I had some really bad teachers and some exceptionally wonderful teachers. The worst teacher I ever had was probably my kindergarten teacher whose main pet peeve was that the five year olds in her charge not call her "teacher" but Miss whatever her name was. It was her first time teaching and she got the job because the principal, an enormous ass in his own right, was her uncle. It was also the last time I went to public school.

Which brings up an interesting point. Where I went to school (and by extension I'd assumed everywhere else but maybe this is no longer true) you didn't have to be accredite/certified/anything at all really to be a teacher at a private school, only public. And yet it seems that the failsafe for anyone with the means (my parents put every last penny to their name into their childrens' [private] education) is to place their kids in private school. Given the findings of psychology studies that our peers have as much influence on our upbringing as either our parents or our teachers, is the nature of the teacher all that important? By contrast, is certification or not all that important for teachers?

Of course there are those teachers and professors who I credit greatly with being so impactful of my development but looking back is that really true? Had I been saddled with the unbearable "learning distractions" of my kindergarten throughout my years of schooling could those wonderful teachers have gotten through to me?

make it rain you nappy headed ho's

By contrast, is certification or not all that important for teachers?

Certification might, just might, make a good teacher better; certification will do nothing for an inherently bad teacher.

I have to disagree with the last part of your statement, Sue.  I worked with a fella who was not only certified, but he had successfully jumped through all of the required hoops and was "Highly Qualified".  The downside was this guy shouldn't have been allowed near children, much less teach them.  And aside from his inherent creepiness, he was one of the most bland, un-creative, and mean teachers* I ever met.  He was merely putting in his time until he retired and he wanted to do it with the least amount of effort.  In his case, certification allowed him to keep a job. (of course, there's a whole other part to this story concerning not being able to fire shitty teachers)

*He would have right at the forefront of calling this kid names...especially if he thought it would make him popular with the kids.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

Perhaps I worded my thought poorly when I said "certification will do nothing for an inherently bad teacher." I believe that you're pretty much born with the ability to teach and that certification won't do much for those inherently bad teachers. I wasn't speaking of the literal effects of the process at all.