Re: "Education" System, was Re: [SG] HAMR

Mark Reindl wrote:

> > > > >But at any rate, I soon discovered that "gifted" is
> > > > >generally teacher-speak for "I don't know what the
> > > > >hell to do with him!"
>
>Dunno what teachers you're dealing with.  Speaking for the ones that I
>work with, "gifted" means that you simply need to challenge that
student
>more.

Lucky for your students.  Not all of us as STUDENTS had those kinds of 
teachers.  Many of mine were dedicated and caring, and a few truly were 
excellent and had the above attitude, but most chose to brush past any 
student who didn't "fit in."

>Of course, some of the most gifted students I've seen have also
>been some of the laziest.

Some.  I struggled all through school, and I'm sure some of my teachers 
thought I was lazy, but I wasn't.  It was more a problem with how they 
expected me to learn, and how my brain wanted to learn, and the vast
gulf 
between the two.  While in Grade school in Idaho, I was tested and they 
determined I had a high IQ but a learning disability.  They didn't
bother to 
figure out what that LD was, or to do anyhting about it except to send
me to 
a special room a couple hours a week where they lumped all the "Gifted"
and 
"challenged" kids together with one very caring but overworked teacher. 

Mind you, this is more a reflection on the administration system than on

teachers, but that doesn't change just how useless it was to me.

> > > >
> > > > Yeah, that's the core of it.  Which is why some of
> > > > us should become teachers
> > > > ourselves.
>
>Hmm, what about those of us who *are* teachers?  I would strongly
>encourage you to put your money where your mouth is.  See how much fun
it
>is to jump through the hoops to become a teacher.

Actually, that's exactly what I'm in school studying to do, thanks.  As
for 
those of us who ARE teachers, my hat is off to you.  My comment was made
as 
somewone who DOES want to put his money where his mouth is, and is
actively 
pursuing that end.  But it would have been too much trouble to find that
out 
before you merely made a snide remark, wouldn't it have been?

See what a blast it is
>when you realize that the kiddies are *not* going to all just sit at
your
>feet and drink in your every word just because you're giving it to
them.

Wow.   That's SUCH an accurate description of how I think things are -
I'm 
totally delusional, yes.  Thanks for showing me the light.

>My intent here is not to flame, so if the
>message came off that way I do apologize, but should any of you wish to
>take issue with anything I've said, please feel free to do so (as I'm
>sure you will), but I'd appreciate it if you'd preface it by sharing
what
>(if any) experience and background you've had from the *inside* of the
>educational establishment other than as a student.

Ah, yes.  Because students' experiences are not valid.	I know that's
not 
what you really mean, but that's exactly the perceived attitude that
many of 
us, especially those of us who were viewed as "Special cases,"
encountered 
in school.  Actually, my issue is not with your feelings/ideas about 
education.  However, when you assumed that I was just spouting off and
not 
backing up my opinion with a course of action, THAT I DID take issue
with.

In all of the time
>I've been on this list, I've been more than willing to defer to experts
>in other fields and at least assume that they know what they're talking
>about, and would appreciate the same consideration for my chosen field.

A valid point.	I'd also like to point out, however, that "Teacher" is
as 
broad a term as "scientist."   Bearing in mind that the range of skills
and 
talents required to teach are as broad as the spectrum of students,
their 
ages, and the subkects taught, is it possible that while you are
probably an 
excellent teacher, there might just be certain levels of teaching and 
development you are not AS well-versed in, and is it therefore possible
that 
the experiences of a student at that level, particularly an observant
one, 
might be just as valid as your own views?  Just a thought.

3B^2

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