Quote:
Originally Posted by J04miller
The current system is no doubt broken. When competent and hard working folks go into teaching, they are usually lured away to other endeavours. They get burnt out while dealing with the politics and lack of respect. Personally, I had zero use for the teachers' union. It cost me $840 a year in dues.........for what? I'm not sure.
If I ever went back to teaching full-time, it would probably be in a parochial school setting. The pay and benefits are less, but the teachers have way more support from the parents, and when little Timmy acts like an "a-hole" there are consequences (unlike the current crap going on in the public schools).
Currently, I'm content being a mom. Best job in the world. I enjoy teaching speaking/listening to adults two nights a week. I don't pay union dues, and teaching adults is much easier and satisfying.
I respect your criticisms of the current state of education. They are fair critiques. I just caution those commenting on this thread not to generalize. Unless you've been a teacher, you have NO idea the challenges they face. I've worked in the business world as well, and believe me, teaching is not desirable (even with all the time off) compared to the perks of the private sector.
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I think one of the absolute major problems today is the lack of support from the parents for anything. I blame liberalism for much of this. People are constantly being told "Its not little Johnny's fault, its the fault of society, of the system, of everything and everybody other than little Johnny" People won't accept responsibility for thier own actions any more. They will not allow discipline in the class room beyond the Ben Stein mold in "Ferris Bueller" when he would just continue repeating the students name. My sister in law is in the California school system (she is admin, not a teacher). She told us of one student who would just get up and walk out of the class room and leave the school grounds (this is elementary school). The mother told the school it was ok to restrain the child. The father, divorced from the mother and doing everything possible to hurt the mother, refused to allow it. The school had to hire an aid just to watch over this one child. How does that help anyone?
There are several women in my Sunday School class who are teachers in Cocke County TN. They all say the discipline is non existant and there is no assistance from the school board or the parents. Cocke County is a small rural very very conservative county (Ronald Reagan was too far to the left for these folks) yet the same mindset of the larger anarchic cities prevails here as well. For 90% of the parents, hey beat my kid with a broom if he needs it. The 10% who will not allow discipline of any sort destroy any possibility of educating our children.
While this is not directly the teachers fault it is the fault of the liberal feel good, don't hurt the self esteem, philosophy that prevails today.