Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: question from a non-tubist


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Posted by Rick Denney on August 13, 2001 at 09:56:01:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: question from a non-tubist posted by Jay Bertolet on August 12, 2001 at 07:48:27:

I agree with Jay but probably to such an extreme that he won't agree with me completely, heh, heh.

I don't think it's the role of teachers to produce better functioning members of society, at least in terms of how to respect and consider the people around you. I think that is the job of parents, though I have to admit that few parents seem willing to rise to that challenge. It seems to me that teachers should teach skills, and skills only. As soon as they start trying to "teach students to be better functioning members of society," then they start imposing their own values, or the values of their districts, on the kids. That's not their job. The last 30 years or so of that educational philosophy have not created "better functioning members of society" based on the resumes and workers I see. They should teach content, so that one who graduates from math class can do math, one who graduates from history class knows history, and one who graduates from English class can write coherently. And discipline within the school has the purposes of keeping disruptive kids from ruining it for the others, and making sure that the kids do their work. For example, the common notion among teachers these days is that testing is a learning experience. Bull. Doing homework, reading the material, listening to lectures, and studying are the learning experiences. Testing is what you do to make sure they do those other things.

When I hire people, I look for skills. Can they write? Can they speak without stumbling all over themselves? Can they work the problems they will be asked to work? If they can do those things, then I can work with them. If they are lazy or disruptive and don't show improvement within a few months, then they won't stay longer, but in those cases, I don't blame their teachers, I'll blame 1.) them, and 2.) their parents, in that order.

Rick "who believes 'educator' and 'mother' are not synonyms" Denney


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