An Excellent Teacher: Definition

Now that I have offered a working definition for "an excellent education," I move now to the first definitional component of an excellent education: "an excellent teacher."

>>>>> An excellent teacher is a person of deep knowledge in the field of study for which she or he provides instruction, and an educator with the pedagogical skill to impart this knowledge to students. <<<<<

To ensure that we have such teaching professionals, we should abolish all departments and schools of education as presently constituted. All people aspiring to become teachers should first get a bachelor's degree in a discipline related to the subject that she or he proposes to teach (e. g., chemistry, history, economics, English, math, fine arts). In the case of elementary school teachers, who will be teaching an array of subjects, one of these legitimate academic disciplines of burning intellectual interest should be chosen.

Upon graduation, the aspiring teacher should then pursue a master's degree in a discipline that for secondary (middle school and high school)teachers would again be related to the subject to be taught and for elementary school teachers would again be a discipline of burning intellectual interest. The purpose of requiring all aspiring teachers to obtain degrees in academic subjects to be taught, rather than in the field of education, is two-fold: to ensure that the teacher has a solid factual knowledge base; and to ensure that she or he has demonstrated intellectual mettle.

The final step en route to becoming a teacher would be a full year of teaching under the guidance of a master teacher.

Having undergone such rigorous academic and pedagogical training, the position of teacher would be transformed. Students would receive instruction only from eminently qualified professionals. And having undergone the training truly qualifying the teacher as a professional, she and he can insist on the kind of remuneration associated with professions such as law and medicine.