Are Teachers Born or Made?

A. Read the text:

As all of us look back over own experiences with teachers, we recall that some teachers were much more effective than others. Some were stimulating - they made us think; they motivated us to productive work. Others were dull - in their classes we achieved only enough to get by and forgot most of that before the next school year began. It seems obvious that a trait, essential to teaching is the capacity to arouse students - to involve and excite them, to get thinking going and keep it going. Is this particular trait one which some people are born with, or can it be acquired? There is no easy answer to this question. Some persons while still children begin showing traits that suggest they can become exciting teachers. Their thinking shows an unorthodox, creative streak, and they exhibit unusual intellectual curiosity; they want to learn about all kinds of things and are probing and trying constantly. Such children also tend to be critical in the sense that they take nothing for granted; they always have to know why. How do we explain such persons? In one view heredity is the explanation; in another, early environment. There is no way of settling this controversy since everyone's personality is a product of his interacting with an environment, and no one can say trait A is inherited and trait B is learned. Heredity may contribute importantly to qualities of personality but, if so, this has not so far been conclusively demonstrated by scientific means.

Our answer to the questions of whether good teachers are born or made is that we have little evidence that they are born; therefore, they must be made. There are still some significant issues related to this question. To what extent does teaching hinge on general personality factors? To what extent does it hinge on the background of knowledge a teacher possesses? To what extent does it hinge on an understanding of technique or method, such as might be learned in professional education courses?

To the extent that good teaching depends on personality, it is somewhat doubtful that a college education can be of much help. The fundamental characteristics of a personality in most cases seem to be fairly well established before college age is reached. There are occasional conspicuous exceptions: some college students literally achieve a transformation of personality. In the course of time, as college professors themselves learn to become better teachers, we may expect more of these transformations.

So far as background knowledge is necessary to good teaching, certainly colleges can play an important role in the making of teachers. It is by no means settled, however, just what kind of background knowledge a teacher most needs.

The college work of prospective teacher is split between (1) general educationin the arts and sciences, (2) specialized educationin those subjects which the student expects to teach, and (3) professional educationi.e., those courses which treat problems of pedagogy - child psychology and development, social foundations of education, learning theory, curriculum, and methods. Although each of the above subject areas can provide useful insights, there is a group of the arts and sciences that feel that professional education, at least as now conceived, is of little value and should be sharply reduced in quantity. They argue in favour of extensive liberal arts education for teachers, coupled with heavy concentration in the fields of specialization. However, there are telling arguments in favour of professional courses, which we shall explore in the section to follow.

B. Translate into Russian:

to look back over one’s own experience

to motivate to productive work

an essential trait

to exhibit unusual intellectual curiosity

to take (nothing) for granted

to settle controversy

to interact with the environment

to contribute to one’s qualities

significant issues related to smth / smb

to be fairly well established

occasional conspicuous exceptions

extensive liberal arts education

C. Answer the questions:

1. What subjects should colleges of education include in

their curricula?

2. Wбho should be admitted to colleges of education?

3. What in your opinion are the drawbacks of today's