Incompetent Teachers – whos teaching your children ?...
- Thread starter hwnorth
- Start date
I would love to see what would happen if teachers were paid more - enough to make the standards to become a teacher very high/difficult, and to make the job market very competitive so only the best are hired. As of now, the low salary turns a lot of talented people off, leaving a lot of potential hirees out there that are less than qualified.
I currently teach Algebra and Geometry at the high school level. I have been doing this for 8 years, and I still love it. The tough days - and the bad days. I can agree with most of the criticisms that people have put forth, but you need to show a little love back. As some have said, you will run into good and bad with any large profession, and if you've had a great teacher in your life - I would appreciate it if you would add that in your post. Some of you seem hellbent on pointing out the bad, yet haven't spoken up about some of the teachers that actually taught you. Yet, here you are typing away in near perfect English. Someone had to teach you that.
I would love it, too, because then I'd be getting paid what I think I'm worth. Some folks take little to no interest in their child's education and treat me like a glorified baby-sitter. If I got paid per hour, per child I'd be driving to work in a Benz, not a Mazda.Shari Nielsen said:
Im sorry that you find this offensive in some views, and anyone here is welcome to start a thread on the wonderful teachers they had, as Im sure we all have had... but the fact remains what it is.KushBreath said:
Im finding a massive amount of resistance on this topic, and this is including of bad rep Ive gotten and pvt msgs. I would think, that since the facts all point to this in the good Ol US of A ... that people would take notice, investigate whats written and do what it took to fix... Instead... Im the asshole for pointing it out? Something about shooting the messenger ?? Truly Im not worried at whos upset that this was talked about, as the way I see it, if there is simply one parent, who takes notice, and helps make corrections... then thats one more child whos now going to get a better education.
Even myself, who lives in a different country, and all the stats Ive read put Canada a lot higher than the USA... I still looked further into our schooling system to ensure that my kids get the best they can.
Im glad there are good teachers out there ... but that doesnt take away from how many are out there that shouldnt be.
I don't know why you're quoting me, I never said I disagreed with your criticisms. In fact, My very first sentence explains exactly where I'm coming from with the rest.
"Massive amount of resistance", somehow you're the asshole", "shoot the messenger"...that ain't me, bub.
You'll never get a pm from me, even if I think you're out of line - but just because you've got some kind of "rep" on this board, please don't think I'm gonna feed into that.
I like this topic, I don't mind this topic - I thought my position was well within the scope of the discussion.
"Massive amount of resistance", somehow you're the asshole", "shoot the messenger"...that ain't me, bub.
You'll never get a pm from me, even if I think you're out of line - but just because you've got some kind of "rep" on this board, please don't think I'm gonna feed into that.
I like this topic, I don't mind this topic - I thought my position was well within the scope of the discussion.
KushBreath, don't take it so personally. 
hwnorth, if I were experiencing the things you have posted I most certainly would be doing something about it, however, as I stated earlier, I have not witnessed anything similar as a student, a college student majoring in Education, a teacher or as a parent. You make it seem as if the US of A is full of nothing but bumbling idiots due to poor teachers. Yes, we have our share of those, any country does , but my DH and I are both products of a US education, and we're smart, respectable, law abiding citizens who know how to spell and are financially comfortable. Most of my friends and family are in the same boat. Our children certainly aren't angels, but they're both doing well in school. In fact, my DS is advanced in most subjects. If all of our school systems are so lousy, according to your research, how do you explain that??
hwnorth, if I were experiencing the things you have posted I most certainly would be doing something about it, however, as I stated earlier, I have not witnessed anything similar as a student, a college student majoring in Education, a teacher or as a parent. You make it seem as if the US of A is full of nothing but bumbling idiots due to poor teachers. Yes, we have our share of those, any country does
, but my DH and I are both products of a US education, and we're smart, respectable, law abiding citizens who know how to spell and are financially comfortable. Most of my friends and family are in the same boat. Our children certainly aren't angels, but they're both doing well in school. In fact, my DS is advanced in most subjects. If all of our school systems are so lousy, according to your research, how do you explain that??
We are only in preschool so we are just beginning, but my daughter's teacher is wonderful. In fact Dd has begun to read at age four (word recognition.) I was so surprised when she looked down at something and told me what it said.
Kush - my first paragraph was directed at you ... please dont think the rest was directed ... it was an overview and not an attack .. and nothing was directed at your teaching skills. didnt mean to offend
Trina - Im sure there are lots of wonderful teachers and schools out there ... Im talking overall ... and thats according to many sources. My research never claimed all of the schools, but I think if everyone did their own comparisons of other countries it might even have an impact on elections.
