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Leila Christenbury
After almost 35 years in secondary and university classrooms, I know some- thing about effective teaching. I have certainly seen inspiring examples from other teachers; I have written
and reflected extensively on the topic; and occasionally in my own practice I exemplify effective
teaching myself.
I also have a modest reputation in my part of the
academic world for exploring ineffective teaching—
and the source of my most telling examples is
still, embarrassingly, myself. In articles and books
throughout my career, I have felt compelled to
detail my recurring instructional struggles and
failures (Christenbury, 1996, 2005, 2007) to serve
as a cautionary tale.
For those of us who are still trying to
become the most effective teachers
possible, it may be useful to consider
a bit of history and a recent real-world example.
© Stefanie felix
Scapegoats and Superstars
Although it might seem self-evident
that effective teaching is at the heart
of student learning, teaching has
not always been a central part of
the public discussion on education
reform. Changing the patterns
of school days and school years,
establishing a common core cur-
riculum, linking assessments to
that curriculum, holding schools
accountable for student test scores,
altering administrators’ preparation
and responsibilities, incorporating
new technologies into instruction,
empowering community groups and
school boards—these have all been
and continue to be topics on the
education reform discussion board.
