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Hobbit Hole XIII: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1170490/posts |
Posted on 06/26/2004 8:07:15 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
I always hated having my mother teach me at co-ops. At home, who cares, but at classes, she could make me look bad in front of my friends.
The scales betrayed us...nasty...wicked...false...
Sounds like a good evening was had Rosie. Glad the soup got a *dad* compliment! :-)
One thing about my dad - we don't talk much - he admits he doesn't like me - but when I cook, he's nuts about it! Ticks my mom off, he never compliments her cooking but he raves about mine! :-)
I supposed that with all our wicked comments about how to get the brother back for dumping the girlfriend - the cats did it! Bet he'll hear about that one! Glad you two got on okay.... AND any excuse to moot in Washington is worthwhile for you!!! :-D
Well at least you understand the concept of defensiveness that comes from unfair attack.
The football coach at my high school was also a math teacher (and they're consistently a championship football team).
But I think (on this one at least) that Jen's point is that a football coach with a degree in P.E. shouldn't be the math teacher unless he also has advanced education in math.
If they have the training for math, let them teach math. I don't have a problem with people wearing two hats, but in our town at least, it doesn't work that way. If the football coach (why schools need sports programs is also beyond me) teaches PE, or Driver's Ed, that's great. That's how it should work. But it doesn't always.
And look, I wasn't at the greatest school in the world but most of the ed majors really scared me. I'd look at them and realize that they were supposed to educate the next generation and they just weren't ready. I wouldn't want to teach. It's not the sort of job I can do, and if you can, that's great. But I think our education system has a lot of problems. You'll say I'm using hyperbole again, but a lot of people I've had classes with have trouble reading and writing.
I mean, what's the percentage of students graduating high school who are functionally illiterate? Is it the curriculm, the teachers, the culture, the parents, I don't know but something's broken.
Maybe they'll rethink that if she continues with the puffy red eyes and sneezing all week! I can sympathize with her because I'm very allergic to cats as well, and if I'm at a cat owner's house for just an afternoon, I come home all congested.
It does change - sorta.
I used to be the bossy older sister. Now, I'm the one the sisters-in-law call and look up to for guidance on our weird family. And my brothers are happy to see me cause their wives think I'm sumthin'! :-D
And one of the brothers and I are actually very close now. He thinks I'm a rational person!! And amazingly - he seems to be too! hehehe
Yes, if you're teaching math, have training in math. If you're teaching chemistry, have training in chemistry. If you're teaching history, you'd better know it yourself.
Who's better qualified to teach high schoolers chemistry: a certified teacher with one chemistry class, or a chem major with ten years in the field?
Agreed, there is a difference between a teacher who coaches and a coach who teaches. My personal experience is filled with the former rather than the latter.
That's just not right.
A teacher who coaches is likely to be a really good teacher, who also takes an interest in students outside he classroom and is probably making sacrifices to be so. More power to all those.
The football coach who gets stuck in the algebra class to be a body is no service to anyone.
Anyhow, let's drop this. You guys have a vested interest in one system, I have equally vested interest in another. We're not going to convince each other and will probably feel that we're posting past each other. I'll just put it on the ever-growing list of things not to talk about. Sigh. Because while I could debate anything forever, I'm bound to hurt somebody's feelings without knowing it, because I'm Jen and that is, apparently, what I do.
Reading ya'lls discussion of homeschooling algebra makes me wish for an ideal job. I should have a job where I could just step in and teach homeschoolers math and science classes that their parents aren't confident in - or help the parents. That would be fun. I never had a tough time in a math class and I loved them. I really enjoyed helping my girls with math cause it's the thing that makes sense!
Somewhere, there should be an employment opportunity in there.
Beautifully said!
BTW, that kind of thinking is what killed my dad's music program, and forced him to switch from teaching music (his major) to math (his minor). "Non-essentials" like sports, music, art, etc. are valuable outlets for young people. I was a pretty geeky kid, and band was the one place where I fit in and had close friends. If I hadn't had that, who knows how I would have ended up.
Er... she didn't do it on purpose, but sometimes when I was fourteen, she could make me feel three. And it wasn't really my two girl friends I cared about, it was the guy - co-op provided me my first, and so far only, crush.
On the other hand, she ignored that pretty well, so I'll forgive her.
Which, quite ironically Jen, validates my point about not teaching algebra to Luke.
Look (as usual) I started this conversation this morning. I should point out that, while we are considering homeschool for Luke it is largely because we think Luke is an exceptional child.
Not that Jr. wasn't/isn't. But the public schools in our area have been very good for Jr. His academic problems are not related to poor teachers. He'd do just as poorly or worse in any setting if he didn't do the work.
We recognized that years ago and made the decision not to consider homeschool for him. We would have spent most of our time arguing.
I am convinced that for the most part, the problem with the public education system is administrative. We spend bazillions of dollars on education, but those dollars rarely get to the classroom. Combine that with an overall education establishment mentality of making kids feel good rather than making kids learn and you see the problems.
And it does vary dramatically by region. In Chesterfield County, where I live public schools are largely conservative and actually do quite well. Step across the border into the City of Richmond and you find the City paying in excess of $9,000 per year per student and the students consistently test as the lowest in the state.
There is good within the system. Unfortunately, they are often shouted down by the liberal teacher's unions and the feel good administrators that are more about keeping their job than about educating the children.
So, as a parent, I have to make the best choice for my child. Where we live now, public school was a good choice for Jr. Were we to move into the city, we wouldn't even think about public school. In fact that's why we chose not to buy there.
Lembas anyone?
Wow! Congratulations!! I hope I get there some day. LOL .... well, at least my dad thinks I can cook. Heh.
I hate school-sponsored sports. That's the reason I had to quit softball - in middle school, it became a school-sponsored thing. And our town raised taxes to pay for an astroturf field at the stadium. So we help pay for things we're not allowed to participate in.
I think music is more valuable, since it works with the brain. That's why most homeschoolers shell out money for piano lessons or something similar...
Prolly over at DU shackin' up with some unshaven unwashed feminazi orc...
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