I’ve posted previously about my concerns that that some trends toward teacher preparation have been placing too much emphasize on content knowledge over teaching skills (see How Much “Content” Knowledge Do You Really Need To Be An Effective Teacher? and Very Interesting NY Times Magazine Article On Teaching).

This morning, Walt Gardner wrote a post in Education Week on the the same topic — Preparing Doctors and Teachers.

Here’s how it begins:

The preparation of doctors and teachers is moving in opposite directions, even though both professions have the same goal of serving their patients and students according to the highest standards.

This paradox is evident in the new Medical College Admission Test, which places less emphasis on basic science and more emphasis on humanistic skills (“Pre-Med’s New Priorities: Heart and Soul and Social Science,” The New York Times, Apr. 13), and in the new teacher licensing exams, which downplay pedagogy and stress subject matter.

What do you think? Obviously, content knowledge is important, but do some reformers minimize the importance of teaching skills?