I had a teacher once who called his students “idiots” when they screwed up. He was our orchestra conductor, a fierce Ukrainian immigrant named Jerry Kupchynsky, and when someone played out of tune, he would stop the entire group to yell, “Who eez deaf in first violins!?” He made us rehearse until our fingers almost bled. He corrected our wayward hands and arms by poking at us with a pencil.
Today, he’d be fired. But when he died a few years ago, he was celebrated: Forty years’ worth of former students and colleagues flew back to my New Jersey hometown from every corner of the country, old instruments in tow, to play a concert in his memory. I was among them, toting my long-neglected viola. When the curtain rose on our concert that day, we had formed a symphony orchestra the size of the New York Philharmonic.
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Kupchynsky FamilyMr. K began teaching at East Brunswick High School when it opened in 1958.
I was stunned by the outpouring for the gruff old teacher we knew as Mr. K. But I was equally struck by the success of his former students. Some were musicians, but most had distinguished themselves in other fields, like law, academia and medicine. Research tells us that there is a positive correlation between music education and academic achievement. But that alone didn’t explain the belated surge of gratitude for a teacher who basically tortured us through adolescence.
We’re in the midst of a national wave of self-recrimination over the U.S. education system. Every day there is hand-wringing over our students falling behind the rest of the world. Fifteen-year-olds in the U.S. trail students in 12 other nations in science and 17 in math, bested by their counterparts not just in Asia but in Finland, Estonia and the Netherlands, too. An entire industry of books and consultants has grown up that capitalizes on our collective fear that American education is inadequate and asks what American educators are doing wrong.
I would ask a different question. What did Mr. K do right? What can we learn from a teacher whose methods fly in the face of everything we think we know about education today, but who was undeniably effective?
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Luci Gutiérrez
As it turns out, quite a lot. Comparing Mr. K’s methods with the latest findings in fields from music to math to medicine leads to a single, startling conclusion: It’s time to revive old-fashioned education. Not just traditional but old-fashioned in the sense that so many of us knew as kids, with strict discipline and unyielding demands. Because here’s the thing: It works.
Now I’m not calling for abuse; I’d be the first to complain if a teacher called my kids names. But the latest evidence backs up my modest proposal. Studies have now shown, among other things, the benefits of moderate childhood stress; how praise kills kids’ self-esteem; and why grit is a better predictor of success than SAT scores.
All of which flies in the face of the kinder, gentler philosophy that has dominated American education over the past few decades. The conventional wisdom holds that teachers are supposed to tease knowledge out of students, rather than pound it into their heads. Projects and collaborative learning are applauded; traditional methods like lecturing and memorization—derided as “drill and kill”—are frowned upon, dismissed as a surefire way to suck young minds dry of creativity and motivation.
But the conventional wisdom is wrong. And the following eight principles—a manifesto if you will, a battle cry inspired by my old teacher and buttressed by new research—explain why.
1. A little pain is good for you.
Psychologist K. Anders Ericsson gained fame for his research showing that true expertise requires about 10,000 hours of practice, a notion popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers.” But an often-overlooked finding from the same study is equally important: True expertise requires teachers who give “constructive, even painful, feedback,” as Dr. Ericsson put it in a 2007 Harvard Business Review article. He assessed research on top performers in fields ranging from violin performance to surgery to computer programming to chess. And he found that all of them “deliberately picked unsentimental coaches who would challenge them and drive them to higher levels of performance.”
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Arthur MontzkaMr. Kupchynsky helps his daughter with her bow stroke in 1966.
2. Drill, baby, drill.
Rote learning, long discredited, is now recognized as one reason that children whose families come from India (where memorization is still prized) are creaming their peers in the National Spelling Bee Championship. This cultural difference also helps to explain why students in China (and Chinese families in the U.S.) are better at math. Meanwhile, American students struggle with complex math problems because, as research makes abundantly clear, they lack fluency in basic addition and subtraction—and few of them were made to memorize their times tables.
