Currently, parents are scrambling; they’re trying to find someone, anyone, to help their children with school. College students are working for them under the table, since they’re fairly proficient in what children are learning in school since for them, it wasn’t too long ago that they were in a K-12 school. So, what’s the difference between someone who’s proficient in a subject versus a certified teacher? Admittedly, I’m a bit biased on this topic having taught for 25 years, but still, I think it’s worth exploring. Why is having a certified teacher so important?

• Specific Course Work – All teachers had to take methodology classes; these are classes that show teachers how to break down concepts, so that they’re easier for children to learn. These were my favorite classes because not only did we learn from the professor, but we learned from each other! Teachers (and those called to be teachers) have a passion for teaching which in turn fuels their creativity. Because of this creativity, we inspired each other as well as sometimes even our professors.
• Experience – Have you ever had to explain a concept to 30 (or one year 42!) students who all had different backgrounds, different strengths, different weaknesses, different learning styles, different moods, and different bases of knowledge? The first time an inexperienced teacher is faced with this, it can be overwhelming! (This scenario is pretty common and one of the main reasons why many teachers quit with less than five years of experience.) The course work, professors, and critic teachers all try to prepare prospective teachers, and student teaching helps, but until teachers are truly on their own, they don’t understand the magnitude of this challenge. Through experience though, teachers develop a skill set that thin slices all their knowledge quickly, so that they can best help each student regardless of learning style preference, background knowledge, and individual strengths and weaknesses. I like this to doctor who can decide which tests to give a patient versus giving all possibilities. They get better at what they do with more experience.
• The Heart of a Teacher – I was listening to a podcast the other day when the host told a caller to find a financial advisor with “the heart of a teacher.” The short and trite answer would be that teachers care, but I don’t think it’s adequate to leave it at that. As a teacher, I carried my students’ successes, challenges, victories, and failures with me everywhere. At social gatherings, I talked about them (often to my friends’ great annoyance!) Often, I didn’t sleep well because I was focused on how to get one of them to understand a difficult concept. I attended their games and concerts because they needed me to. My children became friends with them because my students became a part of my family’s life. I could give dozens more examples, but it’s almost impossible to adequately describe “the heart of a teacher” perfectly. I hope these examples will at least clarify the feeling a little bit.

Because of all of these qualities, along with several others, we at Best Brains Learning Center in Bloomfield Hills only have degreed, board-certified teachers working with your children. A certified teacher will walk with you and your child throughout your educational journey, while a non-teacher will stand by and observe. We want the very best for your children because we are teachers and it’s a part of who we are.