Megan Walck

West Point MTP

June 14, 2014

Recognizing Good Teaching Reflection

The article, Most Likely to Succeed, by Malcom Gladwell seemed awfully reminiscent of
Michael Lewis nonfiction book, The Blind Side. Like the book, for people who are not fans of
football, the article was a turnoff at first. It started with a huge football analysis and breakdown
of the importance of particular football positions. However, if read more closely, the article,
much like the book, teaches a bigger lesson.
The biggest lesson in Most Likely to Succeed, for me as a teacher, is where the author
states, This is the quarterback problem. There are certain jobs where almost nothing you can
learn about candidates before they start predicts how theyll do once theyre hired (37). This is
so true because teaching is a profession that deals with humans. Teachers are humans with
emotions, good and bad days, family problems, etc. The very same goes for our students; they
are humans too. The situation can change day-to-day based on any number of variables.
Obviously, we want to have the very best teachers producing their very best work on a
majority of days, but this can be difficult to predict. Perhaps we need to start grooming students
to become teachers earlier, such as through a vocational training setting. Allowing students the
hands-on time to work with younger children can do nothing but benefit everyone involved.
Even if the students choose not to become teachers, odds are that they will be a parent, an aunt or
uncle, or perhaps even a coach someday. The younger children will have earned a role model for
later. It would be a positive cycle that could flourish overtime.
This program could be one step in a weeding out program that chooses only the very
best teachers for our children. One would have to succeed at this program in order to further his
or her education on the path to becoming a teacher. After all, like the article begs to ask, What
does it say about a society that it devotes more care and patience to the selection of those who
can handle its money than those who handle its children? (42) If we want better teachers, we
need to spend more time making them and valuing them, both in spirit and financially,
accordingly.


Gladwell, M. (2008, December 15). Most Likely to Succeed. The New Yorker, 36-42.