What is a "good" teacher?

Am I a good teacher? This is a question I have asked myself since the first day of my teaching career. As the very real possibility of my program getting cut due to a state budget deficit looms, I am again looking to answer this question. I was not teaching during the last big teacher lay offs. I have never experienced the RIF (reduction in force) process. I'm hearing it is not fun. The fact that I can essentially fire someone else because of my seniority- the biggest factor in establishing one's place in the pecking order- makes me very uncomfortable.

Teacher quality is taking a lion's share of the blame for the lack of achievement of American students. President Obama wants to weed out bad teachers by linking performance evaluations to student test scores. Old news. Where does this leave those of us who don't teach math or language arts? How do I, or my administration, measure my success without the aid of test scores? Unable to find an answer to that question, I've decided to see how I measure up against the latest press.

Teacher preparation is taking a hit in the news. Education programs at the post secondary level maintain high enrollment and are cheap to run. Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education, wants undergraduate teachers to spend more time in classrooms and master the content they teach. I received my undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Maine Farmington- a "teacher college." I took all the education degree requirements including a 15 week practicum in a local classroom during my sophomore year. UMF did prepare me for pre-NCLB teaching. Professional development and continuing education has updated my skills to analyze data and utilize technology.

State license requirements are also under scrutiny. The State of Maine requires all entering teachers pass the Praxis I, general math and language arts, exam. I'll have to admit I found it easy. As a parent I would be very disappointed to learn any of my children's teachers had not passed this exam. By the time I applied for math certification, the Praxis II was required for your content. This exam was more difficult but I still passed by a respectable margin. I would like to see my state adopt more rigorous certification requirements even if it means more applicants will initially be denied certification.

At this time I feel I am a good teacher, I'm open to becoming a better teacher. Contrary to recent news that an advanced degree has little to no impact on student achievement,my participation at VCSU has certainly caused me to reflect on my teaching practices. I'm still unsure of what I'll do if a RIF is initiated. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has been in this situation.