tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post3742381861782198051..comments2024-03-29T04:34:05.185-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: The Trouble with BeliefPeter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-58124045043888901122015-03-09T23:55:04.837-04:002015-03-09T23:55:04.837-04:00I think that you bring up an interesting point abo...I think that you bring up an interesting point about the need for teachers to have community awareness in order to understand how far and how to push students. Any advice for a teacher who is not from that community on how to start developing that cultural understanding? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12534206380077381481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-71453881420413032852015-03-03T20:45:19.634-05:002015-03-03T20:45:19.634-05:00It's a faith-based system. No evidence is nee...It's a faith-based system. No evidence is needed for the reformers of education at all. No peer-reviewed papers. No evidence that VAM works. No idea for ten years if any of this will work. We believe!laMissyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00516322307725011313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-76583791784819759532015-03-03T20:38:33.555-05:002015-03-03T20:38:33.555-05:00And I bet your principal has little, if any teachi...And I bet your principal has little, if any teaching experience. S/he just believes that you don't believe in them.laMissyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00516322307725011313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-35146142918609728872015-03-01T14:41:10.615-05:002015-03-01T14:41:10.615-05:00Last year my principal said to me, “You have great...Last year my principal said to me, “You have great instructional skills, great management skills, you know the math and you build excellent relationships with kids, so why aren’t your student’s doing better? Do you think it’s because you don’t believe in them?”<br />Really! It didn’t matter that they came from poverty, were ELL students, that there were systemic problems with discipline in our building or that the students were lacking in basic skills.<br />I still get sick to my stomach when I think about it. <br />Thank you for you post, I needed to see it.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05703288736366297253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-76359902198004474882015-03-01T13:17:18.787-05:002015-03-01T13:17:18.787-05:00All students can learn; not all students can learn...All students can learn; not all students can learn to the same degree or at the same rate. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12080355510309347815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-65498348001749838342015-03-01T10:33:25.718-05:002015-03-01T10:33:25.718-05:00Spot on, as always. I suspect that the reformy bel...Spot on, as always. I suspect that the reformy belief that all students need to succeed (on tests) is for teachers to believe in them, without regard for background or resources, goes hand in hand with the belief that CC$$ is effective, that scores represent students' skills, and that evidence itself is irrelevant. I do wish there were a way to distinguish between those who are ignorant--really do believe that evidence is irrelevant--and those who are lying cheats, sorry, business people trying to funnel public money into private coffers, though, because the approach to block, change, or refute their arguments is different for each. Regardless, the system they're imposing is terrifyingly destructive. RachelPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563824302891710301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-37644409425551770092015-03-01T10:28:09.233-05:002015-03-01T10:28:09.233-05:00NYS currently has very punitive graduation require...NYS currently has very punitive graduation requirements for SPED and ELL students and I am working with local teachers to address. These teachers are still in contact with former students who are eager to share their life successes after finding school a struggle because of their "differences". That is what truly believing in your students accomplishes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-71241525632741426942015-03-01T09:39:54.593-05:002015-03-01T09:39:54.593-05:00Teaching as faith healing. Maybe we need to do it...Teaching as faith healing. Maybe we need to do it in a tent and have an altar call after each class.Diennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04570040547158789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-68215513004990513802015-03-01T09:39:37.278-05:002015-03-01T09:39:37.278-05:00Teaching as faith healing. Maybe we need to do it...Teaching as faith healing. Maybe we need to do it in a tent and have an altar call after each class.Diennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04570040547158789834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-449265817248362582015-03-01T09:19:09.501-05:002015-03-01T09:19:09.501-05:00Thank you for writing this! My biggest problem wi...Thank you for writing this! My biggest problem with the whole concept of "belief" is the magical thinking that often goes hand in hand with it. For example, I had a special needs student some years back who was in 7th grade, but had an IQ of 78. He struggled with 4th grade math, but somehow, if I "believed" enough, he'd master pre-algebra. This is similar to the notion of blind children being able to see print if we believe in them enough, or children in wheelchairs being able to run if we only believe in them enough. There's inspiration, but then there's also mass delusion. I believe all children can learn. There are many things I can teach them; however, I'm not the ONLY variable in each child's life. Reformers build much of their notions on magical thinking. Those that are savvy and who know better depend on convincing the public (mass delusion) that everything is teachers' faults, and therefore, we must "cleanse" the teaching population of bad teachers.Hannah13https://www.blogger.com/profile/17342866965252996458noreply@blogger.com