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Old 05-13-2013, 04:56 AM
 
Location: Volunteer State
1,243 posts, read 1,147,058 times
Reputation: 2159

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beat_the_Streak_MLB View Post
You're saying that any non-teachers cannot criticize teachers. That's essentially immune to all criticism.

In terms of the actual disciplining of students/campers, yes it is similar within your own age group of course.

Controlling 2nd grades is a lot different than 10th grades, but 2nd graders in each field are comparable.

You truly do have a reading comprehension problem.

Read the post again. I actually said criticism is justified if the job is not getting done. Are you really trying to be understanding are are you intentionally being obtuse?

Either way, you have now proven you aren't qualified to do debate intelligently. You ignore the experts in their fields. You have illusions of your own abilities and understandings of that which those experts have spent more time doing than you've been alive. You think you know what you're talking about and make comparisons that are ridiculous in the extreme.

Conclusion: either you are a troll, or you simply don't have the intelligence to "get it".
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Old 05-13-2013, 06:27 AM
 
4,385 posts, read 4,236,654 times
Reputation: 5874
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beat_the_Streak_MLB View Post
Does the contract force you to blindly follow what the secret task force recommends, regardless of its usefulness, or does it just bind you to do specific things?

If it is the former, than you weren't smart in signing such a one-sided contract. If it is the latter, what does your teaching contract bind you to do specifically?


All of that stuff in being adults is irrelevant. I would have more respect for a starving homeless man in the street who stood up for his principles than a wealthy, hypocrite. Your own interests are irrelevant. You claim the kids are your # 1 priority? Then stop putting you first and them second.

Considering this student talk nonsense just came into vogue a few years ago, it was likely not included in your contracts that you must teach that way. So this isn't a contractual issue.

If the contract forbids you from doing A, B, and C, and student talk is X, then the district CANNOT just draft new rules to include X. Those rules don't apply to contracts already in place. So they wouldn't affect you. So you cannot use the excuse "Oh, well my contract makes me." Because that's not true.
I never mentioned a secret task force. I referenced a school district, the employer of the teachers. The contract requires that I follow district policies and deliver instruction according to the state curriculum.

You may have respect for a homeless man in the street, but when you have children to house, feed, support, etc., pragmatism becomes more important than principles. It is fine if you don't mind starving, but as you pointed out, children don't choose their parents, and parents have an obligation to their children to keep them fed and housed. I suspect that if it were you who were homeless and starving, you might understand a bit more clearly why people make choices to have stability in their lives.

I did not reference student talk. That was another poster. And most contracts have a clause that specifically references the district's authority to make modifications to implement any new agenda items.

One thing adults have that young people do not is life experience. It is clear from your posts that you haven't been alive long enough to have much experience in adult responsibilities such as having a mortgage or rearing children. Have you ever been 100% responsible for the welfare of a minor child? Have you ever worked under a contract? Have you ever been homeless or gone without food for several days because you didn't have any way to get a meal? Reality bites, and sometimes you have to compromise in order to survive.

That said, I am one of the fortunate teachers in that I teach a college-prep subject that, while required for graduation, is not one of the state-tested courses. So I have a great deal of freedom in what and how I teach. I use packets myself, in lieu of nearly useless textbooks. I created these packets to provide initial instruction and we go through them interactively in my class. Unlike the teacher in the video, I am not at school primarily to receive a paycheck. I even forget when payday comes around. I had also planned to quit on principle, to withdraw my labor and talent from the pool to make a statement and to move on to a field where both would be more appreciated. However, the exigencies of life arose and I am faced with a serious health crisis. To give up my health insurance would be a foolish move on my part at this time, and I can't do that to myself or my family. So I signed my contract for next year, obligating me to follow district policies and forcing me to once again walk the fine line between principles and pragmatism.
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Old 05-13-2013, 09:06 AM
 
3,117 posts, read 4,586,370 times
Reputation: 2880
Quote:
Originally Posted by chickenfriedbananas View Post

Hell, even most 7th graders in Russia can outperform American college students in mathematics (might explain why they're getting hired in Silicon Valley over Americans who are always complaining about the H1B visa program ).
You're out of your flippin' gourd with that pile of manure you just threw out. It's not the topic at hand, so I won't go any further on it - but if you genuinely believe that, congratulations on showing yourself to be the type of dimmy who loves freely proclaiming to the world how ignorant you are.

