I did not exactly agree with every single point that was made in that article about what is expected from teacher. It seemed a bit way too idealized and some things were just unrealistic (ex. “…recognition of the importance of academic achievement as measured by standardized achievement tests. It sends the clear message that the foremost goal is academic achievement…” pg. 14) That statement really does clash with me. A test will not measure my intelligence. Maybe I know a whole bunch stuff that the person who made the test does not know. It does not appear in black in white on the test, but trust me, the test will not hold everything that I know. So it is not going to give an accuracy on how much I have achieved, therefore it willl not appear as “a clear message” that these people are hoping for. It just does not work that way. So I am in total disagreement with this statement.
However there is a very valid point that i saw on the article, “A child’s education is successful if the child is exposed to the right attitudes by teachers, even if he or she does poorly in measures of learning on reading, math, history, science, and so on.” I find that to be the very reason why I passed some of the classes back in high school. Sometimes it is the very enthusiasm of the teacher for her science that drives the student to get better at it. The curiousity in watching the enthusiasm in a teacher wants to make you understand what it is about a subject that brings that out in them. You know when a teacher cares, and when they don’t, and if they don’t care, then that means you do not have to care either. The right attitude does trigger the best result in a student. So I gives my thumbs up on this statement.
February 14, 2008 at 6:13 pm |
good points, all.
(you know I would never assign an article thinking anyone would completely agree with it.
)
February 18, 2008 at 5:59 pm |
I definitely agree with the statement “A childs education is successful if a child is exposed to the right attitudes by teachers.” There are many moments in my education that a teacher has helped me get through a class that is hard for me.
Math has NEVER been my strong point. In high school I had met with a tutor every day to help me with my assignments, and I still struggled to get a B on a test or quiz. I watched other students receive A’s without the help of another person. I was pretty annoyed with myself because I needed the help of another person and I still didn’t do as well as other students. Oh well, it could have been A LOT worse though if I didn’t have my tutor, but of course at the time I didn’t consider that fact.
Anyway, so I struggled with math and cringed at the idea of having to take it in my undergrad. I put it off (smart move I know) til one of my last semesters. I had this professor who was a strict grader and I failed my first test, got a B on my second, then failed the next test. I had a fellow student in the class who I did all of the homework with (he got straight As on the tests) and I was wondering what I was doing wrong to do so poorly on the tests. I knew I had to pass this class, so I simply went in and told him my situation. Surprisingly, the scary strict grader understood and allowed me to work with him a bit on assignments and when he graded my final, he didn’t look over what I got right, but the process that got me to the answer. He actually graded me on my hardwork and effort, not because I got an answer right.
To this day I’m still horrible at math (haha) some things never change, but I really appreciate the support I got from a teacher who I initially thought would eat me alive when I told him my insecurities. After I graduated from my undergrad I left him a little card in his office thanking him for his help and support. Yes I know I sound like a brown noser, but I love getting thank you cards and I wanted to let him know that what he did for me meant a lot.
Moral of the story, teachers keep doing your hard work! Students may not realize it today, or tomorrow…or maybe they will the second it happens, but the things that you do are appreciated and you are helping young people through their lives!
amen.