Rich dropout calls for better teachers

A mindless insult. How original :)

god you're a moron, tim.

"posted by : jamie, 24 July 2009"

"jamie" is a proper noun, and as such, requires the use of a capital letter. "Jamie"

Should we be concerned by your failure to understand simple English grammar? How critical would you advise your readers to be?

There's a revealing comment from "Phillip" under the "Real World" title.

He says he's a teacher in the US, and that he tried "tudoring" his students.

Many Americans mispronounce tutoring as "tudoring", but it's certainly never spelled that way. He appears to have confused the way he pronounces a word with the way it is spelled - either that or he just doesn't know any better.

If you want to give him the benefit of the doubt by assuming it's a typo, check your keyboard out - it's definitely a knowledge error. And an appalling one, this is not rocket science, this is something most of us should have been able to spell by age 10 or 12. What does it say about an education system that has experienced teachers who cannot spell at a sixth grade level?

PS Idiots who call others "grammar nazis" for pointing out errors are part of the problem and trying to justify their own stupidity and mediocrity. Idiocracy, here we come --- and you're the advance guard! I'm coining a new phrase just for you guys : "The defenders of dumb".

I taught high school in the USofA for three years 1973 - 1976: college prep Chemistry and physics, biology and general Science.

I quit for three reasons: no money, no future, and no community support. As chairman of the science department (a department of one ... me) I was forced to hand out a chemistry and physics award every year even though the best students were, at best, mediocre. The community expected it so I had to do it.

I had no money to buy books for two years and when I did finally buy them they were two grades lower than where my students were. The correct grade books were too hard; they'd have failed I was told. I could go on and on.

The school system here is in shambles because of political decisions made by non teachers. As a result, the good teachers leave and what you have left are not much better than the poorly prepared students they are supposed to be teaching.

Say what you want about Bill Gates, I was a part of the system here and my state was one of the better ones. I used to brag about my state being the best smelling turd of the bunch.

Don't blame the teachers, they've sold their souls too, they just sold out for a pitifully small amount of money.

and the debates about it are a displacement of a greater discussion re community relations and morality in the industrialised world which we are trying to have and yet trying to avoid at the same time.

We are a schizoid society and its why Islam is so frightening, because it is a preindustrial culture and still addresses asopects of life we are in denial of. If we addressed them intelligently the situation would improve all round.

The way we live due to commercial priorities is ripping up the social fabric, but we blame the education system while all the time we pile more coal on the fire.

Microsoft and Gates misfired on just about every tech revolution in their history....only their power, money, and lack of ethics allowed them to prevail.

Nice general axioms Billy....but then again, even these are moronic using simple common sense. FINANCIALLY REWARD schools for graduating students?? OH YEAH....THAT will get the standards up!! Is this why MS puts out sub-par products??

Ah the wonder of it all. The USA where teachers are to blame for everything, and the students to blame for nothing. Mind you, it's not just them.

If Gates (and other luminaries) had anything resembling a clue, they'd realize that first society has to value education, which is not the same as getting a diploma/degree or whatever.

Also, they had better note that 70% or more of people never go to university, so the system shouldn't have university as the be all and end all goal of public education.

Easy to fix, make the test easier!

I took electronics in High School. Half the students were taking science and math, the other half were shop students. Any test that the shop students could pass the science students would all ace. The poor teacher kept getting notes from the office saying that his marks didn't fit the correct curve.

I think more money should be spent on improving health and lifestyle. Poor diet, homework/trouble instead of exercise (fresh air and sun), lack of sleep, idiot box (TV, console, internet) and poor social/life skills handicap learning motivation and achievement. Teachers used to be highly respected. Now it contains graduates that didn’t make it into higher degrees that quickly become apathetic and warn down by students and the system.

Ok, problem identified, now instead of whining (or however it's spelled) how about doing something about it?

Fact, the talented people don't teach because it pays poorly. Why teach when throwing a baseball or football earns you so much more money and respect?

If we want better quality teachers, there has to be a cultural shift in the perception of teaching...e.g statements like "those who can't do - teach". We also have to fund it appropriately. Moreover, students and parents have to take a greater responsibility for the learning process. Until we do this, it's so much bollocks to talk about it.

At US schools, you get a second chance if you do not qualify as school bus driver - you can still apply for the job as teacher.

More faith-based initiatives for the US school system, PLEASE!

ROTFL

If schools and universities did not have to fork out hundreds of millions of £ to pay for the MS monopoly and used OSS instead then maybe better teachers could be afforded.

Not everyone was as lucky as gates to have very rich parents. FU Gates

For those not in education in the USA, things are pretty bad... Yes we have brought up the low end, but at the same time the top end has dropped. I was a teacher for 5 years and can say without a doubt there is pressure to not fail a child ever! I had students in my varied science classes from 7-12th grades that could not read even close to level or add/subtract, yet I was questioned by the parents and administrators why this child was failing in my class when he had A's and B's in all the other classes. The problem is that students are no longer held accountable for their failures, it is now passed along to something else. I am not saying i was the greatest teacher in the world, but i certaintly tried with before and after school tudoring.

To Sum up this is the best example of students today in america. I had a 20 minute period of 7th graders before lunch that was some kind of study skills class or something, admins never really explained it or had a plan just said here. I took my class to the library and had them tested on a reading program called Accelerated Reader. This program assigned points to books and had a simple multiple choice test to get credit for reading the book. I told the class i would buy them a hotdog and a coke at the next football/basketball game for ever reading goal accomplished, which amounted to about an avg 4-5 books on whatever level they were on, several where on a second grade reading level. I never once had to buy coke and a hotdog... we went to the library once a week to check out books...

Those are American students.

If universities are funded according to results, guess what? EVERYONE gets a degree, an "Andrex Degree". For the benefit of non-UK residents, Andrex is a brand of lavatory paper.

Lloolllzzz

FYI, I'm working on my masters in engineering.

The current problem is that many schools are too lax, that's definately true at the undergraduate level, they are managed to make money and not to educate.

A licensing body is a good way to solve educational problems, such as those in place for lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc. Heck, even hairdressers need a state license, but a CEO doesn't!

Those who can, do.

Those who can't, teach.

Those who can't teach, administrate.

Spoken like someone who never went to school!
If a self administered institute that sets its own exams teaches its students bad practice or just plain bull then thats what they learn for the exam. They have no choice once they are there, hence the need to know before you start.
People could of course learn for them selves and not go to uni but it's way harder to convince busy employers you have the skills without the paper.
Or they could just not think at all, like you

Instead of all this current educational theory malarkey, make the students responsible. If you fail it's your effing fault, no git your nose down and do some honest work fer chrissake. That is all.