Volunteers Get Taste of Ingredients to Be an Effective Teacher

Miami

David S. Berezin, a 40-year-old certified public accountant, can point to some notable successes from his two hours as a high school teacher here. Students pricked up their ears when a question about his craziest work-related moment led him to spin operatic tales of fortunes sheltered by savvy financial professionals such as himself. Even the girl who had been dozing responded thoughtfully to a case study Mr. Berezin devised just for their business and management class at Coral Gables Senior High School.

But the Nov. 29 experience in the suburban Coral Gables community didn’t leave Mr. Berezin impressed with his skill. And that was the point of the Great American Teach-a-Thon, an event in the school district here that its organizers hope will make the public more aware of what it takes to have effective teachers.

“Yeah, I may be a natural,” Mr. Berezin said. “But teaching requires more than that; it’s more than being comfortable in...