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The expectation that kids will behave themselves keeps biting me in the butt. After 5 years, I'm still stunned when they don't. My parents would have killed me for acting like my students do.
When will people realize that the thing that is wrong with education is that our kids view it as something forced upon them that they resist instead of the privilidge it is? As long as a teacher's first job is policing behaviors in the classroom, education will fail.
I do bellwork in my classes, my students have been doing it since the bginning of the year, yet, I have to TELL THEM every single day to do their bellwork and, still, half of them won't don't do it. Unless there is a punishment attached to not doing it they don't. I'd love to be able to do activities just because they're good for learning but I can't. When I start an activity, a hand will go up and the question will be "Are you grading this?". If I say no, half of my students will put down their pencils, cross their arms across their chests and sit there. They've been conditioned only to do things when there's a punishment or reward in place. They do not care about learning. Neither do their parents. They care about grades.
I hate walk throughs. What gets noted depends on whether the evaluator likes you. Unfortunately, I'm being evaluated by someone who didn't want me hired this year. We'll see how it goes. Fortunately, I'm planning on leaving education next year anyway.
In my time as a teacher, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot make kids learn who don't want to learn and the ones who want to learn don't need me because they will learn anyway. With the attitude students and parents have about education, teachers need to be entertainers who can trick students into learning. THAT is not me. My forte is that I know my material but that is worthless with the attitudes I deal with. If I try to raise the bar, I have parents pulling it back down because Johnny didn't get an A. I feel like I'm pushing a rope and no one is pulling on the other end.
Ivory, hahah i was concerned a bit when I saw that you had replied... refreshed when I read... Your conclusions are correct I'm afraid... I'm not sure where that leaves us as a society, headed down the same toilet I suppose. Things have just gotten so out of whack. It was nice teaching GED classes this past year, they actually wanted to learn... The compulsory aspect of school and standardized testing has much to do with where we find ourselves, not to mention mountains of court cases... Hemmed in on all sides I'm afraid. Rare, is a person alive that can navigate the current system for 20yrs maintaining their sense of purpose and a positive attitude. Is there even a district out there that's healthy enough to honor teachers in a way that preserves their dignity and respect????
The expectation that kids will behave themselves keeps biting me in the butt. After 5 years, I'm still stunned when they don't. My parents would have killed me for acting like my students do.
When will people realize that the thing that is wrong with education is that our kids view it as something forced upon them that they resist instead of the privilidge it is? As long as a teacher's first job is policing behaviors in the classroom, education will fail.
I do bellwork in my classes, my students have been doing it since the bginning of the year, yet, I have to TELL THEM every single day to do their bellwork and, still, half of them won't don't do it. Unless there is a punishment attached to not doing it they don't. I'd love to be able to do activities just because they're good for learning but I can't. When I start an activity, a hand will go up and the question will be "Are you grading this?". If I say no, half of my students will put down their pencils, cross their arms across their chests and sit there. They've been conditioned only to do things when there's a punishment or reward in place. They do not care about learning. Neither do their parents. They care about grades.
I hate walk throughs. What gets noted depends on whether the evaluator likes you. Unfortunately, I'm being evaluated by someone who didn't want me hired this year. We'll see how it goes. Fortunately, I'm planning on leaving education next year anyway.
In my time as a teacher, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot make kids learn who don't want to learn and the ones who want to learn don't need me because they will learn anyway. With the attitude students and parents have about education, teachers need to be entertainers who can trick students into learning. THAT is not me. My forte is that I know my material but that is worthless with the attitudes I deal with. If I try to raise the bar, I have parents pulling it back down because Johnny didn't get an A. I feel like I'm pushing a rope and no one is pulling on the other end.
One of the best posts I've read on City-Data; quite revealing , and true..
My parents' generation ( The Greatest Generation) supported teachers; if there was any sort of a dispute between student and teacher, I would have been the one with the explaining to do; it's quite the opposite today, with helicopter parents, and parents who truly believe that their kids can do no wrong. My sympathy is with any good, dedicated teacher who not only has to fight with his/her students for attention, but also has to combat the harangues from the principals and parents who never look in the mirror before voicing their complaints. It's truly a wonder why anyone would want to teach in 2012 America..
I have nothing but utmost respect for the decent teachers who are persevering under the most akward circumstances , i love those strict teachers and who equally set the bar very high, shame there is a lack of support for that.
I am a hard core basic fundamentals parent. When it comes to my kids and their work, it's very straight forward no BS mentality whether it be behaviour, mannerism towards teachers, respect for authority.
I am Not my kid's best friend, it is a rather rigid but equally rewarding as i can make it without the hi tech gadgets but just a simple pat on the back and how i appreciate kids that listen the 1st time.
For me, as a parent, i guess what would hurt me more is the feeling of helplessness if and when my kids grow up that could get into trouble whether it'd be financial or emotional, and there would not be a damn thing that i could do about it.
Going through education is hard enough the first time around, so i set the bar, high.
Why not? whats there to lose but all to gain?
The best mentor and most influential person/people in any childs life, are their parent/s...
All that coming from a once mediocre kid who wish he could turn back the hands of time and do it better the second time around, i would treat those good teachers like superstars!!
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