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I will concede that if one didn’t grow up familiar with such teaching methodology that it would be helpful to provide that training, but requiring someone to get a college degree in phonics or class room organization is still rediculous in my opinion. These skills and nurturing youngsters are what every young mother and/or father used to do in the pre-kindergarten age anyway. Babysitters learn such skills OJT at early teen age. For those that still don’t get it, a six week night class with some OJT assisting or being mentored by elementary teachers should be more than enough. This is equivalent to a trade, as opposed to a traditional ‘profession’, and please don’t take offense to that.

The same can be said of many trades, like auto mechanics, computer repair or programming, wood crafting, welding, plumbing, etc. these are all respected trades that pay well and do not require a college degree.

”This (teaching elem school) is equivalent to a trade, as opposed to a traditional ‘profession…”

Well then, perhaps schools should not REQUIRE a college degree for applicants then. But I think if they did that, you would see only “Babysitting” level performance by the teachers. I know that many, perhaps even most teachers today are just indoctrinating rather than teaching. My suggestion would be to raise the level of courses needed to get the degree. When getting my Elem. Ed degree in the 60’s, I took electives in Math, chemistry, physics, child psychology, Literature, history, biology, etc. even business law and Phys Ed as it related to children’s health. I dare say I was much more than a babysitter or little house on the prairie one-room schoolmarm! Plus I never had to put my own 3 kids in daycare even once. I tutored kids with Dyslexia and other reading disabilities and even an occasional high school student struggling with Algebra, while my kids were too young to go to school, then brought them with me when they started school.