ABSTRACT
In reality, however, teacher quality is the most critical component of all and, truly, is the only one the people can change. Recent research has made a compelling case for focusing on the quality of instruction in schools. The entire National Board process is thorough and rigorous, but nothing compares to the experience of filming and viewing instruction in action. The problem Amanda presented required students to apply their knowledge of multiplication and remainders to figure out the smallest number of chicken wings that could fill a bucket. Reflective teachers examine their practices and look closely at the strategies that have been successful with students and at those that might need reworking or tossing out. Students who consistently scored between 60 and 68 points earned bonus points that they could use to bolster an exam score or to replace some homework assignments. Expecting teachers to demonstrate the impact of their decisions and practices can be intimidating and difficult to quantify.
