Teacher's "lazy whiners" blog

[Orange643]

I'll be teaching excitable, eager Korean kids in a few weeks time so this is all quite irrelevent. Yet, children by their very nature, especially when they hit 13 (or some even younger) become incredibly lazy. They don't want to do this boring stuff, I should know, I was one of them.
To be honest, you have one of two choices. Choice a) was what they did up until 40 years ago. This involved putting a proverbial gun to the children's head and make them an offer they really couldn't refuse. This involved either being quiet in lessons and doing homework or getting caned repeatedly. In the modern world, this has been deemed barbaric and so a new approach has been suggested.
This involves choice b), to make lessons fun, creative, and involving, so no child, no matter how violent, hyperactive, or disturbed, will ever get bored. Fine in theory, and do-able (I know maths teachers that can do this) but much easier said than done not to mention requiring a ton of preparation work beforehand.
The problem always seems to me that teachers are such a bunch of pleasant, agreeable, well-intentioned individuals. To do choice b) requires the same amount of work as someone that works in high finance. How do I know this? You look at burn-out rates, i.e. how many teachers and financiers quit their jobs through exhaustion, they are basically the same. Yet one gets paid gazillions, and the other gets paid pittance.
Of course, there are private schools where you meet teachers that have the ideals of financiers and so get paid what they really are worth, but lets not go into that.

It's true that teenagers get lazy around thirteen... i know i'm guilty of laziness and i'm seventeen years old. Thing is, by the time you hit thirteen you should have basic knowledge of how to do reading, writing and arithmetic. Using those skills, you should start thinking about what you want to do with your life, and focus your skills on that. I mean, i hate math and science. HATE IT. My grades aren't all that stellar in either subject (D and C respectively) To be honest, i don't really care. Because social studies and english are my two favorite subjects, and i've been honing my skills at that in preparation to go into the liberal arts in college and possibly become a historian or author.

 

[Orange643]

Example: Currently i'm in Algebra 2. I despise math. (I'm more of a Social sciences/literature/art kind of dude) Why am i in that class when i know for sure that i'm not going to use anything more complicated than simple 6th grade math in real life? Because it's the "law."

Its actually because you may need it eventually. Sure, you might not use it ever, but, the public school system is not set up to cater to each individual. That is what colleges do. The public school system is there as college prep. Now, I do agree that you should be able to choose not to take a math if you are absolutely one-hundred percent positive that you will not use it, but most kids in high school have no idea what they want to do.

Hell, I'm in my third year of college and I still don't know that my major is the right one for me. But, I am so glad that I went through AP Calculus and Physics. It may turn out that I choose a job in a literary field where I will never use either of them, but I'm glad I did take them, because I am now eligible for more careers and majors, should something happen where my major doesn't work out, I can move on to something else with ease because I am well prepared due to my studies in high school.

Yeah, but you don't need a teacher teaching to you to learn Calculus and Physics. If you suddenly decide you want to learn everything you can about advanced Calculus, you can go to the library and pick up some books about that subject, and learn about 3 times faster than what you would in a high school classroom or university lecture hall. Or simply research on what you're using right now, the internet. We live in an age where you could literally learn anything you ever wanted to know about anything just by doing a simple google search. In all honestly, by the time you build up a decent resume, 90% of most places who want to hire you for a career will stop caring about your college diploma (And NONE will care what you got in high school) It'll be your relevant experience that'll matter.

 

[Plurralbles]

well, the article asks what is hte problem with calling out the lazy children...I don't think there's a problem with that. and if you're not a garbage teacher then you certainly can inspire and get someone who isn't complete garbage to do well.

Now, if you're like my chem/physics teacher and just taught from a powerpoint, you're garbage and you should have your license revoked.

 

[Gxas]

Yeah, but you don't need a teacher teaching to you to learn Calculus and Physics. If you suddenly decide you want to learn everything you can about advanced Calculus, you can go to the library and pick up some books about that subject, and learn about 3 times faster than what you would in a high school classroom or university lecture hall. Or simply research on what you're using right now, the internet. We live in an age where you could literally learn anything you ever wanted to know about anything just by doing a simple google search. In all honestly, by the time you build up a decent resume, 90% of most places who want to hire you for a career will stop caring about your college diploma (And NONE will care what you got in high school) It'll be your relevant experience that'll matter.

