Essentials for the New Teacher

GLENN LID

Glenn Lid teaches Chemistry at Proviso East High School located in suburban Chicago Illinois.

• 2004 Disney High School Teacher of the Year
• 1993 Finalist for the Presidential Award for Math and Science
• 2007 Illinois Chemistry Teacher of the Year (Davidson Award)
• 2007 Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction
• 2005 Elmhurst College Alumni Merit Award
• 2009 State Finalist: Presidential Award for Teaching Math and Science
• Two-time nominee: Assistant Coach of the Year in Wrestling by I.W.O.C.A

Q: What are some essentials for a new teacher?

Glenn:  New teachers need to learn from those teachers who are thought of as the most successful. They must take time in the summer and go to intensive workshops that may last all day and learn the instructional techniques that work best for them. The more of the successful teachers that they build a mentoring relationship with, the better their teaching techniques are going to be. That is by far the most important thing a new teacher should do right away.

     There should be more support for new teachers. One organization that provides a pathway of support in Illinois is Golden Apple. They are getting students in high school interested in becoming teachers. One hundred scholarships are provided to high school students who want to become teachers and meet the criteria. These students then get specialized training from outstanding educators known as Golden Apple Teachers. These instructors won The Golden Apple Teacher Award and are paid $3000 and given a computer for their classroom. In our area, they are also given a sabbatical to study anything they want for one semester at Northwestern University for free. So, not only are they providing support and training to new teachers, but veteran teachers are given the opportunity to learn and grow from one of the best universities in our country. For the second year now I and several other Golden Apple Teachers of Distinction and Honorees are planning a Teachers of Tomorrow Conference. We invite freshmen and sophomores in college interested in teaching, juniors and seniors in high school, their parents who are interested in teaching and first and second year teachers for workshops given by Golden Apple Teachers of Distinction and Honorees. Anyone from around the state is invited. We had 200+attend our very first conference.

     We have to support our new teachers. This is the number one thing we have to do in education. Lee Merrick told me years ago there should be teacher academies. We need to get back to that in education. Golden Apple is headed in that direction. It’s a matter of funding. That’s what will make teachers better.

Q: What would you look for in a teacher if you were hiring?

Glenn: I would look for a person who has good interpersonal skills and is able to relate. I would look for someone who is energetic and able to speak intelligently on the spur of the moment. They need to have a good sense of humor, seem relaxed, and exude a lot of confidence. The next thing I would look at is grades and recommendations. Grades can be a reflection of discipline and work ethic. Also, I would seek out their willingness to get involved in the school community. I want to know if they are willing to go to workshops over the summer. Are they willing to be a sponsor or coach? Those are a few of the things I would look for.

     However, my number one would still be interpersonal skills and how well they communicate. I would probably ask a candidate, “What would you do if a kid looks at you and says ‘fuck you’ in the classroom?” I would like to know how they would handle that situation. It’s going to happen sooner or later. How will you deal with that? Will you escalate it? Will you ignore it and come back to it later? If you put your head down and ignore it and there are no consequences, the year is over at that point in the classroom. Now other kids are going to try it. I would also like to know what was involved in their teacher training. We need more teachers trained via the Golden Apple method.

Q: What do you look forward to when you close your classroom door and face your students?

Glenn: To make them laugh, ask questions, come up with new ways of presenting the same concepts and at the end of the period have them say, “Boy, this class went fast today!” That’s my main goal. Bob Ballard, the great underwater explorer said, “Our society is star-based. But in the world of Science it is really we-based.” Isn’t that true of education? Teachers are like explorers searching for the unknown, searching for the treasures for which our students are to us. Bob Ballard discovered the Titanic. He was asked “What was your greatest discovery?” He replied, “My next one.” This is what makes teaching so exciting. We are explorers of human-kind; our next year’s class, our next athlete, our next student may be our greatest discovery of all.