06-17-2010, 07:25 PM
Hi,
To some extent that is true. But in a real sense, it is more than semantics. When students in the USA do worse than their contemporaries in other countries, when the SAT scores drop little by little over the years, when graduating students can only read at the eight grade level and do arithmetic at the sixth, the blame always goes to the teachers.
Now, indeed, there are probably teachers out there who, through incompetence, indifference, or just plain burn out, are not doing their jobs. I've actually known one or two. But the vast majority do all they can and often strive for more. So, we have the highest funded per capita educational system in the world. It is, for the most part, staffed by competent, dedicated professionals. And we're getting terrible results. What is the underlying problem?
To a large extent, I think it is an indifference to education in the country as a whole. I suspect a poll asking the purpose of education would come back nearly 100% with 'getting a better job'. I suspect that a lot of students have given up on education because they just don't see where it would help them. I suspect that when students see that sports figures and drug dealers make more and live better than their teachers, they doubt the usefulness of their education.
In this environment, is it any wonder that many students do not even make an effort to learn anything? So, call the exposition of knowledge anything you like. But, is it teaching if no one is listening? Is it teaching if no one cares or makes use of it?
At one time, which some of us still remember, school was run by "the rule of the ruler." That has long since been banned. But nothing was instituted to replace it. With neither fear nor hopes of reward, why should the average student care. And, if they do not wish to learn, how can anyone teach?
--Pete
(06-17-2010, 05:40 PM)ShadowHM Wrote: I think this is a quibble over semantics. Students attend school (ostensibly) to learn. Schools are required to teach students so that they may learn.
To some extent that is true. But in a real sense, it is more than semantics. When students in the USA do worse than their contemporaries in other countries, when the SAT scores drop little by little over the years, when graduating students can only read at the eight grade level and do arithmetic at the sixth, the blame always goes to the teachers.
Now, indeed, there are probably teachers out there who, through incompetence, indifference, or just plain burn out, are not doing their jobs. I've actually known one or two. But the vast majority do all they can and often strive for more. So, we have the highest funded per capita educational system in the world. It is, for the most part, staffed by competent, dedicated professionals. And we're getting terrible results. What is the underlying problem?
To a large extent, I think it is an indifference to education in the country as a whole. I suspect a poll asking the purpose of education would come back nearly 100% with 'getting a better job'. I suspect that a lot of students have given up on education because they just don't see where it would help them. I suspect that when students see that sports figures and drug dealers make more and live better than their teachers, they doubt the usefulness of their education.
In this environment, is it any wonder that many students do not even make an effort to learn anything? So, call the exposition of knowledge anything you like. But, is it teaching if no one is listening? Is it teaching if no one cares or makes use of it?
At one time, which some of us still remember, school was run by "the rule of the ruler." That has long since been banned. But nothing was instituted to replace it. With neither fear nor hopes of reward, why should the average student care. And, if they do not wish to learn, how can anyone teach?
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?