William Klemm of Texas A&M University argues that the U.S. needs to reverse the bias against memorization. Even the U.S. Department of Education raised alarm bells, chastising American schools in a 2008 report that bemoaned the lack of math fluency (a notion it mentioned no fewer than 17 times). It concluded that schools need to embrace the dreaded “drill and practice.”
3. Failure is an option.
Kids who understand that failure is a necessary aspect of learning actually perform better. In a 2012 study, 111 French sixth-graders were given anagram problems that were too difficult for them to solve. One group was then told that failure and trying again are part of the learning process. On subsequent tests, those children consistently outperformed their peers.
The fear, of course is that failure will traumatize our kids, sapping them of self-esteem. Wrong again. In a 2006 study, a Bowling Green State University graduate student followed 31 Ohio band students who were required to audition for placement and found that even students who placed lowest “did not decrease in their motivation and self-esteem in the long term.” The study concluded that educators need “not be as concerned about the negative effects” of picking winners and losers.
4. Strict is better than nice.
What makes a teacher successful? To find out, starting in 2005 a team of researchers led by Claremont Graduate University education professor Mary Poplin spent five years observing 31 of the most highly effective teachers (measured by student test scores) in the worst schools of Los Angeles, in neighborhoods like South Central and Watts. Their No. 1 finding: “They were strict,” she says. “None of us expected that.”
The researchers had assumed that the most effective teachers would lead students to knowledge through collaborative learning and discussion. Instead, they found disciplinarians who relied on traditional methods of explicit instruction, like lectures. “The core belief of these teachers was, ‘Every student in my room is underperforming based on their potential, and it’s my job to do something about it—and I can do something about it,'” says Prof. Poplin.
She reported her findings in a lengthy academic paper. But she says that a fourth-grader summarized her conclusions much more succinctly this way: “When I was in first grade and second grade and third grade, when I cried my teachers coddled me. When I got to Mrs. T’s room, she told me to suck it up and get to work. I think she’s right. I need to work harder.”
5. Creativity can be learned.
The rap on traditional education is that it kills children’s’ creativity. But Temple University psychology professor Robert W. Weisberg’s research suggests just the opposite. Prof. Weisberg has studied creative geniuses including Thomas Edison, Frank Lloyd Wright and Picasso—and has concluded that there is no such thing as a born genius. Most creative giants work ferociously hard and, through a series of incremental steps, achieve things that appear (to the outside world) like epiphanies and breakthroughs.
Prof. Weisberg analyzed Picasso’s 1937 masterpiece Guernica, for instance, which was painted after the Spanish city was bombed by the Germans. The painting is considered a fresh and original concept, but Prof. Weisberg found instead that it was closely related to several of Picasso’s earlier works and drew upon his study of paintings by Goya and then-prevalent Communist Party imagery. The bottom line, Prof. Weisberg told me, is that creativity goes back in many ways to the basics. “You have to immerse yourself in a discipline before you create in that discipline. It is built on a foundation of learning the discipline, which is what your music teacher was requiring of you.”
6. Grit trumps talent.
In recent years, University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Angela Duckworth has studied spelling bee champs, Ivy League undergrads and cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.—all together, over 2,800 subjects. In all of them, she found that grit—defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals—is the best predictor of success. In fact, grit is usually unrelated or even negatively correlated with talent.
Arthur MontzkaTough on the podium, Mr. K was always appreciative when he sat in the audience. Above, applauding his students in the mid-1970s.
Prof. Duckworth, who started her career as a public school math teacher and just won a 2013 MacArthur “genius grant,” developed a “Grit Scale” that asks people to rate themselves on a dozen statements, like “I finish whatever I begin” and “I become interested in new pursuits every few months.” When she applied the scale to incoming West Point cadets, she found that those who scored higher were less likely to drop out of the school’s notoriously brutal summer boot camp known as “Beast Barracks.” West Point’s own measure—an index that includes SAT scores, class rank, leadership and physical aptitude—wasn’t able to predict retention.
