We need teacher educators who regularly spend a great deal of time in classrooms so they have a deep understanding of where they students will teach. Carol Ann Tomlinson More Quotes by Carol Ann Tomlinson More Quotes From Carol Ann Tomlinson It's important to know how to lead and manage a classroom with flexibility. Students of all ages are quite capable of learning these routines and contributing to their success once the teacher is comfortable guiding students in that direction. Carol Ann Tomlinson important age teacher I have little interest in a surgeon who says, "I learned that when I was in medical school. Why should I revisit it?" or who says, "I've done that operation the same way for ten years. Don't bother me with new approaches." I see teaching in the same way. Carol Ann Tomlinson teaching years school Sometimes educators suffer from the "I already do that" syndrome. In those cases, we feel inadequate if we admit we have a distance to go as learners of our craft. Carol Ann Tomlinson distance crafts suffering Interest refers to student’s affinity, curiosity, or passion for a particular topic or skill. Carol Ann Tomlinson passion curiosity skills In the field of education, educators know that they leave a lasting impact on their students for better or for worse. Trust is established or diminished in the classroom and very good educators understand that they are fallible. Despite their best efforts, they will not always do the best for each student. Carol Ann Tomlinson best-effort impact fields Readiness is a student’s entry point relative to a particular understanding or skill. Carol Ann Tomlinson understanding skills students The best educators I have met never stop asking questions. Some of them have taught for forty years and continue to be energized by new possibilities. Carol Ann Tomlinson asking-questions taught years We aren't quite sure what we're trying to differentiate, and therefore can't quite see how to do it other than giving some students more to cover and some less. That rarely works. Carol Ann Tomlinson students trying giving I have find that today's students are often more tolerant of human variance than students in earlier generations might have been. On the other hand, some of our students need much more interaction with a wide variety of peers so they level of understanding deepens and so they are prepared to live in a world that is only going to get smaller. Carol Ann Tomlinson generations understanding hands I think [testing] has had a profoundly problematic impact on student learning. It must seem to students that their worth as individuals is equivalent to their test score. The stress the high stakes culture has on teachers is also highly negative and must surely impact students in a negative way. It also de-professionalizes teachers because it encourages them to be script readers, followers of rigid schedules, and to disregard the needs of the people they teach in favor of the scripts and schedules. Carol Ann Tomlinson stress teacher thinking When challenge and skills are in balance the activity is its own reward Carol Ann Tomlinson balance skills challenges As a teacher, it is your job to make explicit whatever you though was implicit Carol Ann Tomlinson explicit teacher jobs Prospective teachers may read about the science of education, but they'll only grasp the art in their early years by seeing it practiced and having it commended to them. Carol Ann Tomlinson teacher years art In my experience, professionals who are best in any field approach their work with humility. They know that their work is more than just a job. It's an exploration of life. Even on days when they feel most confident, things can go wrong. Sometimes even the good things that happen are a mystery - a surprise. There are always elements outside our control. That's humbling - or should be. Carol Ann Tomlinson elements humility jobs Accepting both the opportunity and the responsibility evokes a great deal of humility. Carol Ann Tomlinson humility responsibility opportunity We have students at the university say on a regular basis, "You're asking us to think and no one has ever done that in school." Carol Ann Tomlinson done school thinking We need to understand where are students are at any point during a unit - in other words, what each student actually knows, understands, and can do at a given time based on the content goals we've established. Carol Ann Tomlinson goal students needs Teaching is a very habit-bound endeavor. We're unsettled by the unfamiliar. We're creatures of habit too. Carol Ann Tomlinson endeavor habit teaching [Students] often have a "We can figure this out - don't just tell us" attitude. In that way, they can be less patient with "traditional" approaches to teaching. Carol Ann Tomlinson teaching attitude way [Students] are exposed to many things the majority of their teachers didn't encounter until much later in their growing up years. Carol Ann Tomlinson growing-up teacher years
