High school student gives his teacher a lesson in education

fishy fishy · 09-05-2013 12:39PM

bluewolf wrote: »

Yeah, we noticed. Maybe you could stop pretending to respond to posts you're not reading, so?

:rolleyes:

I've posted my opinion- like it or don't - up to you. I won't be losing any sleep over it. I have my exams done.

desertcircus · 09-05-2013 12:44PM

It seems unfair to heap blame on teachers in this manner, especially at secondary level. When I was a teenager I was an absolute idiot; hell, nearly everyone I know was an absolute idiot in school. Be an exciting teacher with unexpected teaching methods, and you'll probably help a couple of high achievers get a few extra points. Drill through the curriculum and you'll raise the grade of everyone in the class. I had a fascinating teacher for applied maths and another for technical drawing in the Leaving Cert, and I got Cs. I had one deeply boring teacher in my repeat year for both, and simply spent a year working on exam questions - by the time June came around I'd done every higher level technical drawing question ever asked. Result? Two A1s. I can barely remember anything about that teacher, but he pushed me to a seventy-point improvement in those two subjects.

armaghbhoy · 09-05-2013 12:52PM

American schools are a tiny bit better off than what we are. They get to wear their own clothes and have whatever hairstyle they like.

I got suspended one time for dying my hair when it was a really popular thing to do at the time. What a joke!

School just felt like prison, with the majority of teachers in very serious mode standing in front of the whiteboard the whole time and at the ready to hand out detentions for the slightest thing that bothers them. Trying to understand and engage students didn't even cross their mind, we just have to listen to what they say, and their opinion is way more important than ours.

Yeah, that Oughta teach us!

Zillah · 09-05-2013 12:54PM

fishy fishy wrote: »

not at all. Im simply suggesting that you cannot blame a teacher for teaching a curriculum that is given to them under the guidelines of the system.

Their job is to teach that - it is not to mollycoddle, pamper, or play with the students. It is to teach that curriculum - Im sure if an interested student doesn't understand and asks a question they will be helped.

the problem is that when students get a bad mark they automatically blame the teacher for "teaching in a boring way". Easy way out.

Its all part of the pampering you see around nowadays. If a student fails it has to be the bad teachers fault.

School is not a new venture - people have been going to school for decades or more - wow some of these kids went on to be highly successful. This came from learning the curriculum no matter how boring it was and passing exams. Yes the curriculum can be boring and wouldn't it be lovely to be entertained every day at school However thats not how it works.

Secondary school kids should know how the system works.

quit the messing, learn what you need to get your exams and move on. Stop looking to be entertained. In college and work you certainly won't be entertained so its a good learning curve.

It would be lovely to be taught in a comical way but until that is introduced into the system students will have to buckle down and follow the rules if they want to get ahead. Yes, thats life and thats what you must do. So stop waiting to be entertained. Suck it up and get on with it.

You are obsessed with assigning blame. You're the only one talking about blame. We don't care who's fault anything is, we're talking about what gets the best results. We're not talking about what a teacher is required to do, we're talking about what the best thing to do is.

Motivating students to love the subject and being engaged with the material gets better results than simply presenting the curriculum by rote. Do you accept that? We're not saying they're obliged to do so, we're not saying it's their fault if students do poorly if they don't do so -- I'm just asking; do you accept that a class will tend to do better if the teacher makes an effort to motivate them to like and engage with the topic?

Zillah · 09-05-2013 12:58PM

armaghbhoy wrote: »

American schools are a tiny bit better off than what we are. They get to wear their own clothes and have whatever hairstyle they like.

I got suspended one time for dying my hair when it was a really popular thing to do at the time. What a joke!

School just felt like prison, with the majority of teachers in very serious mode standing in front of the whiteboard the whole time and at the ready to hand out detentions for the slightest thing that bothers them. Trying to understand and engage students didn't even cross their mind, we just have to listen to what they say, and their opinion is way more important than ours.

Yeah, that Oughta teach us!

