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Our superintendent keeps mentioning how the new standards call for students to persevere. That's it, that's the standard. If I wrote an objective in college that students will persevere the entire lesson would be rejected. How do we teach a child to "persevere". Isn't that a life skill they should be learning as they grow and develop, not a learning objective.
I don't agree with the new approach, but they don't seem to bother to get the opinions of teachers when they come up with these new ideas. I KNOW my kids need to memorize and be shown the steps to a problem. They can't EXPLORE large fractions, they have to be taught what to do. But we are being told if we guide their exploration in just the right way they will gain a deeper understanding of concepts.
As a former math teacher though, I want to emphasize that kids should not be taught *how* to do a problem without an explanation about why the method works.
For example with adding fractions just showing them what to do does not help them in understanding what you are adding and why you must change the fractions to common denominators. When kids get the method for numbers, but don't understand the reasons, they are very confused in algebra.
As a former math teacher though, I want to emphasize that kids should not be taught *how* to do a problem without an explanation about why the method works.
For example with adding fractions just showing them what to do does not help them in understanding what you are adding and why you must change the fractions to common denominators. When kids get the method for numbers, but don't understand the reasons, they are very confused in algebra.
I agree. My dd was taught an algorithm for long division of polynomials that involves dropping down the coefficients and then doing a diagonal multiplication. I asked her how it worked. She had no clue. What are the odds she'll remember this algorithm when she takes the high stakes tests??? I, OTOH, haven't done long division of polynomials since high school but I was taught to understand the process. It took me a few minutes but I figured it out again.
I hate when they just teach kids tricks to get an answer.
1. I am a taxpayer and a teacher.
2. When has a teacher ever tried to get in the tax payers pocket? We do not get to write the budget in anyway shape or form.
I work more than 40 hours a week. I do not judge people based on their profession, though you clearly do.
You apparently do not realize that most teachers are also parents. Therefore if they are sitting in judgement of parents, they are including themselves.
Yes. As brilliant an idea as the rest of this post. Starve the public school, ignore the correlation between home values and school rating, and *********rself out of your entire home value. Brilliant!!
It's not just the parents who don't care that cause grief for teachers. It's also the parents who think Jonny deserves an A even though he didn't try. Both are damaging their children, but the latter will give the teacher a lot of grief when they come to complain about their kid receiving the grade they deserved. And if they encounter a teacher they can't bully into giving their kid an undeserved grade, they'll go higher and higher up until they find someone who will.
It's even infecting universities now. Kids have been brought up to expect an A without putting in the effort. They're used to their parents whining on their behalf to get them grades they don't deserve. Those kids get to college, fail, and what do they do? They cry to mommy and daddy, who call up the professor or go straight to the department chair. It's ridiculous.
Personal responsibility and putting forth effort have been replaced with slacking off and whining, which is actively encouraged by many "parents." Somehow this is the teacher's fault.
Yep Yep. The whole " everyone gets a blue ribbon " without even trying!!
LOL! Yes, this, every 60 seconds and I am not supposed to get annoyed. I've tried everything I can imagine. Mom says he's your responsibility when he's at school, you figure it out.
And why is it these ones are NEVER absent. Never. Only 1 day this entire year. He has the best attendance record in my class.
Who cares what the date was. By your own admission the kid was TELLING people he was abused. It isn't up to teachers to determine if that is true or not, it is up to CPS. Therefore every time he makes the allegation, the teacher is OBLIGATED BY LAW to call CPS. Nothing you could ever say negates the LAW.
You might as well give up...I dont think she will GET it....Kudos for trying
I've never heard it said that lawyers work part time, aren't worth their pay or are too stupid to do their jobs. Never heard that about medical professionals either. So what are the attacks on them?
The only negatives I've heard is that lawyers over charge, which is nonsense when you look at what goes into becomming a lawyer. I can't say I've heard medical professionals attacked. I've heard the structure of the medical system attacked and organizations like hospitals but not the workers the way teachers are attacked.
Surveys which show how the American people feel about different occupations and institutions generally show my profession (lawyers) near the bottom along with used car salesmen.
