Other items of interest for teachers: “Back to school special“
Have you read the breakthrough novel of the year? When you are done with that, try:
In Search of Sungudogo by Greg Laden, now in Kindle
or Paperback
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Links to books and other items on this page and elsewhere on Greg Ladens' blog may send you to Amazon, where I am a registered affiliate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps to fund this site.
or Paperback
*Please note:
Links to books and other items on this page and elsewhere on Greg Ladens' blog may send you to Amazon, where I am a registered affiliate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps to fund this site.
That is fantastic.
Thanks for that! Loved it!
this guy is such a badass it makes me want to be a teacher. or coach
Nice video, but I’m sure Mr Mali would be the first to point out that it’s “then”, not “than” in the blog headline.
T, you sure it’s not an homage?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OonDPGwAyfQ
Screw this guy. Teachers that don’t let kids go to the bathroom are serious d-bags. I’m 18 years old, I’m old enough to put myself in harms way legally, and you’re going to distrust me about daily functions.
Why use a video that censored him? And that fist at the end should be a hand flipping off instead, dammit. I find the watering down of his passion and words sleazy. A slideshow of Precious Moments with cheesy quotes would be more respectable.
You asked for it dude and now I’m going to let you have it.
You make kids work hard? How about teaching them to think hard? So they work less hard by doing things differently?
You make kids sit in silence for 40 minutes? You don’t let them go to the toilet? What does that accomplish? Discipline? How about teaching them self-discipline?
I must admit that I too am moved by ‘the noblest act courage you have ever seen’. But you cannot teach a child courage in the classroom. You must show him or her by example, by showing courage in your life. If you do then I salute you.
You make parents see children for who they are and can be? And who are you to say that this child has potential and this child doesn’t?
You make them criticize, wonder, question, write, spell. Wonderful. How about teaching them to believe in themselves and the people around them? to love themselves and those around them? What I said about courage goes here too – teach not by preaching but by example.
“If you have ‘this’ and you follow ‘this’ and if somebody ever tries to judge you based on what you make you give them ‘this.” Simply beautiful
But no dude you don’t make a difference. Teachers today don’t make a difference at least the ones I know. I have taught for the past 6 years and I am still attending college so I know what I’m talking about. As long as the education system as it is stands even the greatest teachers can’t make a difference.
Taylor Mali has several good videos on youtube. Try the “Impotence of proofreading”.
Saaid, you took the words from my mouth. Well said.
Saaid, there’s a very good chance you know the wrong teachers. Or you haven’t figured out how to listen to students. Teachers make a difference beyond the curriculum. Not every teacher to every student, and not always in ways that are immediately apparent, and often not with the help of the educational system, but they do.
As for your criticisms of the video, I get that you’ve been taking education classes. However, this wasn’t a lecture on pedagogy and it wasn’t meant to be. There is a time and a place for those. This had a different purpose and a different audience.
Saaid – How have you been teaching for the past 6 years and yet you are still in college? How did you get certified to teach if you don’t have a degree? (Are you getting a Master’s?).
I love this.
saaid, that bullshit about “believing in yourself” is retarded. People don’t get good grades from self-esteem, they have self-esteem because they do well. Correlation does not imply causation. Indoctrinating that into kids doesn’t make them better people, it makes them cocky douchebags with a senses of self entitlement. This guy has the right idea. I’m sure this guy lets kids go to the bathroom, it’s that he can tell when you actually have to go and when you just want to leave. It’s called tough love.
I agree with saaid. I was a teacher, but I realized that teaching is 90% for the birds. There are those select few that are meant for it, but public education doesn’t exactly attract stars. For one, no matter how good you do, you will never be rewarded for it tangibly. You can say you get rewarded when a kid does good, but when you’ve got a mortgage, a family to feed, and a life to live, there’s only so far that will go. Even if you’re the best teacher in the school, and even if most of the other teachers are terrible, it doesn’t matter, you’ll all get paid roughly the same. That’s not how it is most places. If you’re the best in your office, you will usually advance. Also, in most jobs, you work because you expect your hard work to pay off in the future. As a teacher… that doesn’t really matter, no matter how hard you work, you’ll still earn roughly the same. You have to care about kids more than they care about themselves a lot of the time, and try to motivate kids who would rather be texting. In the real world, if you’d rather fart around than work towards your success, you’ll likely find yourself out on your ass. So what does that teach them? If you don’t care about yourself, somebody else will? Not how it works. Now, there are some people who have the altruism to do this, and their students are lucky, but probably 90% aren’t cut out for it, and why should they be? Why should anyone be cut out for the load of bull that is teaching? In short, public school teaching is one of the worst professions to get into, so most people who could be good teachers don’t get into it, and most people who can’t do much else, get into teaching. The small maybe 10% overlap who could be good teachers and do get into teaching is an exception.
@Saaid
What do you think he means when he says he makes them work hard? The kids are at school, what do you think kids do at school as work, sew pillow cases? No! They are certainly thinking hard if they are working hard.
Also, you’ve implied some things that were never even stated. Seeing children for who they are and can be, does not imply rating which children have potential, it’s a rather neutral statement of opportunity. On the same note, because he had not mentioned intrapersonal/interpersonal development, his teaching has not promoted such things in children? And also that he does not teach using personal examples?
I’m curious to know how you’ve found this out. I wish you more pleasant experiences in education! It seems some things may have spoiled it!
For the critics here, and everyone else, it might be a good idea to watch the new “reality” show, “Teach”, with Tony Danza. He takes on teaching a class in a real school.
“Danza underwent weeks of prep and new-teacher orientation before starting at Northeast, a diverse 3,400-student public high school in a blue-collar neighborhood. His class of 26 sophomores ran the gamut from jocks and divas to brains and immigrants.
Initially, it’s rough going for the boss of Room 230. Danza talks too much and gets corrected by a student in front of the class. He deals with cheating and violence, meets with parents of obstinate students, and tries to balance discipline with empathy รข?? all while teaching “Of Mice and Men” and other books to teens with varying academic abilities.
It’s overwhelming. Danza cries several times in the first few episodes.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/28/students-danza-made-the-g_n_742081.html
It starts Friday. I was a teacher for over 20 years, and I feel for him. I don’t know if I made a difference or not, but sometimes I meet students I had years ago and they are happy to talk to me.
@Stephanie Z
I know its supposed to be funny and it is but it also conveys certain ideas which i don’t agree with. Humor should be taken seriously sometimes, its rarely as innocuous as it seems.
@Willow
I live in a country where the teaching regulations aren’t as strict as where you live. I am doing my Bachelors in business administration. I used to teach O level Biology and Chemistry.
@Uhununun
I didn’t say high self-esteem would result in good grades. What I’m trying to say is that with high self-esteem a child can think beyond grades. To what he’s actually learning for instance.
A teacher is not a telepath. I don’t think there’s a way to really know if someone wants to piss or not. Personally I’d rather give the student the benefit of the doubt.
@Nik
I’m talking about thinking news thoughts, finding new ways to do the same thing. Students free to experiment on their own you know? Without the axe of a grade hanging over their heads.
I don’t think there’s such a thing as ‘neutral statement of opportunity’. Do you know about self-fulfilling prophecies?
And I think I said if the teacher here teaches by personal example then I salute him.
Oh and if you have the stomach for a little strong language check out this link :
http://ry4an.org/readings/short/student/