Perspectives and Dispositions of Highly Effective Teachers in Low-Performing Urban Schools

• In Event: Teacher Effectiveness: What Teachers Think and Do and What Students Know

Abstract

In a five-year grounded theory study of highly effective teachers (identified by student achievement increases) in nine low performing K-12 urban schools in Los Angeles County, 30 teachers were observed for a year, interviewed twice, and surveyed once. Their students also were asked to describe the reason their teachers helped students learn so much. The multiethnic teachers (11 African American, 10 White, 6 Latino, and 1 Taiwanese, 1 Pakistani, and 1 Lebanese) spanned ages 27-60, and years of experience from 3-36 years. The data reveals their common perspectives on teaching and their dispositions, particularly their attitudes toward their students, their work, testing, curriculum, their reason for teaching, and their expectations for their students.

The major attitude toward their students and their work can be summed up in a collage of teacher comments that frequently reoccurred. Every student in my classroom is underperforming based on what I see as his or her potential. It is my responsibility to turn this around; I want to; I can make a difference; they will remember.

Regarding teaching they were excellent explicit instructors who used a good deal of student interaction (primarily whole group), which kept students engaged and actively using high-level vocabulary and deeper levels of thinking. Teachers were using the state standards, which they valued and appreciated; the regular curriculum; and the required periodic formative assessments, which they also appreciated. They were not naïve about the struggles to teach with the new accountability system but neither did they fight it. They supported efforts to hold themselves accountable and hoped it would increase poor teachers accountability.

The teachers were masters of managing the classroom with authority through instructional intensity. Outside of group explicit instruction and discussions the teachers constantly walked around the room during seatwork – encouraging, focusing, checking to see how this kid’s mind is working and how well did I present the material.

Students described their teachers as “strict” and most wrote about how their “strictness” for particular “good” reasons, which was why they learned so much. The second major reason students gave for their teacher effectiveness was that they “explain things over and over until you get it in your head” while not getting “mad at you if you don't get it”.

Taken together this study of 30 teachers helps us shape a more complete and better-defined picture of the dispositions and skill sets of highly effective teachers in multiethnic urban poor communities.

Author

• Mary Poplin, Claremont Graduate University