Scary Teacher Postings

Illinois Loop ^

[laurav]

The problems in education are not nearly as simplistic as many here think.

I agree with you, and since I gather you are a teacher, you probably have more expertise on this than most of us here. Though one of the posting teachers couldn't spell, her point was valid: who is to "blam" when the parents don't show up for a parent-teacher conference? Or the home environment consists of sticking the kids in front of the tube and trusting they'll learn something from Jackass?

At least the teachers posting to the forum have enough interest in their jobs to ask questions and share ideas. I had a teacher in middle school who sat there and cried while kids jumped out the window (it was the first floor). I had another teacher who used to massage my shoulders in class (he was a creepy old man). I had a long-term substitute teacher who mocked me for being a "rocket scientist" since I was the class math wiz. Compared to those folks, any of these posters would have been A-OK, even if I did have to sing Hey Jude while learning about trigonometry.

I also had some wonderful teachers. The problem with today's schools is that you have to look very hard, cross your fingers and have concerned parents to get a good education. Becoming educated shouldn't depend on luck and the education of one's parents. That's the whole point of universal education.

[Sonny M]

From my experience, I wouldn't say they were the dumbest kids in school, but they were usually the most naive. A few of my close friends have gone onto become teachers. I'm sure they would have been fine in any profession, however, in the education major, its a lot of sound and fury signifiying nothing. Mostly socialist, or commie, overly sensitive politically correct crap, and the schools and unions make sure its indoctrinated. It also does help that the best and brightest students don't want to go into teaching, unless its home schooling there own kids down the road. If teaching could get the best people, things would be a lot better, then again, we have kids who can't work a ruler becoming teachers, so who knows.

[Swordmaker]

Billy,
As an ex-debate team captain (for a highschool debate team that went to the state finals some 30 odd years ago), I can tell you that the process of preparing for a debate REQUIRES that the students do their OWN RESEARCH, prepare their OWN ARGUMENTS, and learn their subject matter well enough they can formulate rebuttals on the fly. Using someone else's canned pro and con arguments would teach them very little.

You must be teacher... right?

[Swordmaker]

I think of my son as being a normal 7-year-old boy. Other adults think he is some kind of genius.

Much of the problem comes from teachers teaching to the lowest IQ in the classroom... unfortunately, that lowest IQ is often the teacher's!

[Neanderthal]

"I have a son who is 9 5/7ths weeks old. I hope things get better before he gets to school."

You're dreaming.

[Neanderthal]

"Schools seem to focus on metric measurements at the lack of SAE. SAE just refuses to die, and should not die because in many instances (carpentry, and mechanics) it is plain superior."

They couldn't measure 1 cm either if their life depended on it.

[Aquinasfan]

... Here's some ideas in the same vein: solving word problems with a Ouija board, doing historical research with a seance, and mastering map skills by plotting a course back to your home star in the Pleiades.

Part of the reason I don't want Harry Potter read in schools.

[billybudd]

No, but I was on my high school debate team for 4 years. From the quote, it sounded like the instructor just wanted a comprehensive list of aff and neg positions for that year. It didn't seem like he intended to spoonfeed his students research, just to give them an overview of the possible positions on that resolution. Yes, it's always better if students do their own research and develop their own arguments. However, it may be useful to provide novice debaters, who don't have the benefit of tournament or institute experience, with such an "outline".
Also, I disagree that giving novices some pre-packaged arguments is not instructive. They should be given a starter pack of some sort (as we did on our team), so they have an idea of the scope of the resolution and concrete examples of argumentation and evidence that they can emulate in the future. After that, yes, it's best to leave debaters to their own devices.

[RWG]

Is this one of the posts that the author forgot to include?

[Adder]

How sad. How sad. What WILL happen to our children? They are being stupified before our very eyes and we can do but little. Much as I hate to say it, my children know way less than I do and I am sure many of you can say the same. I was blind-sided by the changes and the idiocy of the systems as they were developing during the 80's and truly failed to realize that my children were being indoctrinated and not taught. I, in effect, failed them. Please do NOT let the same happen to your children!! TEACH them yourself,in addition to "regular school" if you cannot homeschool. It needn't be anything more than discussion of history or current events or teaching them to read a measuring cup. But as parents, sadly, we must do what the schools will not and cannot. It is becoming more apparent that we have the blinded leading the blind.

[George Frm Br00klyn Park]

"So when I asked for the metric crescent wrench (working on Toyota) they shoulda handed me the 20cm instead of the 8"?"

PC, I would suggest the 36". It makes for a better beater {hammer}. Peace and love, George.

[TotusTuus]

Hey, it went away!

My post was the Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin, who's report has one fact that he made up, is "professionally" done with a college Master's degree quality, because he's used the clear see-through binder. It would fool any teacher!

[TotusTuus]

I thought he was tryin' to get one of them there left-handed calibrated metric un-screwin' cresent wrenches.

Being a leftie myself, I'm salivating to get one of those.
They're so darned expensive though!

[Swordmaker]

Ok, you're off the hook... (grin)

[supercat]

Only if our society realize that there are so many factors contributing to a student's test score, then teachers will be willing to take the blam game. Who is to blam when students don't do homeworks? who is to blam when pareants don't care to come to the teacher pareant conference?

I'm unfamiliar with the intransitive verb "to blam". Perhaps the "blam game" is a form of Russian Roulette, and "to blam" is to take part in it?