Quote:
The problem with Americans is that they have this willingness to have an opinion about anything and everything, even when they know absolutely nothing about the thing that they have an opinion on.
Which makes this last little nugget from you all the more ironic...
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Old 05-13-2013, 09:08 AM
 
4,734 posts, read 4,330,801 times
Reputation: 3235
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beat_the_Streak_MLB View Post
But those countries ACTUALLY have great schooling systems
And the question that needs to be asked is why is theirs different from ours?

Again, I'm speaking as someone who has experience teaching in more than one school system, so I'm guessing I actually know quite a bit more about this issue than you do, though it doesn't bother me a bit if you don't believe me - the truth will speak and deliver consequences over time, regardless of anyone's opinion, and in fact, those consequences have already been delivered.

For the record, I actually think that America's historical approach to education has actually given us some advantages over other nation's school systems, historically speaking, particularly over the past century. I don't think that American schools are all bad, nor do I think that foreign school systems such as the ones I mentioned and the other system I actually taught in is necessarily better in all phases or aspects of education. I do think, however, they do a better job, across the board, of giving students coming out of high school a solid base of fundamental skills, and that in turn lays the groundwork to make many of them (not all but many) more competitive in an increasingly global labor market, where talent can be imported and supplant those who were born, raised, and pay taxes here, and leaving the citizens to whail and pee in their pants about how unfair it is to have such a generous H1B visa program.

And one of the chief reasons they succeed where we fail is that they, unlike us, generally do not treat educators, be they administrators or instructors themselves, as idiots who "couldn't do anything else in life so they ended up as teachers." Rather, in many of these places, educators hold a certain degree of esteem. They're not beyond criticism or critique, in the same way that most public officials in any capacity aren't. But the people generally stay the hell out of their way and let them do their job. Teachers who are inexperienced get support and instruction, not warning letters and threats to close down an entire school. In that environment, teachers are more likely to concentrate on utilizing the teaching skills that they've learned in their training programs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Beat_the_Streak_MLB View Post
What the kid in this video said is mostly true.
You don't know what's true and what's not true, other than what you have in your own limited realm of experience. The reality is that the 'truth' is the product of a self-fulfilling prophesy. Educators don't receive support and instead only receive the blame for failures that have many root causes (broken homes, pressure from local activists, spineless administrators, etc). These are things that the more successful school systems have avoided for the most part.
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Old 05-13-2013, 10:39 AM
 
605 posts, read 1,259,567 times
Reputation: 447
Quote:
Originally Posted by psikeyhackr View Post
I really can't tell what that is about but I will agree a teacher has no business talking to the kids about her paycheck. They don't have any control over it and why are they supposed to care.

But they should give the kids debit cards and let then pay for each class by selecting the teachers they want. People who can't teach won't make money. But don't give the teachers the power to grade. Base grades on tests not given by the teacher but covering the subject taught by that teacher. If the kid can learn from the book and pass the test without going to class then he can keep the money. LOL

Watch teachers scream about that.psik
Boy, I LOVE this idea!! see how fast teachers step up to the plate - especially tenured ones who are just counting down the calendar to retirement benefits! My niece is a teacher in southern new jersey and she's flabergasted how many teachers just 'show up' for the check!!
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Old 05-13-2013, 10:47 AM
 
Location: Whittier
3,004 posts, read 6,274,779 times
Reputation: 3082
Quote:
Originally Posted by missynancy View Post
Boy, I LOVE this idea!! see how fast teachers step up to the plate - especially tenured ones who are just counting down the calendar to retirement benefits! My niece is a teacher in southern new jersey and she's flabergasted how many teachers just 'show up' for the check!!
This is the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.
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Old 05-13-2013, 11:29 AM
 
298 posts, read 332,954 times
Reputation: 121
Quote:
Originally Posted by Starman71 View Post
You truly do have a reading comprehension problem.

