It's only teaching ... anyone can do it.

[Catshrink]

It's only teaching ... anyone can do it

There, I said it. Not everyone can teach. After about 25 years in education, I've had ample opportunity to observe the very best and the very worst in teaching practices. Whether in traditional district classrooms, charter schools, universities, or community colleges, I've found myself defending the need to professionalize our profession in a state where the conventional thinking is that all it takes to be a good teacher is the desire to do it. We hear it all the time. Last year, we heard it fall from the lips of former presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, who suggested in his NACCP speech in 2008 that "We should also offer more choices to those who wish to become teachers. Many thousands of highly qualified men and women have great knowledge, wisdom, and experience to offer public school students. But a monopoly on teacher certification prevents them from getting that chance. You can be a Nobel Laureate and not qualify to teach in most public schools today. They don’t have all the proper credits in educational “theory” or “methodology” — all they have is learning and the desire and ability to share it. If we’re putting the interests of students first, then those qualifications should be enough."

Enough? Just three qualifications to teach: learning, desire, and the ability to share it? Senator McCain, the "ability to share it" comes from those classes in pedagogy, where people who love their subject learn how to teach that subject. Where perhaps the Nobel Laureate learns how to teach to a class full of recalcitrant readers. It comes from student teaching, where prospective teachers practice under the watchful eye of an experienced teacher.

Just last week, the 'anyone can teach' mantra was being played again, this time by Yuma Union High School Superintendent, Toni Badone. I happened upon an article in the Yuma Sun which reported on Badone's suggestion that Arizona should "ease its teacher certification requirements." To improve education in Arizona, Badone suggests that our state should "certify candidates with bachelor's degrees automatically if they pass the Arizona Professional Knowledge test." Unfortunately, this kind of thinking is unique to our profession. I doubt we would ever apply it to the medical profession. Would we ever license doctors if they merely presented a Bachelor's degree and a passing score on a test?

http://www.examiner.com/x-16652-Phoenix-Charter-Schools-Examiner~y2009m11d8-Its-only-teaching--anyone-can-do-it

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Hey bring em on, they'll not last a day

Yesterday a little 12 year old darling told me "Shut up you fucking bitch" after I asked her if I could help her find something to do.

I challenge anyone who thinks anyone can teach to put themselves in my shoes, especially when a 12 year old talks to them like this. Go ahead, do my job and handle this crap without responding in a way that will get you fired.

Please. Bring them on.

[tonysam]

2. The neoliberals and the World Bank think anybody can,

which is why they, with the vulture philanthropists, are working overtime to deskill the profession.

There are so many real teachers out of work, they figure they can just throw out anybody, especially teachers who work with kids in the low SES schools. Just think how much teachers' pay would be if ANYBODY off the street were picked to "teach" students?

Hey, they do it in third world countries--why not here? It's not like education is really important when some 70 percent of jobs require nothing beyond middle school or a high school diploma.

[mzteris]

16. please find a new catch phrase to parrot -

this one is getting old . . .

:banghead:

[Hannah Bell]

25. so is your schtick

[RandomThoughts]

3. Everyone does teach, weather they know it or not.

But there are different systems to decide who are agreed upon teachers and who are not, based on a criteria from that system.

So a war college, or an economic college, or a religious college, would all have different ideas of who would be a good teacher.

So it is not that everyone does not teach, it is that some people like what some teach better then others. And more importantly, that is how it should be, if you can still think on it then like it or not.

If a teacher is someone telling you what to think, then that is different then one that lets you think and feel on many thoughts, by bringing up ideas, or even teaching to think and feel.


I learned far more from people without degrees, but there are many things people tried to teach me that I disagreed with.

[tonysam]

4. Oh, for God's sake, knock off this crap

Education is about the future citizenry in this country, the most important job in the world, and you think any piece of shit should be able to "teach" kids.

Can you imagine anybody thinking anybody should practice law or practice medicine? But anybody can teach.

What a bunch of bullshit.

[RandomThoughts]

6. I did not say anyone should be able to teach.

I said it is important to know everyone does teach.

As far as accredited positions within a civil system, that is for society to decide based on representative rule. What ever standards are needed are part of the best effect a system can find.

