Teaching as Art and Science

Professional-level teaching is both an art and a science (see Eisner 2003). Like an artist, a good teacher makes decisions from both a technical and a creative perspective. Great artists display a mastery of technical skills—painting, glass blowing, sculpting—that includes a grasp of the science behind how these techniques work. They also know when and in what way to apply their technical
skills. They make decisions. That part is the art. Similarly, teachers develop their science by using carefully planned, fi ne-tuned lessons that refl ect an understanding of many different teaching techniques. They apply each technique skillfully to gain the desired intellectual, social, affective, or kinesthetic result. They develop artistry by being aware of what they are doing and how their actions affect their learners. They are constantly aware that the choices they make affect the intellectual, attitudinal, and psychomotor skills of their students. Above all, they make decisions.
Importance of Research-Based Teaching Methods 
Nearly all of the instructional techniques presented in this book have an extensive body of research
supporting them. You will be a consumer of research and may even contribute to that literature; as you progress through your teacher education program, you may encounter advocates of some golden technique. Ask for empirically derived data—that is, longitudinal experimental and control group results that have been replicated. The educational fads that abound usually have no such data to back them up. Understanding and interpreting research is part of the science of teaching. Using that knowledge appropriately, making the right decisions, is the artistry.
One last point on this topic: Robert Marzano (2007) provides research based evidence that teachers who have a strong professional pedagogical competence also have students who show greater academic achievement. Yes, there is a very powerful link between your instructional knowledge and how well your students will do in the school setting. Having a diverse set of teaching methods gives you an opportunity to blend the art and science of teaching.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) 
There is yet one more hurdle to surmount on your path to top-level professional recognition.
The NBPTS came into being as a consequence of the Carnegie Task Force on Teaching as a Profession in 1989. The NBPTS has established both content and instructional standards for the profession, which are based on the following five “core propositions”:
1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
5. Teachers are members of learning communities.
Obtaining NBPTS certifi cation is a rigorous endeavor, and most states add a handsome yearly stipend to teachers’ salaries for those who pass muster. At least one research study shows that teachers in grades 3 through 6 in Arizona who were NBPTS certifi ed tended to be more effective in terms of student achievement (Vandevoort, Amrein-Beardsley, & Berliner 2004).
As you can see, much is expected of professional teachers, both within the occupation and outside it.
In keeping with our goal of providing you with a basic core of technical aspects of teaching to make your entry into the classroom an informed one, the back inside cover of this textbook provides the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Standards and shows where in this textbook you will gain the entry-level knowledge to meet this organization’s
standards for all beginning teachers.