Our schools are at least fairly consistent. If we assign them a score out of 100, most Irish schools are, say, between 60 and 80. American schools can go anywhere from 1 (with metal detectors at the door, students in open defiance of teachers, gang wars in the corridors and no equipment at all) to 100 (where they have a rich alumni funding everything, they have 200 year old historical buildings, all the best and newest equipment and can afford to pay for the best teachers available).

So the US system is great if you're rich. An nightmare if you're poor. Like with most things in the libertarian land of Freedom and "F*ck you, got mine".

armaghbhoy · 09-05-2013 01:04PM

Zillah wrote: »

Our schools are at least fairly consistent. If we assign them a score out of 100, most Irish schools are, say, between 60 and 80. American schools can go anywhere from 1 (with metal detectors at the door, students in open defiance of teachers, gang wars in the corridors and no equipment at all) to 100 (where they have a rich alumni funding everything, they have 200 year old historical buildings, all the best and newest equipment and can afford to pay for the best teachers available).

So the US system is great if you're rich. An nightmare if you're poor. Like with most things in the libertarian land of Freedom and "F*ck you, got mine".

Students can be in defiance here too, have thrown a couple of dententions out the window myself only to get another one for it, then throw it out too.

I've actually seen 3 teachers getting punched by students

So basically everythings similiar apart from the metal detectors though, we never had that.

09-05-2013 01:08PM

fishy fishy wrote: »

and the posts on here are always so accurate.

I give up - I will be sticking to my opinion -

stop blaming teachers for students dis-interest.

Its up to the student to decide how interested or disinterested he wants to be.

Ranting about how bad a teacher is only discloses the lack of interest of the student.

Its the student that will fail - not the teacher - so forget about being entertained and get on an learn your curriculum if you want to get ahead.
Stop waiting to be "entertained" thats what tv is for when you get home.

Ya, reality bites.

And this is the attitude of a bad teacher.

I'm paid to teach, not entertain.
Why should I do more than the bare minimum?
Students who aren't engaged are just lazy/stupid/messers.
I need to teach the curriculum so I don't have time to make it interesting.
It's not my fault everything is about tests these days.
If all the students hate me/my class, it's not my fault.
I don't need to motivate them - that's not my job.
They should be enthusiastic about learning, even though I'm not.
They should just 'decide' to be interested because I say so.
If students are struggling, it's because they're not paying attention.
I don't have time to help individual students.

All taken from the Big Fat Book of Excuses for Bad Teachers.

Zillah · 09-05-2013 01:10PM

armaghbhoy wrote: »

Students can be in defiance here too, have thrown a couple of dententions out the window myself only to get another one for it, then throw it out too.

I've actually seen 3 teachers getting punched by students

So basically everythings similiar apart from the metal detectors though, we never had that.

I'm not saying we never have serious incidents. But they are vanishingly rare compared to some bad areas in the USA. I really think you don't realise how bad some of it is. There are schools where students frequently bring knives and guns with them into school, gang wars break out between different factions and they literally have no texts for the students, or have books from twenty years ago.

Kirby · 09-05-2013 01:11PM

Kadence Warm Wing wrote: »

All taken from the Big Fat Book of Excuses for Bad Teachers.

I'm pretty sure they banned that book...

armaghbhoy · 09-05-2013 01:21PM

Zillah wrote: »

I'm not saying we never have serious incidents. But they are vanishingly rare compared to some bad areas in the USA. I really think you don't realise how bad some of it is. There are schools where students frequently bring knives and guns with them into school, gang wars break out between different factions and they literally have no texts for the students, or have books from twenty years ago.

I understand what you're saying and this won't be the case for every part of Ireland but when I was at school this did happen. Different groups fighting among one another. Here the sort of gang I'm mentioning would call themselves hoods, but they were basically a criminal gang...although it wasn't that bad. and wasn't a regular thing. I actually recall one time when a fella was stabbed in the toilets. I understand that its not as bad as America though, I have seen a documentary about it and some of their schools are divided just like their prisons with gangs. The main thing in Irish schools would just be normal fights mostly between 2 people. They happened alot in my school.

anncoates · 09-05-2013 01:29PM

I would have just slapped the whining little fucker.