Prof. Duckworth believes that grit can be taught. One surprisingly simple factor, she says, is optimism—the belief among both teachers and students that they have the ability to change and thus to improve. In a 2009 study of newly minted teachers, she rated each for optimism (as measured by a questionnaire) before the school year began. At the end of the year, the students whose teachers were optimists had made greater academic gains.
7. Praise makes you weak…
My old teacher Mr. K seldom praised us. His highest compliment was “not bad.” It turns out he was onto something. Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck has found that 10-year-olds praised for being “smart” became less confident. But kids told that they were “hard workers” became more confident and better performers.
“The whole point of intelligence praise is to boost confidence and motivation, but both were gone in a flash,” wrote Prof. Dweck in a 2007 article in the journal Educational Leadership. “If success meant they were smart, then struggling meant they were not.”
8.…while stress makes you strong.
A 2011 University at Buffalo study found that a moderate amount of stress in childhood promotes resilience. Psychology professor Mark D. Seery gave healthy undergraduates a stress assessment based on their exposure to 37 different kinds of significant negative events, such as death or illness of a family member. Then he plunged their hands into ice water. The students who had experienced a moderate number of stressful events actually felt less pain than those who had experienced no stress at all.
“Having this history of dealing with these negative things leads people to be more likely to have a propensity for general resilience,” Prof. Seery told me. “They are better equipped to deal with even mundane, everyday stressors.”
Prof. Seery’s findings build on research by University of Nebraska psychologist Richard Dienstbier, who pioneered the concept of “toughness”—the idea that dealing with even routine stresses makes you stronger. How would you define routine stresses? “Mundane things, like having a hardass kind of teacher,” Prof. Seery says.
My tough old teacher Mr. K could have written the book on any one of these principles. Admittedly, individually, these are forbidding precepts: cold, unyielding, and kind of scary.
But collectively, they convey something very different: confidence. At their core is the belief, the faith really, in students’ ability to do better. There is something to be said about a teacher who is demanding and tough not because he thinks students will never learn but because he is so absolutely certain that they will.
Decades later, Mr. K’s former students finally figured it out, too. “He taught us discipline,” explained a violinist who went on to become an Ivy League-trained doctor. “Self-motivation,” added a tech executive who once played the cello. “Resilience,” said a professional cellist. “He taught us how to fail—and how to pick ourselves up again.”
Clearly, Mr. K’s methods aren’t for everyone. But you can’t argue with his results. And that’s a lesson we can all learn from.
Ms. Lipman is co-author, with Melanie Kupchynsky, of “Strings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations,” to be published by Hyperion on Oct. 1. She is a former deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal and former editor-in-chief of Condé Nast Portfolio.
A version of this article appeared September 28, 2013, on page C1 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Tough Teachers Get Results.
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15 responses to “A Parent’s Voice for Public Education”
It was literally like you read my mind while writing this blog. We have another great group to join on FB called Oklahoma Parents and Educators for Public Education and our focus is exactly what you have stated. I also have no political background and no experience with school funding but my boys are my world and they are my reasons.
Oklahoma Public schools are one of the main reasons we are choosing to leave the state and head to Kansas. The teachers in Oklahoma are amazing, and with so little to work with its a wonder they accomplish what they do. I say level the whole “system” and start fresh. Don’t put the lower performers in with the higher achievers. It doesn’t make them work harder or suddenly make their parents take a vested interest in their education-it distracts from the students and parents who expect to get a good education and it is exhausting for the teachers who must constantly dumb-stuff down because they are worried about their test scores. Get some teachers at the Capitol and let the “boots on the ground” make the decisions for once. I wish you all good luck and hope you can pull it off!
