Posted on 06/21/2016 10:06:12 AM PDT by Sean_Anthony
Mass government education is just mass indoctrination into a program mandated by the federal government across all fifty states
“To act on the belief that we possess the knowledge and the power which enable us to shape the processes of society entirely to our liking, knowledge which in fact we do not possess, is likely to make us do much harm.” – Friedrich Hayek, The Pretence of Knowledge
The week of June 11, 2016 issue of The Economist published a one page editorial on “How to make a good teacher.” It makes a very weak case that teachers can be trained. There is obviously no stated government mold for such a teacher. There is teacher licensing set by the Department of Education which requires teachers to be graduates of the College of Education and mandates that teaching methodology courses and student teaching are part of the College of Education curriculum for future teachers.
I taught for many years. It is an art, in my opinion. The teacher has to have the knack or talent to lead 20, 30, or even 40 minds over the course of a year to places that they don’t even know exist. You can ask almost anyone to name their best teachers and out of dozens in a person’s lifetime the average person might mention 2 or 3.
The education establishment obviously knows this and creates standards whose goals are at best, mediocracy, since “talent” in any field (except maybe baseball) is a very hard thing to measure—and almost impossible to teach and pass on to someone else.
Bfl
Teaching requires expert knowledge of the subject, good communications skills, a sense of humor and more than a little showmanship...none of which colleges of education teach.
It’s a calling. Unfortunately the restrictions and red-tape often deter those who might otherwise consider it after time in the real world.
I know it has me...but I still think about it every once in a while...
Teachers are born—not made. They can be improved upon but—if you don’t have it in your heart—its just not there. With training you can become a bad teacher-—but its an art.
A degree with a major in education is absolutely worthless.
Not surprising, entrants to “Education School degrees” score in the bottom 25 percentile.
Add the fact, most teachers/professors are radical leftwing marxists, not surprising the US “Education Industrial Complex” ranks at the bottom of the top 30 industrialized nations.
For virtually every campus in the US, the only average scores lower than those to be found in the School of Education are to be found in the School of Journalism.
Tru dat!
I agree in so far as your post goes. Teachers must have a deep understanding of the material they are teaching. They must be able to communicate— but the students also must be able to understand. A sense of humor helps because students don’t want to miss a light moment, and will pay better attention if this is part of the teacher’s technique. Showmanship is definitely part of the technique.
Finally, I would add that a teacher needs to understand what the student’s question is really asking. What is that key point that is missing? Does the student need to revisit a past concept? Does the student almost see an important general aspect? I have seen teachers totally misunderstand a student question and answer something else. In education this does not lead to the right result. Can this part be trained into a teacher? I am not sure—no education class in my experience has even tried.
I taught in a University system for more than a decade.
I was exceptional, had wonderful reviews and was too rational for the university system.
I still have folks stop me and compliment me for my classes.
Oh well. No real loss.
Now I just consult and charge more.
Yesterday I was on a 900 acre ranch at the top of a mountain installing a new computer and teaching the new OS. Fun driving up a four mile driveway...
Got a wonderful text this morning thanking me for my ability to make the complex ‘easy.’
Today, it was a printer issue (and some other items) for the ex-wife of a major sports franchise owner (she’s part owner).
Having a better life out of the university system.
Just speak to folks with plain words, understand their fears (of the subject) and make sure you help them laugh during the course of any class.
Laughter is essential.
Teachers are over rated, hence homeschooling.
“There is teacher licensing set by the Department of Education which requires teachers to be graduates of the College of Education and mandates that teaching methodology courses and student teaching are part of the College of Education curriculum for future teachers.”
Communications Degree,???? From what I recall/experiened, that’s where I saw folks FINALLY learn to read and write...something they should have learned in High School at a minimum. Degrees lately, other than STEM, are/seem meaningless!
Wouldn't surprise me.
When I was in college a generation ago, there were two types of education majors. About 1/3 of them were in education because they *wanted* to be there. (IMO, they'd have done fine in anything else, too, they just wanted to teach).