Most American children are not going to be sitting at home and say, "I think I'll learn advanced calculus today." It just doesn't happen. High school gives them a little taste of every subject, that way, they can choose to continue their education later on if something tickled their fancy.

I understand your points, but I disagree with your conclusion.

 

[TheAmazingHobo]

Yeah, but you don't need a teacher teaching to you to learn Calculus and Physics. If you suddenly decide you want to learn everything you can about advanced Calculus, you can go to the library and pick up some books about that subject, and learn about 3 times faster than what you would in a high school classroom or university lecture hall.

Okay, dude, I actually agree with you on the general idea that people can teach themself more than most are aware of.
BUT if you actually believe that you can learn EVERYTHING on your own, including the really advanced stuff that is taught at University (for which, at a certain level, there aren´t even actual books published to do autodidactic work), you probably have never even set a foot in an University.

 

[Booze Zombie]

It's a problem on both ends. If the kids are used to acting like that due to a system that lets them and people who allow them, then they'll continue thinking it's the correct manner.

They are a product of their environment... and then they'll start shaping other people's environments and the way things are being described, that ain't good.

 

[Orange643]

Yeah, but you don't need a teacher teaching to you to learn Calculus and Physics. If you suddenly decide you want to learn everything you can about advanced Calculus, you can go to the library and pick up some books about that subject, and learn about 3 times faster than what you would in a high school classroom or university lecture hall.

Okay, dude, I actually agree with you on the general idea that people can teach themself more than most are aware of.
BUT if you actually believe that you can learn EVERYTHING on your own, including the really advanced stuff that is taught at University (for which, at a certain level, there aren´t even actual books published to do autodidactic work), you probably have never even set a foot in an University.

I didn't mean on your own, high school and college isn't the only place to take classes or get tutored.

 

[KeyMaster45]

I don't think there's any issue in it. The teacher is unhappy with the state of the school system and used the internet to vent her anger instead of letting it drive her mad. It's the same thing as when a teacher posted some pictures of her on vacation to facebook and one of the pictures had her with a drink in her hand.

Since when did teachers get stripped of their rights to be normal people?

Most certainly if she gets fired over this she's got a case for wrongful termination because they would be trampling all over her first amendment right to free speech.

-EDIT-
Took a bit of looking but I thought I'd toss this up as a contribution to the current discussion.

 

[nofear220]

Those who cant do, teach. Those who cant teach, teach gym...

Teachers are mostly the whiners, because most of them didn't want to become a teacher in the first place. What the hell did they think they could do with their english degree?

 

[TheAmazingHobo]

Yeah, but you don't need a teacher teaching to you to learn Calculus and Physics. If you suddenly decide you want to learn everything you can about advanced Calculus, you can go to the library and pick up some books about that subject, and learn about 3 times faster than what you would in a high school classroom or university lecture hall.

Okay, dude, I actually agree with you on the general idea that people can teach themself more than most are aware of.
BUT if you actually believe that you can learn EVERYTHING on your own, including the really advanced stuff that is taught at University (for which, at a certain level, there aren´t even actual books published to do autodidactic work), you probably have never even set a foot in an University.

I didn't mean on your own, high school and college isn't the only place to take classes or get tutored.

But you said "go to the library and pick up some books". That does not imply "And then take those books to a qualified, non-traditionaly employed tutor, and have him explain the content to you."

And actually, on some topics, college (or University) actually IS the only place to take classes or get tutored.
I have yet to find a single non-University course on verification of parameterised systems and I doubt anyone ever will.

Those who cant do, teach. Those who cant teach, teach gym...

Teachers are mostly the whiners, because most of them didn't want to become a teacher in the first place. What the hell did they think they could do with their english degree?

