Do you need training to be a good teacher?

What I'm about to write may seem arrogant, but I hope that you will see the point I'm attempting to make.

I have never had formal Teacher Training except for a TESOL Certificate from Trinity and I do not have Qualified Teacher status. I currently teach English as a second language and I taught a Sunday School class for twenty seven years. I have worked as a (non-qualified) teacher at both Primary and Secondary school level and in three Ofsted inspections my lessons received 'good', 'good' and 'outstanding' ratings. I am a 'born' teacher and I really, really enjoy teaching. I respect my students of all ages and abilities, I prepare my lessons well and I really want my students to be the best that they can be. When I was teaching in a school the students and staff alike rated me as the best teacher there. When I retired, the pupils who were leaving that year stood up in assembly, voluntarily, to thank me for being the best and most inspirational teacher they'd had (and yes, even the boys shed a few tears for me).

So, no. I would say that you don't need training to be a good teacher, but you do need to be competent, hard-working and committed.

Now I'm going to fly in the face of all that I've just written by saying that I do think that teachers should receive not only adequate training, but also sufficient monitoring to ensure they are, and remain, competent to teach. Sadly I think that, as has happened with nursing, we have moved away from teaching as a 'vocation' and it is to the detriment of the profession. Many schools are run as businesses or exam factories and we have moved away from valuing education in its broadest sense. Teachers are often so hidebound by the constraints of the curriculum that there is no leeway to follow where the pupil's interest might lead.

It is worrying when you read about teachers who can't spell, are clueless about grammer and maths are a mystery. So I think it's a good idea. I do however, agree that just because you are a 'genius' does not make you a good teacher. But I do think that teachers should have a good grasp of English and Maths so they can ensure that their pupils have the same!

I taught as an unqualified teacher in a private school before I had my own children, and then trained for four years to be able to teach in 'proper' schools. I know I learned a great deal during my training, but I have to admit that there were some young people on my course that I would not have allowed to walk my dog. One girl failed teaching practice three times - they just kept finding her easier and easier placements.
Some of the worst teachers I met when teaching were very clever with extensive qualifications - they just did not know how to convey their knowledge to others, or how to interest children in their subject.
Many of our tutors had taught for only a couple of years, then got out of the classroom into the much easier realm of teacher-training. They did not have a clue about discipline or control.
My training was from 1967 - 1971 - I trust things have improved since then.

I think "they" think that academies are like private schools where you don't have to have qualified status. They haven't understood that the clients may not be quite the same. Quite a good idea to raise the bar for teacher training though. A recession is always good for teacher recruitment.