Zillah · 09-05-2013 01:46PM

anncoates wrote: »

I would have just slapped the whining little fucker.

Well we're not all cut out to be responsible human beings.

topper75 · 09-05-2013 02:18PM

I don't think you can teach somebody passion.

He is asking a bit too much on that and abdicating his own responsibility to himself.

I taught before. I could have gone all Dead Poets on it and that would have been a wonderful ego trip for me and entertaining lessons for the kids. However, if that comes at a cost to LC points and undermines entitlement to college education, screw that. I taught for the exams and I stand by it. They are all out there in the workplace now, hopefully doing things that they have a passion for themselves and the credit for that is theirs to glory in. Adolescence is a time to become a big boy/girl.

dark crystal · 09-05-2013 02:24PM

fishy fishy wrote: »

Ranting about how bad a teacher is only discloses the lack of interest of the student.

Did you actually watch the video?

That student had plenty of interest in learning. he was p!ssed off that his teacher had a lack of interest in teaching him.

09-05-2013 02:28PM

dark crystal wrote: »

Did you actually watch the video?

That student had plenty of interest in learning. he was p!ssed off that his teacher had a lack of interest in teaching him.

You could tell from her voice that she couldn't give two sh*ts. No passion, totally worn down. Perhaps with good reason. Teaching can be one of the most thankless and difficult jobs there is, but once you get like that, it's really time to quit.

GalwayGuy2 · 09-05-2013 02:28PM

I'm not saying we never have serious incidents. But they are vanishingly rare compared to some bad areas in the USA. I really think you don't realise how bad some of it is. There are schools where students frequently bring knives and guns with them into school, gang wars break out between different factions and they literally have no texts for the students, or have books from twenty years ago.

As a matter of interest, have you been to America?

Some, perhaps even a lot, of our schools are falling apart at the seams.

On to the video. To me, it sounded like he was just repeating what he heard/read off somebody else. Not saying I agree, or disagree, but I don't think it was entirely his own opinion.

Jimmy Iovine · 09-05-2013 09:05PM

Chorcai wrote: »

Ken Robinson's TED talk is also worth a mention here. There is a huge problem within pedagogical system at the moment.

Absolutely. Every teacher, scratch that, everyone should watch it. It's brilliant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

As for that teacher in the video, she seems to be everything that I hope I'm not when I'm a teacher.

kilkenny12 · 09-05-2013 10:25PM

Fair play to him. Too many teachers go into the job for the short hours and long holidays.
When i was in sixth year, we got a sub english teacher for the year. I hated english and all the BS essays ya had to write, but she was sooo passionate about her subject and we had so much craic in the class.
Tbh, she wasn't the brightest and she'd often spell words wrong and say silly things but she had a lot of patience and a talent for teaching.
I ended up getting an A in the leaving cause I actually started to enjoy her classes.

Wibbs · 09-05-2013 11:02PM

fishy fishy wrote: »

School is not a new venture - people have been going to school for decades or more

Ehhhh people have been going to school for millennia. For decades or more? W. T. F. You really need to read more.

quit the messing, learn what you need to get your exams and move on. Stop looking to be entertained. In college and work you certainly won't be entertained so its a good learning curve.

It would be lovely to be taught in a comical way but until that is introduced into the system students will have to buckle down and follow the rules if they want to get ahead. Yes, thats life and thats what you must do. So stop waiting to be entertained. Suck it up and get on with it.

A fine formula for beige minded cubicle stuffers and even then it leaves much to be desired, but it's hardly within an asses roar of a well rounded education. I hope to fcuk you're not a teacher of the next generation and if by some miracle you are I hope they see your class as sleepy time and something not to be absorbed.

