Phat writes:
I am curious as to what your overall optimism about being a teacher is in general.
There are lots of general teachers in the world. I would say my Father was my first teacher in that he taught me so much about the natural world in which we live.
Through his teaching I developed a love for and a basic understanding of nature. Teachers have knowledge and experience to pass on to students, and of course, as in the case of my Father, their children. Education does indeed begin at home.
But Fathers can’t be around all day with a family to rear so the educational duties get passed on to professional teachers. One hopes, that as well as their knowledge and experience in the world, teachers give a fair and balanced view of the world to students. While at the same time giving them room to develop and test out the world for themselves. It is probably healthy that students do go to professional teachers as what we hope develops in a student is an individual capable of making up his own mind about the world and not just a replicate of his Father.
I guess that’s where my optimism sits. I would hope, that the teacher that stands before a student, has that students hopes and aspirations as a priority. Unfortunately this has become less so in our education systems as the overall focus seems to have strayed from the student and is well and truly focused on the performance of the teacher. A teacher is no longer judged by what the students have learned in a lesson. But rather on whether he or she can convince a head teacher or similar that the intentions to teach that student were in the lesson plan.
It is the head teacher or observer then who determines whether the student has learned anything, whether they have or not is not important! What is important is whether the observer believes they have or not!
I guess I am not very optimistic about the future of education and being a teacher in general because it is my belief that we no longer have the child/student as our priority, instead producing paperwork and convincing others that students are progressing is our priority.
I believe also that as a consequence students themselves take nothing away from lessons, they don’t get the opportunities to explore and develop what they have learned, the teacher has the next target to move onto, and in response students become disillusioned with education altogether. And todays students are tomorrows parents. My teacher thinks more about himself than me and my parents don’t give a damn!
My optimism about being a teacher? Thanks for giving me the opportunity to blow off a bit!
Phat writes:
It is indeed a challenge to engage young minds. Share with us some success stories.
Most success stories go unnoticed. The reason I have taught children through such a wide range of ages is because I am a special needs teacher. I have been involved with the education of children ranging in age 2-19 years old. The principles of how children learn remain the same. The approach and content of the lesson change appropriately.
Like I said, success stories mainly go unnoticed. And most get forgotten. So much so that I advise teaching students to carry note books with them and list their successes with pupils. It makes for interesting reading and can help boost confidence at times when its needed. Some success stories do stick in my mind.
Persevering with a toddler who had mobility problems and teaching him to walk. Everyday helping him to stand up against a wall until one day he had the confidence in me to leave the wall and walk.
Being put into a class of post 16 students who would be lucky to get through their final year without being expelled! Through gaining trust and respect we all got through the year in one piece. It wasn’t easy believe me.
Today dear head teacher my aim is to help this toddler walk. Okay, it didn’t work today, maybe tomorrow. Yes I know it said ”today’ on my lesson plan but . . .
Phat writes:
Please tell us that you are an open minded teacher!
Open minded? Any more so and I would fall in!
The above post you refer to didn’t make the grade in it’s original form. As you now bring it up it may indeed provide a link to my accepted post regarding E O Wilson,s ”The Creation’.
My point being. what would happen if you assembled a car and left the brakes out? Easy, when it came to stop the car it wouldn’t stop! But you, the driver, wouldn’t know that until it was too late. You would have to do something drastic! Perhaps applying the handbrake will slow you down enough to swing into a u turn?
But as the car mechanic/technician you knew what would happen anyway.
Now let’s say you are the (hopefully intelligent?) creator of human life on Earth. Wilson tells us that the current population on Earth at present is past 5.4 billion (2005) By the year 2025, the population is projected to reach 8.5 billion. By mid century we are looking at the worlds population leveling off at 10-15 billion. It goes without saying really that at that rate sustainability isn’t a voluntarily option anymore.
My question was really directed at those who suggest human life on Earth was created by an intelligent creator. If this was the case, then don’t you think this creator, knowing we are eventually going to over populate the planet and its sustainability, would have supplied us with some form of braking system?
Perhaps that braking system comes in the form of Wilson and like minded people? But how feasible is a braking system given the complacency (see my points above) of our present generation and their future generations?
Okay Edward, I’m open minded, I share your optimism, train me to become a professional systematist and I’ll help turn your words into actions. Train me to become a professional biologist and I’ll turn children into naturalists. I would like to think education could play its part but I’ve been on the front line and the biggest enemy is those within education itself.
If I say anymore I will probably tie myself in knots!
ogon
Edited by AdminPhat, : fixed quotes and punctuation...to a degree
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