Teachers...

[garinda]

It's been commented on before, how well educated more elderly people are.

Despite leaving school at fourteen, or younger, if you go back to our grandparents' generation.

Suggesting perhaps, that a more rounded academic education was successfully packed in to a shorter time frame.

[Gordon Booth]

Originally Posted by Eric

But even though I consider much of my life to be a catalogue of missed and wasted opportunity, I still managed to struggle through to be Dr. Eric, B.Ed, B.A. (Hons., magnis cum honoribus), (Sask.), M.A., Ph.D (Queen's), Bar Tender, Cab Driver.

Now you've spoilt it, showing off like a colonial! Cab driver indeed.
Wouldnt mind being a bar tender, though.
I can run a longer list than that, but it wasn't easy and no-one ever tried to kid me it would be.
I didn't grow up thinking my genius hadn't been recognised or appreciated like some of the young ones are doing-that's unfair to them.

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by Roadhousezamora

I'm not sure what the emphasis was 30 years ago, if others could let me know i'd be interested to listen.

You were sat in a class & were taught, given the relevant information to use & take on board, it was then down to the individual to assimilate & draw the required information to pass or fail any tests that were set.

Discipline was instilled & used as required by means available & allowed to the teaching staff with the backing of the parents. Disruption & insolence weren't tolerated or accepted, rules were adhered to or the consequences followed & all knew where they stood.

We had winners & losers, those that worked hard usually achieved those who didn't failed, that was quite simply the way life was, if you didn't want to end up on some factory/workshop floor doing low paid labour intensive work, then you bucked your ideas up & knuckled down, it really was that simple. To strive to achieve had a purpose & rewards, but today it appears immaterial, as the state will support you so why make an effort ?

[garinda]

I was in one of the two 'thick classes', and proud of it.

[Eric]

It's good to keep in mind that it wasn't just the school ... our parents, even in my dysfunctional set up, supported the schools and what went on in them. You didn't go home, whining that big, bad "Ben" Johnson had administered six of the very best on your ass ... well, not unless you wanted a backhander When the report card came home with Ben's infamous red lines all over it, the folks didn't blame the teachers for not stimulating their little darlings. They knew where the blame lay. They didn't complain about the teachers not doing their jobs.

[Less]

Originally Posted by Roadhousezamora

Sorry, I don't need to spell too well in Science I just draw pictures and point...

That is a comment I love, as well as being in charge of 3 apprentices officialy, making sure they got through their exams, also looking after the ones that so called 'tradesmen' had given up on, I have also helped many relatives to become Electronics engineers as well, one of the things I always did was correct their spelling, not because I had to, but it made it easier for the examiner.

It just happened to be that if I'm teaching them, why not make sure they have the maximum of the knowledge I have?

I had a bloody good Science teacher, if my report on an experiment didn't have a decent idea of the English language he made me do it again, now it seems, putting in the extra mile isn't what a teacher will do,

I don't need to spell too well

it's what those of us lucky enough and keen enough have to show these young people can do. (After they have been through the school system).

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Less

That is a comment I love, as well as being in charge of 3 apprentices officialy, making sure they got through their exams, also looking after the ones that so called 'tradesmen' had given up on, I have also helped many relatives to become Electronics engineers as well, one of the things I always did was correct their spelling, not because I had to, but it made it easier for the examiner.

It just happened to be that if I'm teaching them, why not make sure they have the maximum of the knowledge I have?

I had a bloody good Science teacher, if my report on an experiment didn't have a decent idea of the English language he made me do it again, now it seems, putting in the extra mile isn't what a teacher will do, it's what those of us lucky enough and keen enough have to show these young people can do. (After they have been through the school system).

Look at the bright side. At least he didn't write "don't spell too good."

