Old Project Avalon Forum (ARCHIVE) - View Single Post

GenerationIke · 02-24-2010, 02:34 PM

I heard today, Rhode Island is considering closing a school because of nonperformance. About 74 teachers' jobs are on the line.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8601-500251_1...deoCommentsUrl

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6236440n

Here are the links.

But it seems nobody wants to ask an expert in this field. If you really want to learn about schools and what's going on in them, be a substitute teacher. At least for a couple of weeks. And go not to just one district, but several.

I have done this work for over 25 years. And I have seen such nonsense in these last years going on in school, I can't tell you.

My number one issue is that districts seem to only hire those who directly come out of college with little or no experience other than their student teaching. I know this because it happened to me. It took the mentoring of several great teachers and their love for learning and their caring about how I could better myself in the classroom before I really could get in there and teach these kids. And then after garnering all that help and experience to be able to manage a classroom, I wasn't hired, time and time again, I wasn't hired for one lousy reason after another. I was always passed by for a much younger, less experienced person who could do the job for less money. And one who was an out of stater. You see, I have a Master's Degree in General Education and two teaching licenses, one for Social Studies and one for Mathematics. I'm too expensive now to hire. And now they have people with only a couple of years experience teaching a classroom being mentor teachers for the ones coming out of college to do their student teaching! TRUE!!!

Second issue, the teachers who are hired know less than half of what I learned when I was in school and college. Not that some are getting a good education--I am not in their shoes. But I can tell you, if you can't spell, if you can't pronounce the words, if you don't know at least something of the truth about just your own country's history alone, you shouldn't be in the classroom. And that goes for knowing the basics of Math, Science and Health and Hygiene, too. And checking your work over for mistakes. I had a college professor who allowed only 3 mistakes on a paper and that was it, and this was in the age when we had to do our papers on a manual typewriter, not a computer with a spelling and grammar checker!

Then there is the question, which the young gentleman raised in the video. Maybe it's us, he said, maybe it's them. He didn't know, but "the problem has to be resolved now."

I can tell you, number one, fire most of your administrators first, then weed out your teachers. When that's over, you start disciplining the kids. Many in the schools today do not behave or respect their teachers they do have, or respect even the subs who come in and try to teach something to them (AND YES, I'M TALKING TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE WHO GAVE US SUBS A HARD TIME EVERYTIME WE SHOWED UP IN A CLASSROOM TO DO OUR JOBS AND CONTINUE TO DO SO BECAUSE YOU THINK IT'S COOL AND IT'S FUN AND YOU CAN HAVE A FREE DAY FROM LEARNING THAT DAY.) Throwing gum in someone's hair, for instance, is considered an assault on the person's body. I know. I had gum thrown in my long hair and had to have it cut out once.

This attitude toward education has got to stop.

And we don't challenge our kids enough. How many of you know or realize many of our Seniors today waste a heck of a lot of valuable time in school--too many study halls, not enough gainful classes to learn something in, too much arriving late and leaving early. And not enough self-respect to learn anything to prepare themselves for the challenges of college. (I work at a community college, too, and I have seen their attitudes they bring from the high schools infiltrate into their classes on our campus--unacceptable! One example: a young gentleman I knew from high school who wouldn't do his work and kept giving me and other subs a hard time, even when his parents went into the school to try to do something about it and had asked me to call if he disrespected me again, failed his English Composition class for the third time this past semester because he failed to show up for class and failed to do his assigned homework.) And yet many of these students expect to be handed a good, passing grade regardless. They even argue with their teachers over their unacceptable behavior and attitude towards their work for a grade change for the better.

And whoever told these kids a long time ago, homework did nothing to help them learn, and that homework shouldn't be given, should be dealt with very harshly. Rote learning is not a sin. In some cases, it is necessary, even vital to the learning process. If it takes homework to learn something, then homework it is.

I do know that testing is a farce these days. But too many think it needs to be thrown out entirely. Not if you ask a student to write a comprehensive essay about a subject. MC's and TF's have their place, but I draw the line at crossword puzzles. That to me and my brain is just a warm-up to get the juices flowing, not a serious piece of work that helps me learn something.

I've rambled on much too long here. But I want to let people know how I feel about this subject. I've had to remain silent for far too long. It's time it did get changed. Our system of education. And I agree with Alex Collier's friends. Our education system is a joke. We've dumbed down our kids far too long and far too far down the scale, to the point of being or acting like dullards. It's time we, as a people, did something about it.

