Opinion
Teaching Profession Letter to the Editor

Teaching: It’s More Than The Sum of Its Parts

September 24, 2013 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

‘Growth Mindset’ Gaining Traction as Ed. Strategy” (Sept. 11, 2013) is a very good article. However, it is disturbing that it needs to be written. It is sad that it is research that may be providing the impetus for some teachers (and parents) to use the common-sense strategies the author describes to build students’ belief in their ability to learn.

I became a teacher because I believed in the capacity of all human beings to learn and in my own capacity to create learning environments for students that could enhance that capacity. This is a commonly held belief among educators.

It seems that today a cottage industry has developed to point out the obvious. Something isn’t quite right. Do teachers ever have time to develop their own philosophy of teaching and learning and to reflect on their practice? Of course, they may do this in an occasional structured setting or during a required professional-development day, but I wonder if teachers themselves often lack confidence in their instincts if not reaffirmed by research and the latest trends.

We have dissected the art of teaching and learning into so many parts that the whole has been lost and with it the heart for teaching that so many people naturally have.

Gillian B. Thorne

Executive Director, Office of Early College Programs

Director, UConn Early College Experience Program

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Conn.

A version of this article appeared in the September 25, 2013 edition of Education Week as Teaching: It’s More Than The Sum of Its Parts

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession The State of Teaching It's 'a Passion, It’s Not Just a Paycheck': Teachers' Advice on Joining the Profession
If you go into the job with open eyes, it's worth it, say five teachers featured in EdWeek's The State of Teaching project.
Fourth grade students have fun interacting in a math class taught by Helen Chan at South Loop Elementary School on Nov. 15, 2023, in Chicago, Ill.
Fourth grade students have fun interacting in a math class taught by Helen Chan at South Loop Elementary School on Nov. 15, 2023, in Chicago.
Jamie Kelter Davis for Education Week
Teaching Profession The Finalists for National Teacher of the Year Have Ideas for Boosting Teacher Morale
The four award-winning teachers also met with U.S. lawmakers to advocate for their education causes of choice.
5 min read
Illustration of hands holding speech bubbles.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Teaching Profession From Our Research Center Forget the Free Food and Gift Cards. Here's the Kind of Recognition Teachers Really Want
New survey results reveal what teachers and administrators find to be the most meaningful type of acknowledgment from a supervisor.
4 min read
Thank you card inside a brown envelope left on desk
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Teaching Profession The State of Teaching 'You Don't Know Teacher Tired': Educators Sound Off on Misconceptions
Hear what teachers featured in EdWeek's The State of Teaching Project say makes their jobs more difficult.
Frank Rivera teaches 7th grade ELA at Chaparral Star Academy in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2023.
Frank Rivera teaches 7th grade ELA at Chaparral Star Academy in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2023.
Montinique Monroe for Education Week