Why I am an education major.

[slugshooter]

For those of you that don't know, I am in college, 10 years after high school, and majoring in Secondary Education with a Social Studies emphasis, I have to choose between 2 disciplines and I am choosing History and Government. In light of the link to the citizenship test that is here in another thread, I figured I would tell you guys about an experience I had the day after the election last year. I was in the school library looking at the news aon the internet on MSNBC.com, seeing if there was anything new, you know, like Bush conceding or a million or so Ohio ballots sitting in a warehouse, when another student got on the computer next to me and pulled up the same site, they had the electoral map with it's red and blue and a few white to show undecided states, New Mexico at the time being one of them, well, for some reason this guy was interested in how Texas turned, maybe he was from there, anyhoo, he leans over and say's which one's Texas , this one, and is pointing at New Mexico. I resisted the urge to slap the living crap out of him and give him a lecture about geography. This is what irritated me so much, this guy is in college and doesn't know where the State of Texas is, I mean, at least pick an obscure state like Rhode Island or something to be ignorant about, but how can not anyone know where Texas is. If I do become a Government teacher in high school, one of my requirements will be to correctly identify the states and their capitals. I just think it is reprehensible for a college student not to know where Texas is.

[TreeStandBowHunter]

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one of my requirements will be to correctly identify the states and their capitals.

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Hey Slugo, where's Waldo???

[fisherguy]

Scary huh? King of like that global national geographic survey that found a scary percentage of americans and Canadians couldn't even find their own country on an unmarked map of the world.

[ParrotHead]

No child is left behind because they're holding back those that want to learn.

The education system has been a bust since we created the federal education agency. Nothing has changed, in fact it's gotten worse with every administrations attempt to improve it. It's time to cut the cord on government education.

[ParrotHead]

[ QUOTE ]
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one of my requirements will be to correctly identify the states and their capitals.

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Hey Slugo, where's Waldo???

[/ QUOTE ]

Now that was funny!

[Bruce Schmeck]

Sounds like our public education system has failed him miserably. Kind of makes me wonder how many others they have failed.

HOW DO THESE PEOPLE MANAGE TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND MANAGE TO GET ACCEPTED INTO COLLEGE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!

[dg]

Yeah, blame it on the govt. Where was the parents? Education starts at home. And it requires parent's efforts.

[wtnhunt]

Maybe he was just trying to get you stirred up sluggo.

[slugshooter]

Post deleted by slugshooter

[wtnhunt]

Was joking buddy, talking about the kid next to you on the computer.

Pretty sad really, my 8 year old even knows where Texas is onhte map.

[markyj987]

I've been known to rip public schools to shreds, but dj is absolutely right.

No matter how good a school is, apathetic parents are the real problem behind the failure of schools.

Children need to be taught at an early age that it DOES matter. Parents need to help them develop basic skills such as reading and speech before they ever set foot in a school.

As most of you know, I HATE outcome-based education. Let's make sure kids feel good about themselves even if they don't learn anything. However, without parents that give a rat's behind, teaching methodology debates are irrelevant.

[HuntingInMaine]

I don't think this is so much an education problem as it is a parenting problem. (not saying there aren't huge problems with the schools, but how much better could parents make it with a little effort?)

My 9 year old son doesn't learn in the "traditional" ways. The school doesn't have the money to provide him with the type of education that would be better suited for him.

Does this mean that I say, "Oh well, the world needs ditch diggers."? NO! This means that four nights a week we do about 3 hours of homework and studying so he stays current with the rest of his class. He is only in the 4th grade, but with the homework that everyone gets, and the work he wasn't able to finish during the day, plus studying for tests, I spend more time helping with his homework than I do on my own. Yes, there are a hundred other things I could be doing, but it is my responsibility to see that my kids get every opportunity that might make life a little easier for them. I could just sit back and complain that my son is being hurt by the current condition of the schools, but that isn't going to help him now, when he needs it!

[slugshooter]

A lot of teachers are apathetic also and are just there for the paycheck and couldn't care less if a kid passes or fails. The argument could be said of what incentive do they have, seeing as how they don't get paid much, but it has to do with personal satisfaction, feeling like you have made a difference in someone's life. My fiance doesn't like being a teacher, she likes the teaching part but she doesn't like everything else that comes with it. One of the deputies at work last night said she must be a good teacher because most good teachers don't like teaching because they are limited to what they can do.

[horst]

Im not to sure its entirely a parent problem, or even a teaching problem.Some kids just dont care one way or the other about school.I was a prime example of this.My parents tried to get me to study, my teachers tried, but I just flat out hated school and refused to do the work.Even when I was young they tried to put me in a special education program because of my grades, that pissed me off so I actually tried on the IQ test they gave at that time and scored way high on it, no special classes for me.

I screwed around for 3 years during high school and did no homework, finally in my senior year I made up my entire high school education in about the lat 18 weeks of it, and did it without ever taking a book home.I got enough credits to graduate and got outta there.

I dont care how good of parent you are, or how good of teacher, if a kid is like me and doesnt wanna be taught it isnt gonna happen.

[wtnhunt]

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A lot of teachers are apathetic also and are just there for the paycheck and couldn't care less if a kid passes or fails.

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If that is the case, they never should have gone into teaching. There are factory jobs and otheres around here that I know pay better than teachers get paid. Going to school for 4 or more years to do something you will not like is pretty stupid if you ask me.

But you are right there are a lot of those employed by our states out there who are there just to draw a check and they could care less about the kids. It is really sad.

As far as the parents part, I agree with Linda. It is a parents responsiblity to keep up with their kids, but in many situations a parent might not see their kid much througout the week due to work situations. My 8 year old has homework 4 days a week and often spends 2 or more hours each day working on that. She is a pretty bright kid, she makes pretty well straight A's, but she still does need assistance and I am always here for her. We get home about 3, I am here to help her and check her work and see that she is doing what she is supposed to. Unfortunately not every kid out there gets that.