It’s often hard to express exactly why certain teachers make such a difference in our lives. Some push us to work harder than we thought we could. Others give us good advice and support us through setbacks. Students describe how a caring teacher helped them “stay out of trouble” or gave them “direction in life.” What we cherish often has nothing to do with the biology or Bronze Age history we learned in the classroom.
For the lucky among us who have formed connections with a teacher, a school counselor or a coach, their value can seem immeasurable. That has not deterred a trio of researchers from trying to quantify that influence.
“Many of us have had a teacher in our lives that just went above and beyond and was more than a classroom teacher,” said Matthew Kraft, an associate professor of education and economics at Brown University and one of the researchers on a draft working paper circulated in May 2023 by the National Bureau of Economic Research that has not been peer reviewed. “..
- Wednesday, January 8, 2025