[DaveinGermany]

What people are saying tends to take on more significance when you read things like this :-

Teachers 'falsifying pupils' marks' to inflate school results - Telegraph

[Eric]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

What people are saying tends to take on more significance when you read things like this :-

Teachers 'falsifying pupils' marks' to inflate school results - Telegraph

Seems like it's about folks keeping their jobs. Teachers, school administrators, politicians, they all have a vested interest in high marks. Whether or not those marks are justified is irrelevant. And the kids? Now, they are smart enough to realize what is going down. They are smart; they clue in real quick. One thing that kids do when they go to school ... and you can all remember doing it ... is find out where the line is; how far they can go; how little they have to do to get by. The whole system needs to be re-thought ... it's downright busted and can't be tinkered with. In fact, I believe it's time to stop thinking of education as a "system".

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Gordon Booth

Hey, Eric, you're not bad for a colonial(i.e. I think you agree with me).
Your post' coming from an (ex?)academic, has more weight than that of we non-academics. But surely you're not saying even Canada has gone down the same road we have? I thought Canadians were realists with their feet firmly on the ground?

I do believe it was DaveinGermany who came up with one of the better descriptions of Canadians ... he said that we are so laid back, we are almost comatose.

[Roadhousezamora]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

What people are saying tends to take on more significance when you read things like this :-

Teachers 'falsifying pupils' marks' to inflate school results - Telegraph

Thanks DaveinGermany, this was pretty much my point... (though I wont falsify marks)

Less, of course I need to be able to spell and count correctly and it is now something that the education system is picking up on after many many years of it being brushed to the side.

The league tables part of my post was simply highlighting a point that as staff we are monitored, judged, and sacked if our gcse results are consistantly not up to scratch. This has caused the movement away from well rounded teaching where teachers teach what each pupil needs and wants. I do believe this is wrong and work as hard as I can to make sure that basics such as literacy and numercy are a major part of each lesson I teach.

Pupils are only taught what they need to be taught to pass the exams but this is changing, as ofsted have changed again what they are looking for in a satisfactory lesson. Schools are now trying to frantically introduce better literacy and numeracy support in every lesson across the school (something which I agree should never have been pushed to the back in the first place).

With regards to the post on marking, as a science teacher I am required to mark books every 6 lessons with one piece in those 6 lessons specifically targetted at literacy. Other schools have other policies and other teachers are not marking books to a good enough standard in many schools. Staff will say this is due to the volume that must be completed in those 6 lessons where as others are just lazy. Again at another school I have worked at I have seen a member of staff sacked for failing to mark correctly.

[Roadhousezamora]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

You were sat in a class & were taught, given the relevant information to use & take on board, it was then down to the individual to assimilate & draw the required information to pass or fail any tests that were set.

Discipline was instilled & used as required by means available & allowed to the teaching staff with the backing of the parents. Disruption & insolence weren't tolerated or accepted, rules were adhered to or the consequences followed & all knew where they stood.

We had winners & losers, those that worked hard usually achieved those who didn't failed, that was quite simply the way life was, if you didn't want to end up on some factory/workshop floor doing low paid labour intensive work, then you bucked your ideas up & knuckled down, it really was that simple. To strive to achieve had a purpose & rewards, but today it appears immaterial, as the state will support you so why make an effort ?

I agree with this, pupils are part of the internet generation and want everything handed to them instantly, they don't want to work to understand the theory or ideas behind anything.

Also I forgot to say about value added. Its just a points system for schools which identifies how much pupils have achieved above their predicted grades. If little Tommy starts school and is predicted a D in his Science gcse when he leaves and I manage to get him a C then this is good for the value added score. Scores over 1000 show schools who are getting better results than expected for their pupils.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by garinda

I was recently asked to speak to an old lecturer's current students.

She said teaching now was awfully depressing, and she was glad to be retiring this year.

I was told that compared to when she taught me, and was able to nurture creativity and free thinking, her hands were tied by red tape and bureauracy.

It all seemed very sad.

Ya obviously went down hill after the experience with you Rindi

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by Eric

I do believe it was DaveinGermany who came up with one of the better descriptions of Canadians ... he said that we are so laid back, we are almost comatose.

Yep, got to hold my hand up to that one