My point was how much defensiveness there is... which is human nature ... as opposed to looking at it deeper ... just interesting is all
Trina - Im sure there are lots of wonderful teachers and schools out there ... Im talking overall ... and thats according to many sources. My research never claimed all of the schools, but I think if everyone did their own comparisons of other countries it might even have an impact on elections.
My point was how much defensiveness there is... which is human nature ... as opposed to looking at it deeper ... just interesting is all
It's hard to get a teaching job here. My state (CT) requires teachers to get their Masters degree within 10 yrs. after earning their BS or they can't get recertified. New teachers fresh out of college have a mentor teacher and are observed and evaluated often.
I TOTALLY disagree with forced retirement.musicmom said:
Actually one of my best teachers EVER was in grade 6..and I thought he was about 175 years old then ... AWSOME man and Ive never forgotten his lessons.
Where I live there is a shortage of labor, especially skilled labor. to the point where you can pretty much name how much money you get... its not uncommon to see an electrician get $40/hr. I just paid $35/hr cash (under the table) for a drywaller.
I suppose the No Child Left Behind legislation can be considered both a good and bad thing. It's great because one pretty much has to major in an academic subject to become a teacher (if elementary ed, they major in elementary ed).
I double majored in chemistry and mathematics. I would have to say I'm more passionate about chemistry, but I love math nonetheless. Of all of the people that majored in chemistry in my class at Tulane, I am probably the only one crazy enough to become a teacher. I say that because Tulane's program is more about preparation for graduate education in chemistry or something related. A chemistry major is very BRUTAL. One of my lab exams basically consisted of the professor handing use (my partner and I) a vile of something unknown and we had to provide the molecular structure, chemical analysis, and the composition in addition to drawing it - whatever it was. Like people cried that day. I digress.
Someone mentioned the PRAXIS exams earlier. Depending on the state one lives in, they have to take certain PRAXIS exams in order to teach a specific subject. I've taken so many that I have personally lost count. I have to best honest, becoming a teacher in the present is not cheap. In order to get certified to teach both math and science, I had to take multiple exams. This is in addition to background checks and finger printing.
Before, NCLB all of the testing was not required. Sure, I think having some idea of a teachers' content knowledge is great, but one thing a test doesn't measure is one's passion and dedication to the profession. My dad is totally against me becoming a teacher. That wasn't in his plan for me, lol. But I had to explain to him, that my high school chemistry teacher helped mold my passion for the subject and I want to be able to do the same.
I put a lot of money into my education, but one of the main problems with the majority of school systems is that people simply don't want to fund their schools. I think taxes are one of the keys to improving our schools. The other would be more uniform standards across the entire country. The current administration seems to think that testing kids to death is good for education, but it's not. That is the fundamental flaw of that stupid law.
This is what teachers have to deal with now. Not only do we have to be highly qualified but we have to teach them a bunch of things for some arbitrary test.
I double majored in chemistry and mathematics. I would have to say I'm more passionate about chemistry, but I love math nonetheless. Of all of the people that majored in chemistry in my class at Tulane, I am probably the only one crazy enough to become a teacher. I say that because Tulane's program is more about preparation for graduate education in chemistry or something related. A chemistry major is very BRUTAL. One of my lab exams basically consisted of the professor handing use (my partner and I) a vile of something unknown and we had to provide the molecular structure, chemical analysis, and the composition in addition to drawing it - whatever it was. Like people cried that day. I digress.
Someone mentioned the PRAXIS exams earlier. Depending on the state one lives in, they have to take certain PRAXIS exams in order to teach a specific subject. I've taken so many that I have personally lost count. I have to best honest, becoming a teacher in the present is not cheap. In order to get certified to teach both math and science, I had to take multiple exams. This is in addition to background checks and finger printing.
Before, NCLB all of the testing was not required. Sure, I think having some idea of a teachers' content knowledge is great, but one thing a test doesn't measure is one's passion and dedication to the profession. My dad is totally against me becoming a teacher. That wasn't in his plan for me, lol. But I had to explain to him, that my high school chemistry teacher helped mold my passion for the subject and I want to be able to do the same.
I put a lot of money into my education, but one of the main problems with the majority of school systems is that people simply don't want to fund their schools. I think taxes are one of the keys to improving our schools. The other would be more uniform standards across the entire country. The current administration seems to think that testing kids to death is good for education, but it's not. That is the fundamental flaw of that stupid law.
This is what teachers have to deal with now. Not only do we have to be highly qualified but we have to teach them a bunch of things for some arbitrary test.