Expertise is a funny thing. You can gain it from the school of hard knocks or from years of continuous education. I don’t know where I got my instinct to trust expertise, but 9 times out of 10 I will trust the guy with the experience or the degrees over the armchair observer. I may enjoy being a contrarian, but what are my hunches if I have no research to support them?
I was talking on the phone a couple weeks ago with one of my former bosses who had a lot of practical experience with reputable organizations and also claimed an Ivy League education. She was smart. Smarter than most people. And one of the things that made her such an awesome boss was the way she trusted me to do that which I knew about. I knew more about websites than she did, and she let me just do my thing. She’d ask me for advice, and she’d take my advice. She respected my expertise, and you know what? I really respect that she respected it. I went on to realize that this is a pretty rare trait – trusting other people who know more about something than you do.
Why is it that we all think we know everything best? We all think we’re experts at every field of life. And we really really don’t like taking advice from “experts.” I bet you’re wondering why I’m going on about all of this. It’s because in the circle of motherhood there’s this weird vibe that a mother’s instinct is always best. That moms will just inherently know what is right for their children. And they question teachers and doctors and grandparents and people with way more experience or degrees than them. BECAUSE THERE A MOM, DAGGONIT!
Listen, I’m all about questioning the status quo to find improvements. I became a moderate Libertarian because I think the other two options suck. I’ll go ahead and boldly state that I believe ALL women should start trending back towards the healthcare model of midwifery, and that OBs should be around for complications and specialization. Having babies is not akin to having cancer. But you know what else? I also think that your kids teacher has a degree and a state certification for a reason. And yeah, there are plenty of sucky teachers out there. But ya know what? There are pretty sucky content management systems out there. Doesn’t mean you should build your own. Why not try to find a good one to use?
All of this to say that I am realizing I don’t want to be the mother who doesn’t take advice from the Behavioral Analyst who comes to my house with a proven methodology to potty train my kid. I want to be the mother who does my research to find the best Behavioral Analyst from the best company in the country to come and potty train my kid. Because that person straight up knows more than I do. Sure, I want to trust some of my instinct, but why reinvent the wheel?
I am a lucky woman because I have two sisters (and a mom!) who have gone before me and raised their kids really really well. Sure, I’ll do a few things differently (like not driving a minivan! 
), but goshdarnit, if I can follow their advice and have Penny turn out half as good as their kids, I will be one proud mama. And then I have some dear friends, the cloth diaper sage, the expert on getting your kid to eat anything, the mom whose child plays really well with others, and the girl who sleep-trained her kid into the third dimension. And of course the husband who can stop self-injurious behavior in the kids with the most intense diagnoses. These people, along with my trusty midwives, my pediatrician, and the teachers at the school that we will eventually find for Penny after agonizing research, they will be my experts, and I will need to trust them.
Of course, if you have a PhD in psychology but your kid is in juvie, I’m liable to ignore much of what you say.
And on that note, sleeping patterns: nature vs. nurture. If you have a great sleeper, did you sleep train them into it, or do you think it’s just in their genes?
February 15th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
good points and all, Priscilla. I only disagree with the statement regarding teachers’ education. As The Atlantic recently wrote: “a master’s degree in education seems to have no impact on classroom effectiveness.” http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/201001/good-teaching/3
The piece shows that proven effectiveness is a good predictor of success, while education, not so much. So, bias your experts toward those who do (like Matt!), not those who study.
February 15th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
the reason that a masters degree or certification might have no direct impact on classroom effectiveness is because there are so many variables in achieving student success. this is why the the proposed legislation in many states to attach financial incentives to teachers whose kids test well is such a hot button. the teacher’s education, expertise, temperament as well as the child’s learning style, home life and possible learning disabilities all have an effect on the child’s performance and test scores. then add in the funding of the school district and the attitude of the school board and you have a whole other set of variables effecting the kid’s performance.
i think what IS important though, is a standard for teachers, and in today’s public educational system that includes advanced degrees and certification. it might soon involve test scores of the students as well. these standards alone might not prove a classroom will be successful because of how complex of an issue childhood education is, but a teacher who pushes through the tedious process of obtaining degrees and certification is showing motivation to succeed in the field of childhood education. it also shows a desire to be taken seriously by the industry, and that holds importance as well.
all this to say, are there crappy teachers out there? yes. but the standards set up are not arbitrary, they help to weed out the good intentioned from the bad.
February 15th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
The sign of a good teacher, in the opinion of someone who has no Master’s and has only taught for a year and a half, is showing progress and mastery of whatever set standard is already there. For classroom teachers, they should be showing that their students are meeting the standards set by the school district. For Intervention Teachers, students should be mastering IEP goals. For behavior specialists, showing the desired trend in frequency/ intensity of trargeted behaviors is the key. A good teacher knows the goals, takes students on the right path to meet the goal, and can demonstrate that kids have made those goals.
February 16th, 2010 at 12:06 am
you’re a wise old owl, kiki. does this mean that i can send my kids to a waldorf school if the teachers can successfully show my kids can meet the school standards? i do hope you say yes.