Posted on 02/20/2016 7:56:38 AM PST by Republicanprofessor
As a state college professor, upset over the disaster that our public schools have become, I have been thinking a great deal about the most effective teaching strategies. These obviously differ according to subject matter. But these are some points I’ve worked up over the years; it is now time to post them, hoping to get feedback and a discussion going. The Democrats have ruled public education through the chains of the federal government and unions for decades. It is time to take back education into an arena of challenge and success.
1) First we have to acknowledge that we need to rethink and rebuild our education system from the ground up. Teachers, students, parents and taxpayers have to realize that we are not graduating students ready for the challenges of the twenty-first century. We are a decaying nation; we need to revamp and come alive again. And we can. Education nowadays is not supporting critical thinking but political indoctrination. Students who are not bright enough to see the difference use these contemporary political analogies and conclusions for dramatically different and even ancient subjects, such as seeing the rights of women to their own bodies in ancient Greek works like the Nike of Samothrace. What one young man wrote about this: “The content of this sculpture is about freedom and having the right to be on your own without anybody. It looks like a lady with wings trying to reach out for help to be free.†That is certainly not the usual, art historical interpretation, which would stress the use of clinging drapery and the effects of the sea and wind upon this figure usually seen on the bow of a ship. It is not about the rights of women to their own bodies.
2) Students are bored, not challenged; after teaching the same subject in the same way, teachers are also bored and unchallenged. Do teachers really just pass out packets of information for students to read on their own during class? What happened to the skills of teaching, and all those courses in education curricula on pedagogy? At the same time, there is more information and more knowledge accessible through the internet than at any time in the past. How can we use this online expertise to enliven our teaching methods?
3) We need to collectively visualize a new kind of education system, one that will excite and enlighten our students and teachers. With the advance of the internet, old systems of teaching are passé. We need to get rid of dead wood and emphasize enthusiasm and new modes of teaching over the old rules.
4) We need expertise from the real world; can we evaluate the teaching abilities of those who have not gone through the education system of graduate degrees and help them to become great teachers with real-world experience? Education curricula is notably lacking in content, while repeating pedagogical courses. Let’s emphasize knowledge, not tired past methodology.
5) Allow a wider pool of teachers, those with experience and content knowledge but no education courses. Have them take 1-2 courses in pedagogy and let them loose in the classrooms.
6) We need annual or semi-annual conferences with the best teachers talking about their strategies to engage students. Each school and college knows who the good teachers are, who can challenge students and to whom the students relate. Get these exciting teachers to share their secrets; get the teachers at the conference to go back to their schools to share these ideas.
7) What are new ways that we can use to evaluate teachers? Can their superintendents or visiting groups of fine teachers (perhaps on sabbatical) visit classes and offer suggestions or examples to engage students? Can we rotate class visitations so that each teacher does not get evaluated every year but approximately every third year or so?
8) We need to revamp the curriculum as much as the teaching staff. Students are not learning some subjects that they really need, such as a basic understanding of economics—internationally down to personal finance. Why can’t this be integrated with mathematics so that students understand about interest rates on mortgages, credit cards and student loans as well as international economic theories?
9) Can we use blogs for writing classes?
10) I suggest that we ask these questions: What do my students need to learn about my subject by the end of the year (and, thus, through the curriculum from K -12) and how can I get there?
11) Here’s an idea for possible assessment, and which I use in my college classes each semester. In the first day of class, ask students a question or two on a subject they should master by the end of the semester. They may know nothing….and that’s fine. In the last day of class, ask the same or similar question(s) and see if their knowledge has improved. Have other teachers “grade†this assessment and offer suggestions.
12) Instead of books, can we use articles and resources online? Would that save money for school districts and thus allow all students access to the same information in addition to training them to use and evaluate information online?
13) We also need to ask ourselves: how do kids learn? Does the old lecture system, taking notes and memorizing facts, really work? How about using online reinforcement and critical analysis of the facts? We need to engage students rather than lecturing to them.
14) If we can succeed in getting schools to truly consider a revamping of educational methods, can we have a moratorium on testing for 5 years or so in order to implement these changes?
15) We need to consider BOTH sides of all issues, leading to increased critical thinking skills by our students. We cannot just indoctrinate students to liberal ideas; we need to be more open and weigh both sides of issues fairly. Here’s an idea for an exercise in the future: for political issues, students should research the issue from both sides and then evaluate how the media (on both sides) is presenting the issue. What do they think are the relevant arguments and why?