Read the post again. I actually said criticism is justified if the job is not getting done. Are you really trying to be understanding are are you intentionally being obtuse?

Either way, you have now proven you aren't qualified to do debate intelligently. You ignore the experts in their fields. You have illusions of your own abilities and understandings of that which those experts have spent more time doing than you've been alive. You think you know what you're talking about and make comparisons that are ridiculous in the extreme.

Conclusion: either you are a troll, or you simply don't have the intelligence to "get it".

When you criticize, you are naturally going to tell the person HOW they should get the job done, which you said is not justified.

Just because you spend a lot of time doing something doesn't mean you're good at. You're just really experienced at scamming the system.

What ridiculous comparisons do I make?
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Old 05-13-2013, 11:41 AM
 
298 posts, read 332,954 times
Reputation: 121
Quote:
Originally Posted by lhpartridge View Post
I never mentioned a secret task force. I referenced a school district, the employer of the teachers. The contract requires that I follow district policies and deliver instruction according to the state curriculum.

You may have respect for a homeless man in the street, but when you have children to house, feed, support, etc., pragmatism becomes more important than principles. It is fine if you don't mind starving, but as you pointed out, children don't choose their parents, and parents have an obligation to their children to keep them fed and housed. I suspect that if it were you who were homeless and starving, you might understand a bit more clearly why people make choices to have stability in their lives.

I did not reference student talk. That was another poster. And most contracts have a clause that specifically references the district's authority to make modifications to implement any new agenda items.

One thing adults have that young people do not is life experience. It is clear from your posts that you haven't been alive long enough to have much experience in adult responsibilities such as having a mortgage or rearing children. Have you ever been 100% responsible for the welfare of a minor child? Have you ever worked under a contract? Have you ever been homeless or gone without food for several days because you didn't have any way to get a meal? Reality bites, and sometimes you have to compromise in order to survive.

That said, I am one of the fortunate teachers in that I teach a college-prep subject that, while required for graduation, is not one of the state-tested courses. So I have a great deal of freedom in what and how I teach. I use packets myself, in lieu of nearly useless textbooks. I created these packets to provide initial instruction and we go through them interactively in my class. Unlike the teacher in the video, I am not at school primarily to receive a paycheck. I even forget when payday comes around. I had also planned to quit on principle, to withdraw my labor and talent from the pool to make a statement and to move on to a field where both would be more appreciated. However, the exigencies of life arose and I am faced with a serious health crisis. To give up my health insurance would be a foolish move on my part at this time, and I can't do that to myself or my family. So I signed my contract for next year, obligating me to follow district policies and forcing me to once again walk the fine line between principles and pragmatism.


Does the contract only reference district principles at the time you sign the contract?

If not, there's little reason for you to sign a contract. You might as well sign a "I'll do anything you want" contract, when district principles can change with no input from you.


Pragmatism is NEVER important!

If you lack the foresight to research your profession before you enter it, then you should give up your kids to someone smart enough to prepare for their lives in advance of signing the contract.


"And most contracts have a clause that specifically references the district's authority to make modifications to implement any new agenda items."

Then why sign the contract? It clearly means nothing.

You'd be better off working without a contract. A district would sign you easier and for more money, since they officially can get rid of you anytime, and you'd have just as many right as you have now!



"Have you ever worked under a contract?"


No, but I've had experience in making contracts.

And the only function in that clause in contracts is to prevent litigation from the employee for asking them to answer the phone if no one else is in the office and it's not in their contract. If a school district uses that clause to alter the method of your teaching, then they are DESPICABLE people who you should want no business serving on a daily basis.




"Reality bites, and sometimes you have to compromise in order to survive."

NEVER! I'd rather die than compromise.

It's more honorable to die a martyr, than a coward.



"I use packets myself, in lieu of nearly useless textbooks. I created these packets to provide initial instruction and we go through them interactively in my class."


