From a Letter

[Chief Uwachiquen]

I was writing a letter (Yes, honest letter snail mail zomg who still writes those?) to my Grandma and was updating her on my life and ended up writing a bit that I thought I'd like to share. Feel free to kick me, hard, in the nads if it's warranted.

"Anyway, I've decided that when I go back to college I'm going to study English so I can teach. I'll probably start at the high school level and then maybe move on to the college level as I continue studying. Or maybe I'll stay at high school. I don't really know, for certain.

I want to be a writer too. And I want to make music. I think what it is is that I want to make people feel--to think. To move them, get them to go outside their box for five seconds. I think that's why I want to teach, too. I don't expect to make a major impact, not anymore than a book you've read or a song you've heard. Even an influential teacher only does so much; in the end it's your own responsibility to make your own decisions. I think a nudge is helpful, a subtle push or a sly wink is enough. Any more is dogmatic and I'm not here to force it on anyone. It's your decision to listen or to put me down, to turn me off, or tune me out. I respect that; if I'm free to make my decisions then so are you, y'know?"

It's short but, meh.

[Nast]

That's quite a nice sentiment and I hope you can find teaching a rewarding and successful vocation. 

I know from my time in school, having a teacher who listened, was intelligent, and didn't simply "go by the book" helped enormously . I've since gotten out of high school early and now attend city college, but without someone to treat me like a thinking human being, my high school experience would have been even more intolerable. Teachers are the precious human factor in the impersonal and inefficient public school system, without them it's just an education mill, and that's crap.

[The Johnny]

I very much strongly think, that if there is a place, where dreams go to die, and people go to get broken and grinded into submission...

it is school.

[The Johnny]

It's like being ideologically raped.

[Triple Zero]

Well, yeah, but for children being innoculated with ideas, even inconsensual, is actually a good thing.

And to be fair, if school was for you a place where dreams came to die and you felt you were ground into submission, either your particular school really really sucked, you need to grow up a little or you're an idiot, or some combination of those three.

I mean, I can sort of get what you mean by ground into submission, of course there's some submission going on in schools, that's also a good thing (but you were one of them that thinks anarchy is a good idea right).

However, the bit about where dreams come to die, you're gonna have to explain a little. Why do you feel that? Because it is quite the opposite. You learn about the world, which is creating a fertile soil for dreams, not destroying them.


And Chief, good for you! I'm thinking of becoming a math or physics teacher, myself.

[rong]

FYI: speaking as a former math teacher - the chalkboard time is a blast.  you think you understand a subject, until you teach it for a semester. 

however, i taught freshman pre-calc and calculus at an *engineering* college and was amazed at how many of my students disliked or had no interest in math.  that will break your spirit.

the worst part for me, and the reason i got out of it, was i couldn't deal with failing people.  i know i was supposed to not let those that weren't capable go beyond my class.  but, with college freshman, it amounted to telling little johnny that his dreams of becoming an engineer would never materialize. as a judge not lest ye be judged kind of person, that ate my soul.

[Triple Zero]

well if they can't do math, they can't become an engineer. if you think they're smart regardless, you might wanna counsel them on what they become instead.

i dunno what "freshman" is (1st year of college?), but I'm going for highschool ages 12-18, roughly. so the level won't be that hard and if they're not interested, that sucks, because they're going to get the same tests as everybody else.

[rong]

well if they can't do math, they can't become an engineer. if you think they're smart regardless, you might wanna counsel them on what they become instead.

i dunno what "freshman" is (1st year of college?), but I'm going for highschool ages 12-18, roughly. so the level won't be that hard and if they're not interested, that sucks, because they're going to get the same tests as everybody else.

yes, freshman is first year of college.  i think high school would be both better and worse - feel less bad about failing people (no dreams to really shatter yet) but probly even less interested students who are only in your class because they have to be.

just remember - all those "crazy" math and physics teachers you had in school probably didn't start out that way.

[Triple Zero]

oh, I fully intend to start out that way, and take it from there--after all, I learned from the best

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I very much strongly think, that if there is a place, where dreams go to die, and people go to get broken and grinded into submission...

it is school.

Are you talking about college? Because I found college, what little I had of it, to the be opposite.

[Kai]

Could it be that there are two types of college experiences, vocational and non-vocational?

[The Johnny]

Are you talking about college? Because I found college, what little I had of it, to the be opposite.

No, i love college.

I mean, I can sort of get what you mean by ground into submission, of course there's some submission going on in schools, that's also a good thing (but you were one of them that thinks anarchy is a good idea right).

Oh yes, but of course, because disliking the educational system is so totally 100% correlated with anarchy.

[The Johnny]

Speaking of my last 3 years of high school.

Useful for me:

-Math I,II (beyond that such as matrixes, vectors and abstract junk no way)
-Geography
-Biology
-Introduction to Social Sciences
-English
-Spanish Lecture and Redaction
-Individual and Society
-Informatics
-Anatomy/Phisiology
-Philosophy
-Health Sciences
-Investigation Methodology
-Probability and Statistics

Not useful:

-Chemistry
-Physics
-Mexican History (was nationalist point of view)
-Ecology
-Socioeconomic structure of Mexico
-Law
-Financial Math
-Earth Sciences
-Literature (non-universal and with a teacher with crappy taste)


Im fine with the basic knowledge things that are useful in general, but when it gets down to stuff like physics or carbon chemistry that you wont need or use, unless you go to college to study it, you wont ever run into it again.

[Roaring Biscuit!]

Im fine with the basic knowledge things that are useful in general, but when it gets down to stuff like physics or carbon chemistry that you wont need or use, unless you go to college to study it, you wont ever run into it again.

that right there is the product of current education systems all over the world:  IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE TESTED ON IT YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW IT etc.

I mean I get you're point, that some things you are taught just aren't interesting to you, and probably never will be, but still, it seems pretty bleak to me that you would write something off just because you're not going to have to study it again.

x

[Template]

  What can one get away with not knowing?  How much, of what, for how long?  What happens when I can't survive not knowing?

What I know, THEY cannot take away from me!  It is mine to play with and savor forever!