UCDVet · 09-05-2013 11:19PM

Zillah wrote: »

I'm not saying we never have serious incidents. But they are vanishingly rare compared to some bad areas in the USA. I really think you don't realise how bad some of it is. There are schools where students frequently bring knives and guns with them into school, gang wars break out between different factions and they literally have no texts for the students, or have books from twenty years ago.

I don't know how things work in Ireland; but in the US the quality of public schools are dramatically different from one area to the next. Even within the same state, it's broken up into endless numbers of 'districts' each with different standards, curriculum and funding. There are some standardized tests and guidelines though.

There are US public schools I'd never even consider sending my children too (mostly in poor urban areas, to be honest); but there are also really amazing schools...with most of the rest somewhere in between.

Basically, the wealthier neighborhood you can afford to live in; the better funded the schools will be and the higher quality of education you can expect.

languagenerd · 10-05-2013 12:46AM

I think it's impossible to say whether or not the kid is in the right in this situation without knowing the context. But he does make some general points that hold true everywhere: a teacher should not just sit at the top of the room reading from the book.

There are some teachers who literally just read aloud from the book for 45min and set questions from the end of that chapter for homework. That's not teaching. I could do that, and I don't have any teaching qualifications whatsoever. Hell, I could have done that even back when I was in school and hadn't learned the subject yet - it would have made no difference who was reading the book, because that's all they do.

On the other hand, there are the teachers who do other activities along with the book, or explain the topic in their own words instead, or make the class debate the topic, or whatever. And it was always those teachers I learned more from. Yeah, they have to teach to the exam - but reading from a book at the top of the room isn't teaching, it's reading. And anyone literate could do that.

Ann22 · 10-05-2013 01:05AM

fishy fishy wrote: »

Remember, the teachers have passed their exams already and are in a job - once they teach the curriculum they get, thats all they need to do - they don't have to jump through hoops to entertain and engage. .

That's actually not true. Maybe all they have to do to earn a paycheck is to show up and drone on but the results at exam times show the difference between teachers like these and ones that show an interest in what they teach. We all remember them I'm sure.

My son is in teacher training atm and a huge part of it is learning how to engage the students. Yes there are problem students and it is a hugely stressful job but over all most students will respond to an interesting and animated teacher.

Cian92 · 10-05-2013 01:31AM

Kadence Warm Wing wrote: »

I underperformed in secondary school because it felt like prison camp, the teachers didn't give a crap and when I was struggling

The only reason you underperformed was your only laziness, do you expect somebody to spoon feed you? The rest of us realised the importance of our education from a very young age and put the work in.

This idea that comes from that film dead poets society is complete bull****, the teacher shouldn't be the one who has to make you enthusiastic about the subject you should put the work in and just learn it. How self centered and spoilt are you that you believe someone else should make you become interested in education. It's pretty damn obvious the importance of education.

BOHtox · 10-05-2013 02:40AM

Stupid college exams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--TW18e2HPQ

Mardy Bum · 10-05-2013 07:17AM

Cian92 wrote: »

The only reason you underperformed was your only laziness, do you expect somebody to spoon feed you? The rest of us realised the importance of our education from a very young age and put the work in.

This idea that comes from that film dead poets society is complete bull****, the teacher shouldn't be the one who has to make you enthusiastic about the subject you should put the work in and just learn it. How self centered and spoilt are you that you believe someone else should make you become interested in education. It's pretty damn obvious the importance of education.

You would be amazed to find 13 to 16 year olds have other things on their mind and have not yet fully grasped this notion mainly because their brains have not fully developed among other things.

Teachers are there to create autonomous learners. This takes time, patience and a lot of work from both people. Teacher education in Ireland for teachers who taught most people on boards was terrible i.e pre 90s. Nowadays things are changing, paradigms are shifting. It is important that the teacher is enthusiastic about their subject. It is also important that they follow their students progress. The traditional models of education which a lot of boardsies are used to are dying a slow death. No more take down the notes and do a test before a PT meeting instead continuous formative assessment is being implemented. Kids no longer respect traditional power roles regardless so teachers must have some other qualities (organised, charismatic etc) if students are going to respect them and the proof of that can be seen in this video alone.