There are actually many things attorneys are commonly accused of. Here are a few:
1. Getting violent criminals released from jail on "technicalities".
2. Writing laws in the Congress and legislature "to keep ourselves employed".
3. Driving up the cost of insurance by filing "frivolous lawsuits".
4. My favorite is the argument that medical malpractice lawsuits are why health care in America is so much more expensive than elsewhere.
On the other hand, my sister is a professor of education at a university in the Midwest and we talk frequently. I am inclined to believe that, on the balance, teachers get it worse than lawyers. Many people can get through life without seeing a lawyer one time. However, anyone with children will be dealing with teachers constantly. Its this frequency of interaction that makes it difficult for teachers.
I have taught small groups of children over the years as both a scoutmaster and instructor in church. Its not easy and I can't imagine dealing with the rudeness, sarcasm, and lack of cooperation (from some young people) 5 days a week ad infinitum. I have never felt teachers were overpaid or that giving them summers off was unfair to everyone else.
In answer to the OP's question "why are teachers hated"?
I think the answer is complex, but it goes like this:
There is a perception that America is in decline as a country by many. We hear news reports all the time about student test scores declining on standardized achievement tests. America has never held bright people, teachers, or academics on a pedestal. Many people I meet seem less interested in solving problems than in having a "scapegoat" to blame for them. Everyone has had at least one teacher over the years that they didn't believe was competent. We don't get to meet the bank president who mismanaged his institution's affairs so badly he needed a government bailout. He is invisible. However, teachers are highly visible to parents and its easy to blame them, to hold them accountable.
I truly tremble when I think what this holds for future generations and for the country. Its a sorry state of affairs. While I think there is plenty of blame to go around, I blame parents and families for not preparing children to learn more than I blame teachers, administrators, and the public school system.
To use an old cliche': "You can lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink.". That's what many parents fail to see.
Last edited by markg91359; 02-26-2012 at 09:32 AM..
As far as no other professions being openly attacked, that simply isn't true. People who work in the financial services sector have gotten a lot of grief over the years. People who work in healthcare jobs get attacked. Attorneys get attacked. Those are just a few examples.
REALLY?? I work in healthcare and I have not been attacked nor am I hated the way Teachers are....In fact I have better hours, Pay, free healthcare and 4 weeks vacation a year and I only work 25 hours a week! I have also had two raises in one year...both 2
plus dollars an hour....WOW I have it pretty good
I actually feel bad for DH as he is paid less , works more hours and he pays for his healthcare and NO raise in 4 years
Fleurr we are teaching the way we are told to teach. Those new common core math standards are trying to get us away from drills and memorization. Memorization is a bad word in the education world.
I don't agree with the new approach, but they don't seem to bother to get the opinions of teachers when they come up with these new ideas. I KNOW my kids need to memorize and be shown the steps to a problem. They can't EXPLORE large fractions, they have to be taught what to do. But we are being told if we guide their exploration in just the right way they will gain a deeper understanding of concepts.
Teaching is a job like any other, we have a boss who tells us how we should be doing our job. We have to struggle to please that boss and still meet the needs of our kids.
Teachers are involved in choosing curriculums where I live. I understand that there are other considerations, but many teachers seemed to be able to tweak the curriculum in a way that that the kids got a little bit out of it. The frustrating thing was is the teacher flat out refused to give me advice how to help my kid understand things better. She just shook her head like I was expecting some miracle cure when none existed.
When my kid started that grade, there was a kid who was sort of a math prodigy. I'd heard that his parents tutored him outside of the classroom...I didn't understand it at all. Fast forward a few months and I was doing the same thing.
My dad had two math degrees. I'm no math expert, but I'd probably spent more time by the end of second grade helping that kid with math than my dad had helped me in my entire school career.
Now she is in algebra and has a very engaged teacher who I know is accessible for additional advice if needed.
My second kid seems to have a very intuitive grasp of math(and better teachers) so I am thankful not to have to "homeschool" him in math.
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I, OTOH, haven't done long division of polynomials since high school but I was taught to understand the process. It took me a few minutes but I figured it out again.