I was discussing two concepts, grey, and teaching. Not education systems.


However in education systems there are different standards, and that is an important point, so how you pick the teacher is very important.

[Catshrink]

5. The article is about teaching classrooms of children.

Your philosophical statements are all very pretty but don't mean squat. Managing a classroom is a very complex process, one that those who have never had that responsibility do not understand.

[RandomThoughts]

7. Shrug, I think I said everyone teaches, and people can choose what they think is right.

As you did.

And as I do when I read an article, I ask what does it get me to think on. And then share what it makes me think on.

If you have something better to suggest doing, I would listen, since I could learn from it.




As far as teachers being able to manage a classroom, I am not very impressed with the overall system that has came out of the media and ideological teaching of the last decades. Look at the effects.

However I do not blame teachers in school, again I am thinking bigger on that topic. More on the line of the teaching of greed is good, and other lies that have been part of the cultural schools for years. Although there are also good lessons in many of them.


Note I probably do the same stuff on some topics, hence why I think on it.

[Catshrink]

8. Sorry. I didn't realize you were thinking.

My bad.

[RandomThoughts]

12. No problem,

Not bad, you just expressed what it made you think on, and you included the context of the article in your thoughts. I was on a different context that the article got me thinking about.

Thanks for both comments also.

:)

[mzteris]

17. it seems to be a foreign concept

in here.

:rofl:

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. I hope you don't teach spelling

whether - not weather

[paulsby]

9. the issue is that a teacher's certification is neither sufficient nor necessary

to be a good teacher

"anybody can teach?" - obviously not true, i agree

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. The certification process, like the so called "tenure" could do with some rethinking

Not inherently flawed, but time for some updating.

[paulsby]

11. agree w/that

i work in a profession that also issues certifications and god knows they need rethinking

[tonysam]

14. Your profession isn't anything like teaching.

You want the best people, not any piece of shit who won't do the grunt work.

Any argument against public education is full of lies.

[paulsby]

15. my profession is a lot like teaching

communication and people skills are massively important in both

some of the best cops i work with are former salesmen and teachers

there are a lot of differences of course, but if you have good people skills, can effectively establish rapport, can communincate in a manner that works with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, intelligence levels, etc. well...

[mzteris]

18. do you even know what the man does?

before you attack??

[tonysam]

13. The certification is necessary because it is in the public's interest

that children be taught by qualified staff.

Any argument in support of deskilling teaching is bullshit.

[paulsby]

19. i'm not aware of anybody here who is arguing for "deskilling" teaching

i can say from personal experience that i had some phenomenal teachers, who didn't happen to have a teacher's certificate.

my track coach/history/latin teacher had a Phd otoh, was fluent in latin and italian and simply one of the best teachers imaginable

he didn't have a cert.

otoh, i had some mediocre and even some pretty bad teachers that DID have certs.

my point is that a teacher's certificate HARDLY ensures they are qualified to TEACH

it ensures they went through the necessary hoops to get a ... teacher's certificate

ime, a teacher's certificate is loosely correlated AT BEST w/teacher qualification

but of course one can't discuss such issues without being accused of ATTACKING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ATTACKING TEACHERS oh NOES, etc.

[Reader Rabbit]

20. My high school physics teacher was literally a rocket scientist.

He had retired from Rocketdyne/Rockwell International and began teaching as a second career. He was an extremely nice man, and we all really liked him, but none of us understood what he was talking about. He simply could not translate his vast knowledge and experience into a form that was accessible to teenagers.

[tonysam]

21. Yep. That's why theory classes are so important

Being a know-it-all doesn't cut it if you can't communicate the knowledge to kids. Teachers also have to know how to manage a classroom of as many as 30 kids (sometimes more). It's extremely difficult to do.

[mzteris]

24. yeah - communication skills are sooooo

important!

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. I had a physics teacher who had written our textbook and was absolutely brilliant

But she had no clue as to how to manage a classroom.

Probably the worst teacher I have ever had.

[AnneD]

27. It is 'common' knowledge in athletic circles....

a gifted athlete does not make a good coach. And after all, that is what a teacher is-a really really good coach.

[LWolf]

26. If I could find another paying job, I'd be tempted to let them try. nt