16) Should this be a Republican issue or non-partisan? Can the Republicans come up with good ideas to push to revamp education, or is this a losing battle? The Democrats have reigned supreme in education for decades, and look what has happened: lowered scores, lowered knowledge.
17) Include ideas from students….how do they learn best? What do they need to stay interested? (I have asked my students this on my own class evaluations, and their responses are below.)
18) We may need to challenge all students and to teach to the brightest instead of the lowest common denominator. Teach to excite students to become lifelong learners, to love learning….be it about their hobbies or more intellectual pursuits.
19) Emphasize writing and critical thinking skills. This can be assessed through writing at the end of the semester. Judging from the papers I get as a professor vs. what my children are learning at independent schools, the public school children are not reading and writing nearly enough.
20) Have more in-house evaluations of fellow faculty, with suggestions for improvement rather than penalties. Have others come in to visit a few classes for district oversight. Have a committee of former award-winning teachers to evaluate class visits and projects.
21) Rethink and revamp your teaching techniques every few years.
22) Let students learn at every opportunity, including from their tests and exams. Some schools do not allow tests to come home (because then the teachers would have to construct different tests). Parents have to make appointments to see their child’s exams. This is not an effective strategy for learning.
23) Not all students are scholars, but we need to educate them anyway. Even more important, we need to connect to each student and to find their inner source of individuality and creativity. Each student has a special quality; we just need to find and nurture it.
24) Include the arts (drama, dance, music and visual art) to enhance the creative understanding of students. Teach the teachers about the arts and how to use them to integrate with history, language studies, etc.
Thoughts from my students about good and bad teachers.
Good teachers:
1) Know all the students by name.
2) Engage the students: teach interactively, get their opinions and be open to them.
3) Use hands on learning. Make the learning fun, not cut and dried.
4) Are flexible with students.
5) Use common knowledge to connect with the students.
5a) Use many examples to prove their points.
6) Have a sense of humor.
7) Treat students with respect, allowing for varied personal connections with the material.
8) Have a variety of assignments.
9) Challenge students.
10) Are passionate about their material.
11) Are personal, sharing personal stories on how this material has affected them.
12) Are knowledgeable about the subject matter.
13) Put in the same effort in teaching, and prepping for class, that they expect from students.
14) Someone who can inspire students to learn about life through the material they are teaching.
15) “Effective teachers demonstrate a strong command of the subject matter, incorporate student discussion, and distribute a healthy dose of supplementary reading.â€
16) “a good teacher creates a comfortable environment for learningâ€
17) a teacher willing to adapt to a class’s learning style and include the class in how the class runs makes for a stress-free learning environment.â€
Bad teachers:
1) Are boring. They go too slowly and have a dry presentation of the material. (My question to these teachers: Are you bored teaching? If so, get interested or get out!)
2) Have a lack of knowledge about the material.
3) Communicate poorly.
4) Have no time or patience for questions. Are unable to answer questions or to see things through the eyes of confused students.
5) “ineffective classes lack respect, discipline, and interest toward the subject matter and the teacher.â€
6) Have few items to be graded, few chances for students to improve and do better.
7) “Ineffective teachers are too lenient (for such a tendency removes all sense of accomplishment), expect too little of students and speak with little or no enthusiasm.â€
So how can we get rid of bored, ineffective teachers and ensure that students get the best, most motivated and enthusiastic teachers?
In short, work hard for less, and if you don’t like who you’re working for, work for someone who will let you work hard.
You are so out of touch as to be laughable. The four year colleges do not all require exams and GPAs. Sorry to burst you little arrogant and childish bubble, little girl, but entrance to most colleges is guaranteed.
The fact is college education is controlled by corporations that hire college graduates. Since the dumbing down of the corporation has happened, most companies do not value technical educations but liberal arts like business majors. Most companies will not hire an engineer as a senior manager or executive. They want an MBA that does not have a technical degree. The MBAs of the world have circled the wagons and have kept out the superior intelligence for fear of competition. Why get a masters in engineering when a bimbo with a Business Communications or English degree will be the superior manager?
Colleges will follow whatever the commercial sector demands and they are only beginning to demand better educated graduates.
Two books that changed my perspective on teaching are Poetic Knowledge by Dr. James Taylor, and The Beautiful Tree by James Tooley.
The first explains what needs to be done, the second explains how it can be done.
“Entrance to most colleges is guaranteed”
The industry is amazingly successful at generating an aura of scarcity and competition when reality is that on May 1 there will be 10 000 unfilled places.
