Posted on 07/25/2005 7:26:05 PM PDT by Millicent_Hornswaggle
Absolutely! What seems to me the hardest thing about classroom teaching is finding out what each kid knows, how they think, what they are interested in and the best way to approach them. Then, somehow putting that into a "whole" that can reach each student.
Parents know these things about their own kids.
Nice. Comparing teaching children to that of auto & home repair. The NEA is thrashing in the tar pits.
ROTFLMAO....OMG! That's just too funny. This guy couldn't buy a clue with a pocket full of yen. LOL
He probably just knows where where his money is coming from.
Wow... Where to start here...
OK, a little background on myself. While my current position is "Senior Compu-Geek" (Senior Systems Engineer) for a very large computer and network system VAR, I did spend 4 1/2 years as an "Educator," teaching people how to setup, run, and troubleshoot network systems. I've been a CompTIA SME (Subject Matter Expert) where I helped write some of the CompTIA tests, like the A+ exam. In college, I worked as both a math tutor (at a junior college level) and a computer TA to EE students at a rather well known engineering and science college.
So, why am I blowing my own horn? Because nowhere in those accomplishments will you find a degree from a school of education. Did I get some training in "teaching?" Well, yes. IIRC, I attended a 1 hour lecture before becoming a math tutor, and before I was able to teach classes for Novell, I had to attend a 2 day class on effective teaching techniques, and read a short manual (less than 20 pages, IIRC). That's about it.
On the other hand, I've been in classes taught by people who had all sorts of teaching credentials, who didn't have the faintest clue about the subject they were supposed to be teaching. I've also been in college classes taught by some people who were brilliant in their fields, but wouldn't have been able to teach an eskimo how to make a snow ball.
The simple fact is that there are some people who can teach, and some who can't. Just because you've got the credentials to do so doesn't mean you will be an effective teacher. And the old saying of, "Those who can, do; Those who can't, teach" is only true for really ineffective teachers. The best teachers are those who know their material inside and out, and really want to pass on that knowledge to others.
So, why do I bring this up? Well, ask yourself, "Who's more motivated to do a good job teaching my kids?" Is it the school teacher, who has to deal with lots of students, and may or may not acutally know something about what they're supposed to be teaching. Or might it be the parent, who's actually got a reason and motivation to pass on the knowledge to his or her child. And it's a really wonderful experience to be able to learn with your parents. While I've never been home schooled, for a very short time I took music lessons from my father who was a professional musician and music teacher. It was really cool learning from him.
This whole artical is a bunch of BS. You don't have to have an MA in education to teach math to a child, any more than you need an MS or Phd in Math. All you need is a good book, a place to call for help if you ever get stuck (and you will) and the motivation to be a good teacher. Not everyone is cut out to be an "educator," but it really is a wonderful job, and I really miss it, after being away from it for more than 7 years.
Mark
No kidding! I graduated from a public highschool, and I have no social skills whatsoever...
Mark
I hope that I got through to her that the main reason that people have problems with math and science is that their teachers are no good! I told her that if she wants to become something... Anything, then there isn't any reason that she can't accomplish it, provided she works hard, always trying her best. I told her that if she doesn't understand something in math or science, then she needs to find someone who does, so they can explain it so she understands. I really hope I got through to her.
Mark
Skoos Wif Good Skoo marms Is Best-Suited t'Shape Yo'ng Minds By Abner Ole Jeb Thar's nothin' like havin' th' right varmint wif th' right experience, skills an' tools t'accomplish a specific tax. Sartin jobs is bess lef' t'th' pros, sech as, fo'mal ejoocayshun. Thar is few homeownys who kin tackle ev'ry aspeck of home repair. A few of us might knows carpentry, plumbin' an', lets say, cementin'. Others may knows about eleckrical wawk, tilin' an' roofin'. But hardly ennyone kin does it all, ah reckon. Same goes fo' cars. Not menny varmints haf th' skills an' smarts t'perfo'm all repairs on th' fambly car. Even eff'n they does, they probably dont own th' right tools. Heck, some varmints haf their han's full jest knowin' how t'drive. So, whuffo''d some parents assoom they knows 'nuff about ev'ry academic subjeck t'home-skoo their chillun? Yo''d reckon thet they might leave this hyar -- th' shapin' of their chilluns minds, careers, an' futures -- t'trained professhunals. Thet is, t'them who haf wawked steadily at their professhun fo' 10, 20, 30 years! Skoo marms! Experienced Pros Thars nothin' like havin' th' right varmint wif th' right experience, skills an' tools t'accomplish a specific tax. Whether it is window-warshin', bricklayin' o' designin' a space stashun. Sartin jobs is bess lef' t'th' pros. Fo'mal ejoocayshun is one of them jobs. Of course thar is circumstances thet