I think at this point in time, we should all take a break from what we are currently doing, so we are all fully able to appreciate, what has been the largest amount of fail, I have ever seen in a single post, this entire day.
I award you no points Sir, and may God have mercy on your soul.

 

[Zeriercahl]

Well, I am currently doing an internship at a school in a city and I do not agree with the woman's blog post. Should she be fired? Maybe. If she's a great teacher and just frustrated and hormonal from her pregnancy then maybe not. I do think she owes her students an apology however. As someone else said, it was totally unprofessional to make comments about her students such as "I skip school just to avoid your child." If you were a student of this teacher and you read this, how would it make you feel? What if you were a trouble maker in her class and felt she was referring to you? That's why I believe it's a problem.

What horrible experience can happen in a persons life that would traumatize them into becoming masochistic enough to teach in a public school? Its hard to have pity for them as they are doing it to themselves at this point. Its like staying in an abusive relationship... who do you shake your head at more- the one doing the hitting, or the one who puts up with it?

Let's not go back in time to when people blamed the victim hmm?
No one goes into teaching for the money. They usually do it for more intrinsic reasons. Someone has to teach kids, whatever kind of school they go to. Besides, I'd take a public school over a Catholic school any day.

 

[BGH122]

Why are today's students unmotivated ? and what's wrong with calling them out?

I'd love to see some proof that this is actually true. I suspect bad students have always existed and that it's just the fact that free education is a relatively new phenomenon that makes it seem as if bad students are new.

 

[Javelk]

She's right.

 

[TheGreatCoolEnergy]

What horrible experience can happen in a persons life that would traumatize them into becoming masochistic enough to teach in a public school? Its hard to have pity for them as they are doing it to themselves at this point. Its like staying in an abusive relationship... who do you shake your head at more- the one doing the hitting, or the one who puts up with it?

Not all teachers hate teaching; my current English teacher, and the history teacher I had last semester, both love their jobs, and it shows during lessons

 

[BGH122]

I think it's true. There are so many things I couldn't have gotten away with in high school.

I, however, think that teachers have to motivate their students. A proper teacher (not just someone who knows things but someone who can actually inspire) could always capture the attention of the younger crowd. Maybe I'm speaking from personal experience, but there are teachers whom you remember and cheerish no matter what grades you had and those that believe that talking for two hours about a subject is the same thing as educating. I've had both and I still remember some lessons fondly while others I despise.

I agree and disagree. Unfortunately, some people are simply inept at certain subjects and the best motivator in the world can't make them interested. The best teacher I've ever had, who radically changed my underlying logic and reality-interpretation, was my philosophy teacher, but other students in his class with whom I spoke hated him and the subject and achieved awful grades.

Alas, at GCSE (or whatever the US equivalent is), students are forced to take subjects for which they potentially have no aptitude and thus a significant number just can't be motivated by that subject. I've tried teaching A-level chemistry to some people (not professionally) and whilst some completely get it and love it, a lot of people just really don't get it and can barely understand the less complex concepts no matter how many hours you spend trying to explain it in different ways.

 

[beniki]

Everyone should be allowed to grumble about work sometimes. Just because the person doing it happens to be a teacher doesn't mean society is breaking down, or that the education system needs reform, or that the world is coming to an end.

I'm a teacher, and there were some days you just want to throttle the stupid kids. Or at least that one kid. Ugh... James... But it's not like that all the time.

Yes, sometimes we have to motivate them to work, and sometimes you have to crack the whip to get them going. Most of the time it's just about going 'Hey check out this cool shit! Let me show you how it works...'

And for those people that think the education system is broken... it isn't. Please don't try to fix it. Let us just get on with it. Last thing a teacher needs is some smart arse politician coming along with his damn crusade changing the rules when you've just worked out the old ones.

It really is amazing. How often do you tell a plumber to re-invent the toilet because one in a thousand sometimes doesn't work?

 

[BGH122]

-EDIT-
Took a bit of looking but I thought I'd toss this up as a contribution to the current discussion.

That was amazingly cool. Thanks for linking that.