As a former professor at a 4 year state university I like to see anybody that has the motivation and interest in college get a grab at the ring.
The US is a free country and everyone should have equal access to education. If you can gain acceptance to a 4 year university and you can pay for it you should be allowed to try. If not you can always start out at the community college and see how that goes. You know as well as I do that college is hard. It winnows out the weak and unmotivated pretty quickly.
People who want to be auto mechanics, plumbers, hairdressers and electricians don’t generally plan to attend college anyway they go into the technical schools, 2 year cert programs and then internships etc.
What I do take exception with is all this talk about who should be allowed to go to college and who shouldn’t.
Sound like an interesting read. Most of life is maintenance and rote, so something has to be the sugar.
Either way,we are nasty animals still, with highly defined and scrupulously maintained practices of exclusion and admission. The cats promising the big tent welcome are quite comfortable outside of the tent.
They will state, “Send in your SAT and Application and transcript from highs school”, but the reality is that they are scared about not filling the entire school and few schools do fill up. There are always “waivers” and other means to admit a student. I’ve seen colleges give a “life credit” so a private-pay student has “prior college credits” to overcome the lack of an SAT score.
I worked at Noel Levitz, the college recruiting and retention company, and know first hand that colleges are scared to death about census. They lose so many students every quarter and most classes go unfilled.
There are many ways to enter college without an SAT score. About the only real requirement is a high school diploma or GED.
I think it is sad that a college will claim high academic standards only to admit that really good football player that can’t read, and graduate him the same.
I meant fed and state dollars are driving the unions and others...I agree dollars do not equate to success
“You know as well as I do that college is hard.”
No, it isn’t. It is very easy. It is a lot of work, but make-work is not education or difficult. You want to think it is hard because you want to place yourself on a pedestal, but that pedestal is made of cardboard and flimsy. We see the results of colleges and it isn’t impressive by any means. Illiteracy is rampant and knowledge and wisdom lacking.
Heck, even Harvard had a study a few years back showing 23% of graduates did worse on the entrance exams after graduation.
It’s not an easy read, but it’s worthwhile. The author taught at Hillsdale for awhile.
Sorry but you just don’t exhibit even a smidge (that’s community college for nano thought) of information that would qualify you to be involved in this discussion. :-)
Well I’m thinking “Code Toad” is an expression of serious self esteem issues which four years of college might have corrected. Especially since its so easy to get into college. :-)
Just whip the kids, as I did. No need for me or the wife to worry about income during retirement.
(actually, we only had to spank, and not much - kids FOCUS after being in some pain, always works)
Good points about parents and their involvement, sometimes to the detriment of the student. As a parent, I never double-checked or corrected my own kids homework. Sometimes they got in trouble for not doing it, and then they took the consequences.
I have always felt there should be a monetary involvement, even in public schools (beyond the taxes paid). So that even poor parents would pay something, even $50, so they are connected to their student’s progress. Richer districts would exact a higher toll, maybe $500-$1000, which could be used to even out the inequities between districts. I hope to imagine poor mothers saying something like “What do you mean, you didn’t do the work? I paid good money for you to go to that school...now do the work!”
Either way, I would hope that parents would be more accountable. I have found with private schools, and much higher costs, that parents are quite involved. Sometimes they are too much involved, but that is a subject for another essay.
I see education as the one possibility for evening out “inequity” in our society....if only students, from all backgrounds, could be taught a true work ethic for success.
I will look into those books, thank you.
I agree that it is a travesty to use athletics to attract students and then not educate them. Athletes, almost more that other students, need to learn because the percentage of athletes that make it to the major leagues is very low. And it is despicable that minorities especially are used for football, basketball, etc., and then discarded without a degree.
“I’m thinking “Code Toad†is an expression of serious self esteem issues “
As a so-called instructor, you espouse the very immaturity and stupidity we’ve come to expect of the collegiate system. Your ignorance is also well founded on FR and this comment of yours is just further demonstration of it.
“Code Toad” is a name for a cryptographer, someone with high levels of mathematical skills. Hardly a term for someone with a “serious self esteem issue” or lacking in education. You can refer to me as “Dr. Code Toad” in the future since, as a typical liberal, you place such titles on a pedestal and I am a PhD.
You dummies never know when to quit.
“Sorry but you just don’t exhibit even a smidge (that’s community college for nano thought) of information that would qualify you to be involved in this discussion. :-)”
I wouldn’t expect the typical college instructor to understand such matters and to make rash and emotional conclusions as you just did. Typical of the collegiate system today, nothing but emotionally driven liberals.
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