Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests No more students

Mark, that's cool that you still go back and see them. It's stuff like that that keeps us sane. (Some more sane than others )

I think teachers are under paid! I congradulate you for sticking through it.

Aaron

Completely True. And like most professions, it's the WORST of us that set the tone for the rest.

Unfortunately.

My girlfriend is a social worker for elementary grade students. She would echo many of the things expressed here.

There is good and bad in the No Child Left behind (like anything else.) Some teachers are just there, drawing the paycheck, putting in the minimum. Others really love what they are doing and earn every penny they are paid.

Ditto for the parents. That's probably the biggest variable, and programs like NCLB do nothing about the parental issue.

Like it or not, mom and dad are still the biggest influence on a child. So, a good teacher is fighting a losing battle if mom and dad don't give a rat's patootie about education.

I know Cindy says her school feeds some kids three meals each day. The kids arrive early for breakfast, get a school lunch, and if the are involved in the afterschool teaching programs, there is dinner.

Some of those kids don't eat that well during the summer. ( But mom and dad have Camels and Bud )

So while I like the idea of improving education, and having great teachers, weeding out the mediocre ones who are just getting by, how do you actually do it.

NCLB simply sets standards, and the standards were set pretty high. I think part of that was an effort to catch up. But after listening to a few others speak about it, it seems the high standards were set to ensure failure. Sorta like, See Mr. President, this program doesn't work.

IIRC, the states have a big say in setting the standards and testing policies.

There are no easy answers. I still think a lot of school districts are spending a lot of money and not getting results. If I pull the "report card" for East St. Louis, and compare the per-pupil spending and staff qualifications to the rural school district where I grew up, I see more money spent and lower standardized test scores and graduation rates.

So it seems money is not the answer.

I do think parents are the key. But how do you create a program that considers that? What do you do, ground the parents of they don't bring Johnny to school, or don't encourage/make him do his algebra homework?

Several great points. Unfortunately, we ask ourselves over and over how to fix this, without any answers. Many of my students did well in middle school, both on report cards and standardized tests. When they get to high school, they drop hard. Some buy into the "thug" life so prevalant in urban schools. I have students that can tell you when the latest Jordans come out, but don't know what class they have 2nd period. Others begin having kids, some as early as 9th grade. Others are getting so high every day that they can't remember anything. Many are still outside on the streets at 3:00 a.m., doing things I don't want to think about.
All these issues need to be dealt with by the parents! When we try to address stuff like this, we are told not to, that it's interfering or we shouldn't be teaching our value system. WHAT?!?!? You won't do your job as a parent, but you have a problem when I do it. STFU!
Whew. Sorry, I'm OK now, I've just been holding back too long. I'm better now, until I get behind a slow person o hte way home tonight. But to all those that have been affected by a good teacher, do them a favor. Go thank them, soon. Thanks for listening to the rant.

I can't ever imagine becoming a teacher. I definitely have a lot of respect for people that are able to deal with that degree of responsibility.

My older brother just got offered a teaching position at the college he graduated from a couple years ago.
I think it's awesome that he had such a great impact while he was a student (did a lot of mentoring, which is what helped lead to the offer they gave him).
None of us, including him, ever would have seen him becoming a teacher, but he is definitely excited for this new opportunity in his life.
I have a lot of respect for him for this move.