Instead of “rallying” and constantly griping about how your kids don’t have enough and aren’t being provided with everything you think they should, here’s a thought– get a job!! Get 2 jobs. Why can’t YOU (the parent) donate to the school instead of DEMANDING that the government increase the funding. It’s not the government that’s paying more for your kids, it’s the childless, hardworking taxpayers that get to pay for your child deductions, EICs, schooling, food stamps, clothers, daycare, etc. Now you want us to pay more so your kid gets more money for school. Stop having kids if you can’t afford them and stop bitching that the money coming in is not enough. You had the kids, why can’t YOU care for them? Sitting on your ass at home saying that your job as a stay-at-home mother is so hard. Get a job and pay for your kid to go to private school.
Do your children go to private school? If so, great! I’m happy you can afford it. But there are those of us who can’t! Just because I can’t afford a private school doesn’t mean I shouldn’t afford to raise a child. And whether I choose to be a stay at home mom and raise My child myself instead of paying someone to do it isn’t your business. My child and others are entitled to an education whether public or. Private.
Angela, you obviously don’t understand how this works. These laws affect every child – public, private, or home schooled. Students aren’t exempt from these tests or common core by being in private school. If you are going to leave cowardly, hate filled comments, educate yourself first. Taxes are used for schooling our children. They will be running our country and filling our economy in our old age. Wouldn’t you want them to receive the best? Or just leave them behind so they can run the US into the ground?
YOUR A IDIOT.. there is a 99% chance I make more than you and pay more in taxes than you and I do not agree with the states outlook on child education. .. not everyone who complains is poor.. idiot.
Angela, thank you for your input. Rest assured, I have a job. I am also a full time graduate student. And a full time wife and mother. I am a year away from a doctoral degree. Not only do I care for and raise my own daughter, my husband and I are foster parents who help care for children whose own families cannot care for them for a variety of reasons. Again, I appreciate your input and wish you all the best.
Some people like the selfish, self-serving, hypocrite above really makes my blood boil. I don’t know who you are (Angela from March 3 @ 4:15p.m. above) but the parent (Nicole) who wrote this article is spot on.
The article expresses what many feel and would love to say. The article presents the many obstacles that we as educators are facing every day. The reason you teach isn’t for the money, it’s because you love children. You teach because you have the desire to help make their life rewarding and never think of the obstacles as a teacher you have to overcome to help those children succeed. Most teachers also have children and see the value of an education not only for their own but that every child deserves to have a free public education!! Why? Because they can then become a tax-paying citizen with a great job and bright future… obviously because they have the knowledge and skill to contribute to our society.
People like you (Angela from March 3 @ 4:15p.m. above) should pay back the things you have became accustomed to provided by tax dollars of parents who work!! Because you obviously do not have children, or if you do… you send to private schools. That’s ok.. great, you have money to do that.. your choice. Let’s see how fast you cry ‘wolf’ if you ever need a firefighter, a policeman, a first responder, hey… why don’t you even start constructing your own roads to drive on so you don’t have to associate with the ‘common’ folk.
I for one will be at the Rally… I for one am an advocate for our kids. My children have been my life and would do anything for them. But, I won’t be around forever and they have to be independent and make a life for themselves. An education is the road to their success. I don’t mind working and doing my share and have for over 30 years in the classroom. Our kids, our families, our communities, the underprivileged children who we see that didn’t choose their circumstance…. are worth fighting for!
At one time I planned to become a teacher. I attended college in OK, however, I changed my mind and went into another career. Parents have to be involved at the school level, but they also have to be involved at the state level. Know who is running for the state offices. The governor, education director, your state legislators are all key to getting the best school funding passed. Do research on what these people have actually done in their life. Pay attention to not only what they say, but more importantly, what they do. They’ll say anything to get your vote, but have their actions backed that up. When you do find a candidate that you feel you can trust, work for that candidate. It’s hard work to get elected. I see so many people complaining, however, when I point out they need to get involved in the campaign, they balk. No time, not interested in politics. You better get interested. Don’t vote by political party. That’s what has been happening far too long in this country. I wish you the best.