How are textbooks useless?

I agree that buying the latest version is a waste of time, but understanding has to include reading in a quiet place.

I do think the packs with interactivity can be helpful. But I wouldn't call what you do "packet work." That phrase is mostly used for people who print out dozens of packets per year, hand them to the students, and then go on their computer and ignore the students. That's where the outrage comes from.

As long as you are still teaching, while the students have their packets, that's not "packet work."



"So I signed my contract for next year, obligating me to follow district policies and forcing me to once again walk the fine line between principles and pragmatism"


There is no fine line. You have no principles. Those who say there is a line just like to pretend like they can have both, when you can't.

And the country, sadly, provides free health insurance now, so you don't need the job to give you free health insurance.

And maybe if you quit on principle, someone would feel sorry for you and pay your medical bills. But no one feels sorry for someone who compromises their principles for money.
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Old 05-13-2013, 11:45 AM
 
298 posts, read 332,954 times
Reputation: 121
Quote:
Originally Posted by chickenfriedbananas View Post
And the question that needs to be asked is why is theirs different from ours?

Again, I'm speaking as someone who has experience teaching in more than one school system, so I'm guessing I actually know quite a bit more about this issue than you do, though it doesn't bother me a bit if you don't believe me - the truth will speak and deliver consequences over time, regardless of anyone's opinion, and in fact, those consequences have already been delivered.

For the record, I actually think that America's historical approach to education has actually given us some advantages over other nation's school systems, historically speaking, particularly over the past century. I don't think that American schools are all bad, nor do I think that foreign school systems such as the ones I mentioned and the other system I actually taught in is necessarily better in all phases or aspects of education. I do think, however, they do a better job, across the board, of giving students coming out of high school a solid base of fundamental skills, and that in turn lays the groundwork to make many of them (not all but many) more competitive in an increasingly global labor market, where talent can be imported and supplant those who were born, raised, and pay taxes here, and leaving the citizens to whail and pee in their pants about how unfair it is to have such a generous H1B visa program.

And one of the chief reasons they succeed where we fail is that they, unlike us, generally do not treat educators, be they administrators or instructors themselves, as idiots who "couldn't do anything else in life so they ended up as teachers." Rather, in many of these places, educators hold a certain degree of esteem. They're not beyond criticism or critique, in the same way that most public officials in any capacity aren't. But the people generally stay the hell out of their way and let them do their job. Teachers who are inexperienced get support and instruction, not warning letters and threats to close down an entire school. In that environment, teachers are more likely to concentrate on utilizing the teaching skills that they've learned in their training programs.



You don't know what's true and what's not true, other than what you have in your own limited realm of experience. The reality is that the 'truth' is the product of a self-fulfilling prophesy. Educators don't receive support and instead only receive the blame for failures that have many root causes (broken homes, pressure from local activists, spineless administrators, etc). These are things that the more successful school systems have avoided for the most part.

I think the self-fulfilling prophecy is more true with how parents treat teachers/instructors.

If you were being a taught by an incredibly caring, motivated, intelligent individual, you're liable to treat them with more respect than if you know the teacher is just someone who weaseled her way to her masters and is watching the clock for the day to end.

And when you have a better school system, you get the benefit of the doubt. When you have a horrible school system, you don't get the benefit of the doubt, as evidenced by this thread.
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Old 05-13-2013, 12:43 PM
 
Location: Free From The Oppressive State
30,253 posts, read 23,737,137 times
Reputation: 38639
Quote:
Originally Posted by chickenfriedbananas View Post
Yep, the truth hurts. Well, go ahead and feel outraged then. More skilled foreign workers will keep taking your jobs and those of people you know. Oh Americans will still beat out their foreign competitors in underpaid, undervalued jobs like retail, I reckon, but the tech jobs...not so much. And it really won't matter to them, to me, or to anyone else how you feel about it.
Laughable. Absolutely laughable and shows your true colors. To you, your opinion, (not facts, OPINION), is the "truth". That is the funniest thing I've read all day.

Oh and nice strawman....how long did that take you to build?
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