might make it necessary fo' parents t'larn their chillun at home. Fo' example, eff'n th' chile is sevahely han'icapped an' kinnot be transpo'ted safely t'a skoo, o' is bedridden wif a serious disease, o' lives in sech a remote area thet attendin' a public skoo is near impostible. Wal-Meanin' Amateurs Th' number of parents who c'd easily send their chillun t'public skoo but opp fo' home-skooin' instead is on th' increase. Sevahal o'ganizashuns haf popped up on th' Web t'sarve these wannabe skoo marms. These o'ganizashuns is even runnin' ads on prime time tellyvishun. Af'er viewin' one advahtisement, ah searched a home skoo Web site. This hyar site corntains some statements thet REALLY irritate me! * Its not as difficult as it looks. Th' it is meant t'be larnin'. Lets face it, larnin' chillun is difficult even fo' experienced professhunals. Wannabes haf no idea. * Whut in tarnation about socializashun? Fo'git about it! Fry mah hide! Fo'git about interackin' wif others? Is they nuts? Socializashun is an impo'tant component of gittin' along in life. Yo' kinnot larn it. Chillun sh'd haf th' oppo'tunity t'interack wif others their own age. Wifout allerin' their chillun t'min'le, trade ideas an' thunks wif others, these parents is creatin' social misfits. Eff'n this hyar Web site incouraged home-skooed chillun t'join af'er-skoo clubs at th' local skoo, o' participate in spo'ts o' other community ackivities, then ah might feel diffrunt. Jawja state laws, fo' example, require local skoo districks t'aller home-skooed students t'participate in their athletic programs. Fo' this hyar Web site t'declare, fo'git about it, is bad advice. When ah wawked fo' Wal-Mart mo'e than 20 years ago, Zephaniah Walton once told me: ah can larn Wal-Mart assosheeates how t'use a computer, calculato', an' how t'operate like retailers. But ah cant larn them how t'be a teammate when they haf nevah been part of enny team, dawgone it. * Viset our online booksto'e. Buyin' a histo'y, science o' math book does not mean an adult kin autymatically instruck others about th' books corntent. Gullible Parents T'other Web site axs fo' donashuns an' posts noospaper articles pertainin' t'problems occurrin' in public skoos. Its obvious t'me thet these o'ganizashuns is in it fo' th' money. They is involved in th' ejoocayshun of chillun mostly in th' hope of profitin' at th' han's of fine-meanin' but gullible parents. This hyar includes parents who home-skoo their chillun fo' reasons thet may be linked t'religious cornvickshuns. One Web site thet ah visited stated thet th' bess way t'combat our nashuns ungodly public skoos was t'remove students fum them an' larn them at home o' at a Jedtian skoo. Im sartinly not opposed t'religious skoos, o' t'ennyone stan'in' up fo' whut they believe in, as enny fool kin plainly see. ah admire ennyone who has th' stren'th t'stan' up aginst th' majo'ity. But in this hyar case, pullin' chillun outta skoo is not th' bess way t'fight th' laws thet govahn our ejoocayshun system, dawgone it. No battle has evah been won by retreatin'! Fry mah hide! No Trainin' Dont most parents haf a tough inough job larnin' their chillun social, disciplinary an' behavio'al skills? They'd be wise t'he'p their chillun an' themselves by leavin' th' responsibility of larnin' math, science, art, writin', histo'y, geography an' other subjecks t'them who is smart, trained an' motivated t'do th' bess job postible. (Abner Ole Jeb, a member of th' Illinois Ejoocayshun Associashun, is haid cestodian at Brownstown Elementary Skoo in Southern Illinois.) Th' views expressed in this hyar column is them of th' autho' an' does not necessarily refleck th' views of th' NEA o' its affiliates.
Any school that hires nut cases like my SIL as an "Aide extraordinaire" would have me keeping my kids home pronto.
BTW, I knew how to read the average comic book before I started school at 4 years 10 months of age. I remember being reprimanded for it in school and the teacher writing a note to my mother stating they wanted to teach students how to read "their way". Mom would have made a great home school teacher.
Let the fanatical ranting begin.
I stopped at nea.org. What is the article gonna say after that worth reading?
"I dunno about Illinois, but down here the "head custodian" is the janitor-in-charge...."
ROFLMAO! After that, I HAD to read the article...and the head custodian lectures homeschoolers on how tough it is to teach, but how the hell would he know?!?!?!
Go back to cleaning toilets, Dave.
I have a friend who is a janitor in a Junior High School. He received his masters degree in business from Ohio State. This is what he chose to do with his life and he is quite happy.
Then again, he has invested very wisely and lives in a half million dollar home and both his kids go to prvate school. He frequently publishes articles in business trades and he has published a couple of books.
The job is irrelevant.
So, at what point did a custodian become the voice of the NEA? Maybe I should run over to my local high school and ask the janitor which HS science he thinks is best: Abeka or Wiley? And as long as I have his ear, maybe he can give me some advice on how to make "Ben Hur" interesting enough to keep us awake?? What a load!
Isn't that awesome? I homeschool as well and seeing those scores come in and he consistantly scores in the 97th percentile, just blows my mind.
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