tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post8046351767932624031..comments2024-03-28T19:47:39.985-04:00Comments on CURMUDGUCATION: In Praise of VaguenessPeter Greenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16511193640285760299noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-42706556318878055092018-06-19T21:20:50.990-04:002018-06-19T21:20:50.990-04:00"Students have surprised me; students will al..."Students have surprised me; students will always surprise you."<br /><br />Now there is a truth that can't be denied.Duane Swackerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11862054631331567527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-17299451399855077612018-06-19T21:04:19.071-04:002018-06-19T21:04:19.071-04:00"I am opposed to national or state standards...."I am opposed to national or state standards. I recognize that in this I am a bit out there. . ."<br /><br />Well, if you a "bit" out there, some of us must be in another galaxy.Duane Swackerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11862054631331567527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-87439080633315761092018-06-14T14:26:05.381-04:002018-06-14T14:26:05.381-04:00Dear Mr. Greene:
I have spent my teaching career ...Dear Mr. Greene:<br /><br />I have spent my teaching career at the elementary grade level, and also teaching a specialty, Art. Before I got my K-8, I spent about 10 years subbing while my sons grew up.<br /> <br />I’ve been to a lot of 3rd 4th and 5th grade classes, maybe hundreds, before NO Child Left Behind. I have also taught grade levels 1, 3, and 5, mostly after NCLB, and then Common Core.<br /><br />It is more important than I guess you think, that teachers know what they are expected to teach so the students are prepared for the next grade level. I don’t think it needs to be “everyone on the same page the same day.” but yes, there are advantages to working together. So, here’s a question: Before you retired, did other English teachers get your students after you with the expectation that you had prepared them? Did you have to “build anything” for the next teacher?<br /><br />See, If I’m a fourth grade teacher and my students regularly come from three third grade teachers, and the ones that come from Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Williams all know how to do a small essay, and Mrs. Jones, the new teacher who reads your column? ...her students don’t, because even thinking about teaching them how to compose an essay is a What? Oh, yeah, a “dull, boring, soul-sucking prospect”, well, see, then I’m not so happy with Mrs. Jones. Maybe I want her to “diminish her professionalism” a wee tad, and make my year less difficult by doing her job. I taught students in first grade how to make a sentence and then a three sentence essay. I taught third and fifth grades to make longer, more sophisticated essays. It was my job.<br /><br />Every time you write a piece on this subject, I think: “High School Teacher Privilege... Hmmm! Who knew it was a thing?” I just write this because I think you should make a further disclaimer that you hold these opinions because you were a high school teacher. Maybe you’ll have to explain this for the high school teachers, but the elementary and middle school teachers will know what you mean. You don’t want to encourage the new teacher, Mrs. Jones, to think that not doing her job is because “different teachers teach different things.”<br /> <br />The fourth grade teachers will get her ass canned, OK? Thank you.<br /><br />LeilaLeilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447044081130341196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-43213912137690038772018-06-14T10:35:26.223-04:002018-06-14T10:35:26.223-04:00So, so spot on Peter! I can think of so many inst...So, so spot on Peter! I can think of so many instances where that laser-like focus actually hinders one's development-thinking of a doc who I grew up with, next door neighbors, were in each others weddings, who lost his humanity in becoming a doc and then "growing" his practice into a money making machine. Yep, laser-like focus!<br /><br />But what caught my eye as a retired Spanish teacher, and that hits home from experience is "Yes, different teachers may teach different things. So what?"<br /><br />In a foreign language I believe it is better that each teacher focuses on what they know/do best and no two teachers ever focus on the same things. Are there curricular goals and objectives that are covered by all? Of course! But the differences that the student experiences with different teachers and focuses helps broaden their knowledge and learning of a foreign language. I was chair of an FL department and we all encouraged each other to do our own thing.<br /><br />Later in my career I was also the only Spanish teacher at a rural high school and I can say as a fact that the students were a lot worse of for having had only one teacher. While they learned Spanish, it certainly wasn't as good of a learning environment for them.<br /><br />As usual, great commentary, Peter.Duane Swackerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11862054631331567527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-52357946149726202382018-06-12T11:55:33.253-04:002018-06-12T11:55:33.253-04:00Thank you for saying what I have felt for a long t...Thank you for saying what I have felt for a long time. Yes, let us agree on the basics, but give us each some room to expand or contract as necessary to breathe life into the subject at hand! I am always a pain in the rear when forced into those "we all need to agree on the same assessment" meetings. And then I go my own way anyway. I have taught longer than most administrators have been out of elementary school. I know what works most of the time. Please don't make me crazy with the "latest thing in ed."One who readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09400707910238568889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6534665086749553287.post-30305294166928084242018-06-11T19:14:15.955-04:002018-06-11T19:14:15.955-04:00here, in a nutshell, is why I left teaching. New D...here, in a nutshell, is why I left teaching. New DC had us ditch the books and devise a unified curriculum. For three different languages. The six Spanish teachers would come up with the vocab lists, the French and German teacher had to translate and use. Adding or deleting no more than 25 words per "unit". We all had to give the same test, modified for each language (instead of a map of Madrid, it would be Munich or Paris, but the questions were the same). Ludicrous. I fought it all the way, and made two years under that system.11811https://www.blogger.com/profile/16009080115266206156noreply@blogger.com