Teachers get a bed rep in the media but if done correctly it is a very hard job.

10-05-2013 08:02AM

Cian92 wrote: »

The only reason you underperformed was your only laziness, do you expect somebody to spoon feed you? The rest of us realised the importance of our education from a very young age and put the work in.

This idea that comes from that film dead poets society is complete bull****, the teacher shouldn't be the one who has to make you enthusiastic about the subject you should put the work in and just learn it. How self centered and spoilt are you that you believe someone else should make you become interested in education. It's pretty damn obvious the importance of education.

I have a feeling my idea of underperforming is kind of different to yours, but OK. Whatever you say.

Just don't ever become a teacher.

I haven't ever seen this 'Dead Poets Society'. I just know from being a teacher myself that motivating the students and making them want to learn is one of the most important things. If you can't do that, you've failed.

10-05-2013 08:15AM

Mardy Bum wrote: »

You would be amazed to find 13 to 16 year olds have other things on their mind and have not yet fully grasped this notion mainly because their brains have not fully developed among other things.

Teachers are there to create autonomous learners. This takes time, patience and a lot of work from both people. Teacher education in Ireland for teachers who taught most people on boards was terrible i.e pre 90s. Nowadays things are changing, paradigms are shifting. It is important that the teacher is enthusiastic about their subject. It is also important that they follow their students progress. The traditional models of education which a lot of boardsies are used to are dying a slow death. No more take down the notes and do a test before a PT meeting instead continuous formative assessment is being implemented. Kids no longer respect traditional power roles regardless so teachers must have some other qualities (organised, charismatic etc) if students are going to respect them and the proof of that can be seen in this video alone.

Teachers get a bed rep in the media but if done correctly it is a very hard job.

I don't even know if it's a respect thing. The kids in my school did respect authority and very few were ever rude to the teachers. The issue was that the 'traditional' way of learning just isn't effective for most people.

I teach a lot of adults who start my class thinking they hate English because their secondary school English classes were so horrific and they didn't learn anything. Most people don't have the type of mind for which staring at a page of bilingual vocabulary is effective. Telling them they're lazy and that they should just learn it is completely pointless. Not least because they could really just do that at home. I came away from 90% of my secondary classes feeling like I could have just learned that at home and understood it better and in the end, I did just stay at home and teach myself. That's a pretty serious failing on the teacher's part. What's the point?

jack presley · 10-05-2013 08:21AM

It was all going well for him until he threw in the line about 'credibility' at the end

fishy fishy · 10-05-2013 09:22AM

Cian92 wrote: »

The only reason you underperformed was your only laziness, do you expect somebody to spoon feed you? The rest of us realised the importance of our education from a very young age and put the work in.

This idea that comes from that film dead poets society is complete bull****, the teacher shouldn't be the one who has to make you enthusiastic about the subject you should put the work in and just learn it. How self centered and spoilt are you that you believe someone else should make you become interested in education. It's pretty damn obvious the importance of education.

totally agree.. its up to the student to motivate himself - its all part of growing up.

I suppose its the sign of the times that everything is somebody else's fault and nobody takes responsibility for themselves. People now have to be coerced and pampered into things or and if not, they blame others for their lack of interest or laziness

Its funny too, how poster here quote Sister Act and Dead Poets Society to get their point across - hollywood movies.

:D

Ave Sodalis · 10-05-2013 09:29AM

Cian and fishy, believe what you would about teachers only having to do the bare minimum but if you go into ANY school in the country, it's the teachers that put in the effort that get the results. It's not about spoon feeding the kids, no one said it was. It's about presenting information in a fun, relatable way.
Fine, you can keep your ideas about how children should be taught but if you do, you clearly don't have a strong enough grasp of what it is to educate, as opposed to just waffle on.
But, sure, why should teachers do what's best for children... that's what the kids themselves are for, right? :rolleyes:

High school student gives his teacher a lesson in education

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