partners. It would be really easy to organize. Both partners and teachers could register, and either one could contact the other.”
This strikes us as a really phenomenal idea. There are plenty of teachers whose effectiveness is limited by the number of hours in the day and who could use some logistical (and, probably, emotional) support. David’s “teacher partners” would be like the support troops for Teach for America corps members and all our hardworking educators. They would also, of course, reap the psychic and karmic benefits of lending a hand.
Image of West Philadelphia High School from Waymarking.com
DISCUSSION: 11 Comments
Great idea, but I know from experience it can be more work having an “aide” or “assistant” if they depend on you to explain everything and direct their every movement. ”Teacher partner” training would have to be worked in, kind of like a mini-student teaching stint. Then, have the “teacher partner” attend staff meetings in the teacher’s place, and it’s even more genius!
The idea of adding “teacher partner” training would make a lot of sense. If there were somewhat rigorous preparations the partners had to go through it would lend the whole project credibility and assure teachers they’d actually be getting help rather than just another student to worry about.
I really love this idea. I’m not a teacher, but believe education is incredibly important. I believe in the public school system and would love to be a teacher’s partner. I would want to have some say in who I’m partnered with… I’d love to volunteer, but only if I can feel confident that me and my teacher would have a synergistic relationship, which would mean that me and my teacher would need to work well together. It seems like the devil’s in the details… like how to facilitate the most synergistic teacher-partner parings. If there is anyone in the Ann Arbor, MI area and would like to get something like this off the ground… let me know! I’m ready to partner!
I work with school & communities, provide training services for experiential learning concepts, etc., and I think this is a great idea. I would love to take this initiative & attempt to provide credibility to it with a public school in my area. I wanted to be able to get in touch with David Shepard who proposed this idea, so I can identify his progress with it, and the opportunity to utilize his idea in my current programming. Does anyone know how I can get in touch with him?
I’m interested in contacting Dave Shepard to find out if he has moved forward this initiative idea. I’m involved with education and training, and I would like to propose this idea to a public school in my area that is trying to bridge the community and school. I would love to present ideas, training curriculum to make this a credible and possibly national program. Google is currently accepting ideas for projects that could be highly funded if picked. The concept is to reach as many people as possible, and I think this could be a possible initiative to bring in community, people helping people, etc. Does anyone know how I can contact Dave?
Hey Brenda, send an email to projects[at]goodmagazine[dot]com
We’ll happily connect you with Dave.
This is a very interesting idea, but would be tough to get off the ground. I am actually a first year teacher right now and I was thinking the other day about how much I wish I had partner in the classroom. Since it would be tough for the partner to come and stay for the whole-day, 5 days a week, (unless they are going to be paid), maybe a volunteer system could be set so they could come some days before school starts for an hour or after school for an hour? I know many states have education requirements before they will allow any adult, teacher or aide, into the class with children, so perhaps partnerships with local colleges could work. College students sign up on websites, local teachers “hire” volunteers for a few hours and the college students get community service hours in the end. It’s win-win plus a few more teachers may stay in the profession and some more college students may shift to becoming teachers.
I have 3 children in college and over their years in public school, I volunteered doing exactly what you suggested in your article. Even tho I worked, anyone could give even one hour a week, which would help. I think that the principles of the schools need more authority, and that the local community should be able to work on school grounds ( repairing, etc.). After all, they are our schools!!!–Claudia in knoxville, Tennessee
Our church has adopted a local grammer school and we have seven volunteers that spend at least two hours a week helping the first grade teachers with reading and math. Churches in our area were criticized for not helping even though this program was in affect. We do not press the issue of our faith. We are doing wat is expected of us as followers of Christ. C.S.
Just like everything else a little competition would go a long way to improve our public schools.
I am a Teach for America teacher too. Instead of “partners” why not recruit parents to volunteer in the classroom? This would go much further in 1) informing parents on the school culture 2) getting them involved with their child’s education and 3) let them see what is happening (wrong) in the school. I now many parents in my school do not work. It may not be their choice (especially with unemployment the way it is). Their time could be used well helping the school out. In a wealthy “model” school I have visited there are lots of parent volunteers. They volunteer during recess, during lunch, during many times of the day. Suffice to say these hours contributed add to immeasurable cost savings on the part of the school. It adds increased safety, it adds better culture. Parents can press copy.