Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why should we have to defend teachers?


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Posted by GC on September 10, 2002 at 11:45:50:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why should we have to defend teachers? posted by Kenneth Sloan on September 10, 2002 at 10:47:19:

The silliness lies in expecting people with really advanced math skills to teach material that rarely ever ranges beyond basic algebra. Most middle school math is on the arithmetic level. A very few students will hit geometry or above. A person with really advanced math skills is wasted at the middle school level and will be more useful in high school or college. I have a master's degree in math, and I taught middle school math for several years. I only needed about 5% of my total math knowledge. With really bright middle schoolers who weren't in algebra, I was able to solve triangles using trig functions, do basic statistical analyses, and maybe introduce the concept of limits informally. Trig identities, the Calculus, differential equations, abstract algebras, topology, analysis, formal geometries? No way.

Of course, it's difficult enough to fill middle school positions, and a person with an advanced degree who wants to teach middle schools should be welcomed with open arms.

Good basic math skills through advanced algebra and trig are really all a middle school math teacher should ever need. What's more important is he ability to teach effectively, and that doesn't come from earning a higher degree. It comes from having the talent and willingness to become a dedicated teacher.


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