A few things have to be made clearer from my last post.
First, some of you have the mistaken idea that I was a wonderful teacher. Well, I was a so so middle of the road teacher. I had good days and bad days. I had good years and bad years.
Another comment that catches my eye is that it was something wonderful to be teaching before my 19th birthday. During the war and after the war to the 1960's teachers were in short supply in the western Canadian provinces. They hired many people who did not have any training whatsoever and some had not finished high school. For my second part of grade one I had a guy who had just finished high school. So to be a 19 year old teacher, while not a good idea , was better than some one without training.
I did like what I did and would do it over again in a heartbeat.
At times educators have been too quick and narrow minded to challenge kids to become good citizens. The system concentrated on "learning" information which was soon forgotten and rarely ever used. I know that it was a good thing for kids to learn skills of evaluation of information and relationships.
I have asked the Micro Manager who is a bright woman, to divide fractions. She doesn't know how to divide fractions which was a basic operation. She never had to use it in life . I'm not sure if it was valuable as a skill for any deduction. I've asked about nouns and verbs? No answer. I think most people would be the same.
What I do think is that more emphasis should be put on young people replacing us. Yes, high school students will be directed to some further education and training. But replacing us in society should be worked on. It's not automatic that people get together and make a successful community. We need people to grow up and have a sense of community and citizenship.
Definitely.
ReplyDeleteEach level of exams has been in the past a demonstration that you could learn at that level. Even up to degree standard. Look at how many then apply that In a completely different direction.
How many went far in a certain subject not because they liked it, but because they had a good teacher...and the reverse is true unfortunately.
And then the question that must be asked, are too many people being pushed to conform to these square uniform holes that say this is what you must learn and how and university is the only way?
Society needs these round individuals and variety
Your last sentence says it all. Students need many more options than they have now.
DeleteJust this past week, I told me daughter that even mature teachers can have classes and even years that don't go so well.
ReplyDeleteTeachers and administration don't seem to realize the ups and downs and evaluators have no clue about the daily grind.
DeleteAs a retired teacher I totally agree with what you say Red. What remains in our heads of what we were taught at school? Certainly not how to divide fractions or any other 'maths' - some really important things as you say are left out.
ReplyDeleteWe , the elderly, can look back and see changes that are needed. But we have to keep our eye on the ball as new positive things show up. Don't throw the baby out with the bathe water.
DeleteSome very interesting points! And I don't think there are any perfect teachers. But there are some that stand out more than others and truly make a difference.
ReplyDeleteMost kids have one or more teachers that stand out. I'm glad you found one.
DeleteAs teachers, we do our best to reach our students and sometimes we are not too successful. Maybe teaching is not so much the knowledge imparted but the experience together which is important.
ReplyDeleteSome of the knowledge is a waste. Our new curriculum in Alberta wants all kinds of things memorized.
DeleteI think you're right that kids need to be better prepared to be citizens with critical thinking skills. I read an article once (in Harper's magazine, I think) where a writer argued that most kids shouldn't have to learn higher math, above basic algebra and geometry. We never use trigonometry or calculus in life. I'm not sure I could divide fractions either!
ReplyDeleteI taught 2nd grade for two years and couldn't stand it. I was right out of college and I had a class of 40 students and it was awful. I quit and never tried to be a teacher again!
ReplyDeleteI always appreciate teachers because it is such a difficult job to handle all of those personalities and skill levels and parents and administrators. Ugh! Good for you, Red, that you lasted so long and did your best. Thank you!
In the one room country school I started in I had gr ones and twos as well as all the other grades. I really liked teaching the grade ones and twos. I had only nine students altogether. 40 students is nuts for any teacher let alone a beginner.
DeleteI can tell you were more than a so so teacher:) How about hours spent with a slide rule or a scientific calculator? Yet kids were never taught how to balance a checkbook or do a budget...or to boil water:)
ReplyDeleteLike the last one...boil water!
DeleteI also think the teachers I remember most were the ones who helped me find my place in the community. You are still a good teacher, Red. I often learn something from your posts. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's good that I'm somewhat informative because I'm certainly not funny!
DeleteHere, there is a real movement away from the traditional 4 year degrees. Our schools have been set up to funnel kids into the colleges and universities. A lot of kids are just not interested in college degrees and the debt that goes along with it. You are seeing a lot of programs designed to train kids for specific technical jobs here. These programs are by and large, paid for by the companies that need these people. My son is a smart boy. He went to a technical college only because my husband insisted that he have some sort of training. His two year degree has provided him with well paying jobs. I like seeing different options available to young people. This would not have happened with out the baby boomers moving into retirement and leaving those jobs behind after holding on to them for years. I remember grappling with a slide rule. It was awful. I can divide and multiply fractions. I can add and subtract them. I got quite a refresher course while home schooling my grandson during the covid years.
ReplyDeleteLots of post high school options are necessary. Once you have some training they can't take it away from you. Sometimes kids just need more time to grow up.
DeleteDoing your best as a teacher is all you can do. the things you learn but don't use, what is the point. Fractions, I don't think I ever used any in the last 50 years and I most likely forgot how anyway.
ReplyDeleteHowever , there were probably a few things that you used through life but there could have been more beneficial things.
DeleteHi Red,
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice reflection on education. And just a quick note looking back … You’ve been busy with HH and I just this morning read your post from Tuesday, May 9, The School Superintendent. First of all, OMG, you started teaching at 19! It would be hard for me to imagine starting at 19. I think I was in second year of college at that time. Well, yes, I did think I knew everything, at that time, so maybe it would have worked out. Of course, the older I get, the more I realize what I don’t know. 😊 It sure sounds like starting at 19 worked out well for you and it was good to read about the visits from the Superintendent. In my 20 years teaching high school the Super never visited my classroom … that was always left to the Principal and Vice Principle. It would have been encouraging to have seen the Super. Now, re this current post, I’ve got to second what you said, “We need people to grow up and have a sense of community and citizenship.” So true. Thanks for the reflection on Education!
John
It grieves me today that many people think they don't have freedom.
DeleteYou make some very good points, Red.
ReplyDeleteI remember about 20 years back when we educators were trying to put an emphasis on critical thinking, which in my opinion is essential, and in our district and across the nation, groups of conservative parents were having a fit. They didn't want us to teach kids to question. They would tell them what and how to think. Unfortunately it has only gotten worse. Now we are attacking libraries and librarians!
Things are going backwards. Some people want freedom and can't see that they have freedom.
DeleteI know there are certain things- algebra or calculus- that I've entirely forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI liked math and did well in
Deleteit but I've used very little of it and forgotten the rest of it.
There are things, like algebra, that I've forgotten.
ReplyDeleteStarting at 19 would have been hard on me, who started at thirty something. I was so ignorant at 19!
ReplyDeleteWe're all pretty dense at 19 but when you're put in a classroom there are some things you learn pretty fast.
DeleteI divide fractions quite often but I am a builder and to be fare, 99% of the time I am doing so by memory and not by the rules for dividing fractions that I learned way back in school.
ReplyDeleteYes, I had many ups and downs! No one dies if you have a bad teaching day!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%, of course. We had a program at our school that tried to address that called Character Counts. I wonder if they're still doing it.
ReplyDeleteMy mother was teaching 2nd graders when she was 17 because they were lacking teachers in Japan. She had 40 kids in her class. That totally boggles my mind since I've never had more than 25.