02-24-2010, 02:34 PM	#13
GenerationIke Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Geneva, NY Posts: 156	Re: Stupid "Teachers" I heard today, Rhode Island is considering closing a school because of nonperformance. About 74 teachers' jobs are on the line. http://www.cbsnews.com/8601-500251_1...deoCommentsUrl http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6236440n Here are the links. But it seems nobody wants to ask an expert in this field. If you really want to learn about schools and what's going on in them, be a substitute teacher. At least for a couple of weeks. And go not to just one district, but several. I have done this work for over 25 years. And I have seen such nonsense in these last years going on in school, I can't tell you. My number one issue is that districts seem to only hire those who directly come out of college with little or no experience other than their student teaching. I know this because it happened to me. It took the mentoring of several great teachers and their love for learning and their caring about how I could better myself in the classroom before I really could get in there and teach these kids. And then after garnering all that help and experience to be able to manage a classroom, I wasn't hired, time and time again, I wasn't hired for one lousy reason after another. I was always passed by for a much younger, less experienced person who could do the job for less money. And one who was an out of stater. You see, I have a Master's Degree in General Education and two teaching licenses, one for Social Studies and one for Mathematics. I'm too expensive now to hire. And now they have people with only a couple of years experience teaching a classroom being mentor teachers for the ones coming out of college to do their student teaching! TRUE!!! Second issue, the teachers who are hired know less than half of what I learned when I was in school and college. Not that some are getting a good education--I am not in their shoes. But I can tell you, if you can't spell, if you can't pronounce the words, if you don't know at least something of the truth about just your own country's history alone, you shouldn't be in the classroom. And that goes for knowing the basics of Math, Science and Health and Hygiene, too. And checking your work over for mistakes. I had a college professor who allowed only 3 mistakes on a paper and that was it, and this was in the age when we had to do our papers on a manual typewriter, not a computer with a spelling and grammar checker! Then there is the question, which the young gentleman raised in the video. Maybe it's us, he said, maybe it's them. He didn't know, but "the problem has to be resolved now." I can tell you, number one, fire most of your administrators first, then weed out your teachers. When that's over, you start disciplining the kids. Many in the schools today do not behave or respect their teachers they do have, or respect even the subs who come in and try to teach something to them (AND YES, I'M TALKING TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE WHO GAVE US SUBS A HARD TIME EVERYTIME WE SHOWED UP IN A CLASSROOM TO DO OUR JOBS AND CONTINUE TO DO SO BECAUSE YOU THINK IT'S COOL AND IT'S FUN AND YOU CAN HAVE A FREE DAY FROM LEARNING THAT DAY.) Throwing gum in someone's hair, for instance, is considered an assault on the person's body. I know. I had gum thrown in my long hair and had to have it cut out once. This attitude toward education has got to stop. And we don't challenge our kids enough. How many of you know or realize many of our Seniors today waste a heck of a lot of valuable time in school--too many study halls, not enough gainful classes to learn something in, too much arriving late and leaving early. And not enough self-respect to learn anything to prepare themselves for the challenges of college. (I work at a community college, too, and I have seen their attitudes they bring from the high schools infiltrate into their classes on our campus--unacceptable! One example: a young gentleman I knew from high school who wouldn't do his work and kept giving me and other subs a hard time, even when his parents went into the school to try to do something about it and had asked me to call if he disrespected me again, failed his English Composition class for the third time this past semester because he failed to show up for class and failed to do his assigned homework.) And yet many of these students expect to be handed a good, passing grade regardless. They even argue with their teachers over their unacceptable behavior and attitude towards their work for a grade change for the better. And whoever told these kids a long time ago, homework did nothing to help them learn, and that homework shouldn't be given, should be dealt with very harshly. Rote learning is not a sin. In some cases, it is necessary, even vital to the learning process. If it takes homework to learn something, then homework it is. I do know that testing is a farce these days. But too many think it needs to be thrown out entirely. Not if you ask a student to write a comprehensive essay about a subject. MC's and TF's have their place, but I draw the line at crossword puzzles. That to me and my brain is just a warm-up to get the juices flowing, not a serious piece of work that helps me learn something. I've rambled on much too long here. But I want to let people know how I feel about this subject. I've had to remain silent for far too long. It's time it did get changed. Our system of education. And I agree with Alex Collier's friends. Our education system is a joke. We've dumbed down our kids far too long and far too far down the scale, to the point of being or acting like dullards. It's time we, as a people, did something about it. Last edited by GenerationIke; 02-24-2010 at 02:39 PM.