The other 2/3 were washouts from other courses, who wound up in education because they failed at what they originally attempted, sometimes 2 or 3 times.
Worth keeping in mind when you read about teacher quality.
And, FWIW, the other "washout" major was Business. This was before "fill-in-the-blank Studies" became popular, that may be the default for washouts now, I've no idea. Or, grade inflation may have eliminated washouts.
Your comment in post #7:
A degree with a major in education is absolutely worthless.
Not surprising, entrants to “Education School degrees” score in the bottom 25 percentile.
Add the fact, most teachers/professors are radical leftwing marxists, not surprising the US “Education Industrial Complex” ranks at the bottom of the top 30 industrialized nations.
*********
I disagree with your first point as I have both undergraduate and master’s degrees in education. Of all the courses I have taken, those related to child development (language, physical, mental/brain) and strategies for teaching mathematics through hands-on and thought-provoking questioning, as well as employing rote memory of operations with basic facts and applying algorithms, were the most fascinating and worthwhile opportunities.
However, my studies did not prepare me for implementing classroom discipline, interacting with parents, dealing with children from impoverished and/or broken homes, or the amount of after-hours time both during the school year and summer’s off (HA). None of that keeps me from doing what I have been called to be/do: a wife, mother, and teacher.
I also disagree with your second point. You suggested that entrants to schools of education “score in the bottom 25 percentile.” I may be mistaken, but as I understand it, admission to college is based on much higher scores, regardless of one’s declared major. Although I cannot nor would speak for others, I was in the top 10% of high school, college, and graduate school. Additionally, I scored well above the 75th percentile on the college admissions test, the graduate school test, and the Praxis. - To convince me otherwise, I would need to see specific data.
I also cannot agree with your third statement regarding teachers. Yes, I have encountered some teachers who are of the leftist persuasion. Personally, I know more who are conservatives. Perhaps this is because I do not care to associate with so-called progressives. However, based on personal interactions, I can agree with the notion that many professors fit into this category.
My husband and I have raised two sons, a daughter, as well as numerous “other children”. When I was not a stay-at-home mother, I have been a teacher over the course of the past 35 years. Although my vocations have been challenging, I can state emphatically that there is nothing else I would rather do/be.
~ lyby
In a survey years ago using the Myers-Briggs typology with California teachers, roughly 2/3 were classed as SJ, and 1/3 were classed as NF.
(SPs were few in number, and found mainly in active disciplines like sports; NTs were also few in number, and found mainly in higher-education sciences.)
This is in contrast to the general population, where it is more like 35+% SJ and 5+% NF (along with 35+ SP and 5+ NT). Most persons are not a pure type, so numbers are approximate; the remainder would be persons who are even blends.
The SJs tend to be by-the-book, one-size-fits-all types. SJs tend to like structure and authority; they are drawn to hierarchies, and favor indoctrination. (My personal opinion is that many of the leftist apparatchiks in American government are SJs.)
The NFs tend to be empathetic and adaptive to the individual student. They instinctively alter their approach depending upon feedback from the student; they are uncomfortable with rigid guidelines.
Although out-numbered 2:1, the NFs were found to be consistently ranked by both fellow teachers and students as the best teachers.
My longtime friend tests as an NF, and she is a favorite teacher of many of her past and present students.
Legend:
E = Extravert [Energized by socializing]
I = Introvert [Energized by solitude]
S = Sensing [concrete thinking]
N = Intuitive [abstract thinking]
T = Thinking [approaching situations objectively/detachedly]
F = Feeling [approaching situations subjectively/intimately]
J = Judging [desiring closure]
P = Perceiving [desiring options]
The core types are: SP, SJ, NT, NF. Each one has four sub-types, e.g., ISFP, or ENTJ.
Over the years, when I have been required and/or chosen to take the Myers-Briggs personality assessment, I have consistently been typed as ENFJ.
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