In a message dated 1/15/00 11:29:56 AM Eastern Standard Time, kgb@clipper.net
writes:
<< I was able to read the newspaper, cover to cover, prior to beginning
kindergarten, but in 3rd grade I had a teacher take a book away from me,
telling
me that it was far too advanced for me and that I was to select one more
appropriate to my age group. >>
Geez Kate--that never shoulda happened. Just think how vividly you remember
that teacher, and for negative reasons!
You know what though? I think it has more to do with teacher training rather
than the individuals. I think more attention needs to be paid, in teacher
training institutions, to learning styles, Maslow's heirarchy of needs, and
the psyche of kids, and tolerance, than needs to be paid to the technical
aspects of teaching subjects. The subjects will take care of themselves.
Turned-on, excited teachers find creative ways to reach students with
subjects.
And in my experience, which is very broad at this point, the non-tenure years
should be oriented to teacher professional growth. In so many places they
are years of "let-em go and teach and we will document their errors". I
think those years could develop more teachers positively if they were viewed
as an extention of thier training. Mind you--its not tenure that is the bad
guy--that will be the next scapegoat from somewhere--there are lots of
protections against a bad teacher ever gaining tenure. Tenure protects the
excellent teacher, who is sometimes an administrative "nightmare", from
political or casual dismissal.
And a final point--there are duds in every field and probably no way to stop
duds from entering every field. There are Doctors who go awry, policemen who
go on the take, duds in every field. Anybody know a BAD mechanic? But for
every dud, there are many excellent performers. That is true in teaching too.
--David C.
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