“Don’t vote by political party” So True!! This has always been one of my biggest frustrations with Oklahoma voters! Many candidates depend on straight party voters to get elected. I am all about getting information out to parents so they can make informed decisions and begin to see the danger in straight party line voting.
That being said…the June primary is CRUCIAL, regardless of your affiliation. Republicans and Democrats alike have to get out and vote this Summer.
I would like to introduce myself by saying that I am a third grade teacher in Oklahoma City. This is my first year as a contract teacher, but it is not my first year with third graders. I am glad to see you advocating for parents and their responsibility to contact legislators. It is what every school needs. However, I would like to challenge two of your points. First, the Reading Sufficiency Act is important and valuable. Going through college, I thought it was the stupidest thing our state had ever conceived, and I had no desire to be a part of it, but my experiences this year in a low-income school have shown me differently. Teachers tell parents from kindergarten that a child needs to be retained because of developmental delays, but the parent refuses to allow it. The child continues on with below-average grades and abilities until upper grade teachers give up on him. I am disappointed that parents have lost their say in this case, but I have students who are reading two years below grade level and their parents do not want them retained. They might get a D on their report cards to pass, but they can’t be successful in fourth grade. The RSA is an exit exam for third graders. Because of this, I hope it will reduce the negative stigma of retention and encourage parents to truly consider why a teacher is telling them to retain their child in earlier years. I do believe that we should have stricter entrance regulations for kindergarten, though, to prevent students from entering school before they are developmentally ready. I truly hate high-stakes testing, and I think children can prove their reading capabilities through more reliable methods, but I see this as a logical step. We have to do something to stop pushing students through the grades. Secondly, the Rally on March 31st is illogical. Yes, it is a great way – and one of the only – to reach our legislators. However, school districts cancelling school for the day are being unreasonable. We need that instructional day. It is also just before the testing period. I don’t want to take a day off from my students, and I won’t. I was in 6th grade in this same district when my teachers took a day off for the same reason. The only result: a day of no school and furious parents. Nothing changed. Finally, I agree that EOIs are unreasonable and unnecessary. I agree that the school report cards are unreliable and degrading. However, I see that there are too many education politicians and not enough people willing to figure out how children learn best. That’s the real problem with Oklahoma education, and that’s the real reason parents and teachers need to speak up.
Thank you for your input. I love speaking with teachers. I agree RSA was and is valuable. It has been in law in Oklahoma for more than 10 years. Maybe I should clarify, it is the automatic retention and high stakes changes to RSA that were made in 2011 and the fact that this program has never been fully funded that I see as most needing to change.
I too am torn on the idea of canceling school for the rally on the 31st. Although I don’t think it is illogical. Administrators and teachers in Oklahoma have lost their voice. Elected officials are not listening to them. I see the rally as a way for them to do something… anything. Personally, I like the idea of schools sending representatives. Correct me if I am wrong, but many schools that a certain amount of “advocacy days” built in to their contracts with local chapters of OEA.
You said: “I see that there are too many education politicians and not enough people willing to figure out how children learn best.” SO true!!
Thank you for all you do for your students!
N
As an educator, I appreciate your support. I want to return the favor. Below are some errors I found on your site. I wish you well in your efforts to raise your beautiful daughter.
As a parent, I believe in the power and important (should be importance) of public education. A community’s future depends on the education of it’s (should be its) citizens… For many students, school is the safest place the(y) can be and the best hope to build a future for themselves.
Or why although we have steadily increased in the number of students in our schools (,) and (delete and) we have had the highest percentage of education funding cuts in the nation?
of our states (state’s) future generation
30$ per qualified student to implement one of them (the) most overreaching
employees that (who) can
There are so many issues that they need to hear (about) from REAL PARENTS about (delete about and add ,)and remember, most legislators don’t have children in public schools,
Thanks! I will fix those mistakes. I looked over it several times, but I should have just saved it and looked at it again after letting some time pass. I am terrible at reading what I think is there instead of what is actually on the paper when I edit too soon after I finish it.
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