Taught english. used a textbook from the ‘70s - literature.
What’s changed since Mark Twain wrote Tom Sawyer? Compared it to the new edition text. A confused mess. Cartoons,snseless memorization questions on things that had nothing to do with what Twain was doing, even if he was’nt aware of all he was doing as most great writers aren’t.
I’d be on drugs if I were a high schooler needing to wade through this filth and boredom.
Kept a hard copy of ever thing I ever did. Made up my own curriculum, too. I used a pencil and a Mead planner. Loved the computer. It’s a tool not a permanent record. Huff.
Totally agree with you
You could take textbooks from the 50s through early 70s and have a very good base to teach from for many (most?) subjects. Reading, writing, and arithmetic haven’t changed at all. How long has chemistry and calculus been with us? (I have an extensive math background, but I wouldn’t want to learn from the disorganized crap in today’s math textbooks).
What about the structure and functions of government, i.e. showing how bills are passed, discussing the three branches, etc.? Even history—it’s unwise, I think, to discuss “history” that’s less than 30 years old. I think there needs to be some separation there for emotions to die down.
The modern “focus” on diversity and multiculturalism? Ha! Diverse cultures didn’t create this country with its (still) amazing riches, freedoms, and highest standard of living anywhere. So let’s celebrate a bunch of primitives, eh? What a joke!
Get back to the basics.