August 25, 2010

School is Almost Here!

Ugh! School is about to start again. Where did the summer go? School is hard because I won't have time to study the things I like as I am free to do in the summer. In school they tell you what and how and when to learn. How stressful!

Today certification is everything. I know we want to make sure that everyone is qualified for the job that they wish to do, but I think we have gone a little overboard in recent times.

Remember, in days passed, that many things and jobs were learned by apprenticeship. Little Timmy would show up at the shop with the rest of the men. At first, Tim would only sweep the floors and help customers out with their purchases. But soon he would learn how to stock the shelves. In a few months he would be cashiering and helping his aged employer with ordering. In less than a year he would learn the ins and outs of commerce and business. As anyone who has learned a new skill can testify: 10 minutes of hands on experience is worth years of a traditional school course on the same subject.

Of course, there are certain jobs that people need lots of traditional classes and hands on experience to be good at what they do, such as doctors; however, I am going to school to be a teacher. Remember when all you had to be able to do to be a teacher was to be able to read, write and do simple math? Not so anymore. We have to take classes on "lesson planning," "time management," "Spanish," (which I am notoriously bad at) and even "childrens arts and crafts." I truly believe that one week in a classroom will teach you more about these things than 4 month in these classes. Why do we make it so hard and time consuming to learn things?

I think the worst thing about it and probably the thing I feel guilty about is the fact that I feel no more qualified to teach now than I did my freshman year of high school. I'll end my rant here and applaud all of you who did not fall into the "everyone has to go to college" trap. I know many perfectly intelligent, caring and capable people who never set foot in a college--not that they couldn't pass, I know they could easily, they probably could teach college classes! I'm sorry about this post, but school just makes me so sad. :(







11 comments:

  1. OMG!
    This is soooo true!
    I'm with you 100%!

    I'm studying to be a teacher too!!!
    XxX

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  2. When I went to teacher's college (Lesley College in the 1980s) we did student teaching every year for four years. I remember that as a freshman I was assigned to a fourth grade classroom in Cambridge, Mass before my own classes even began! I felt like a real teacher before I was even a senior, when my high school friends were just starting their first student teaching assignments at U Mass. I'm glad I had a practical, handson teacher's education and I'm afraid it is now a thing of the past.

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  3. Poor you :( Summer did go too quick. Also sorry about our Thursdays not working out right now :( But hopefully I'll see you at the knitting group September 11th :)

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  4. Heather, It really is, you don't start student teaching until practically a few months before graduation. I am really glad that you got the experience. I go to a school that used to be a teacher's college but recently became a university. I think they lost a lot with it. Thanks for commenting.

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  5. Ummi, isn't it terrible? What subject/grade are you thinking of teaching?

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  6. Jodi,
    Andy and I miss you all dearly. We know that life has been really stressful for you guys lately and we absolutely don't want to add more to your plate.

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  7. Hey Stephanie I have awarded you with the pure in heart blog award come on over to my blog and pick it up:)

    Have a blessed day
    Ileigh Jean

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  8. OOhhhh, I'm so with ya on the 'summer is way too short' thing....I didn't even get much garden, sewing or project time... :sigh:

    I am a little excited to only be homeschooling 6 children.. (1st 2nd 3rd) this year compared to 8 students 1-8 last year....
    Oh, It'll be lovely!

    What all DO you learn in "becoming a teacher" school? I'm sure I need most of it!

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  9. Jayne, quite honestly, not much. You probably have a lot more patience and insight than we do. We learn to teach what the government tells us is acceptable and to make sure that the parents don't sue you.

    How do you handle having such a wide range of "students?" Is there anything you are looking forward to teaching this year?

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  10. Politics.. bleh... :) That's one thing i can be happy i don't have to worry about... for me it's "If you don't like how i teach, you can always do it yourself." :)


    -It was pretty tough last year, since you end up "tending" the big kids instead of the younger ones, but I'm super excited to be getting back into the one on one with the younger guys....
    I'll be throwing out most of the book work this year, and doing more hands-on, manipulatives and such. Also am happy to be teaching the reading/ language program that i learned to read with, hope to have good results, and prayin for plenty of patience!

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