Have we lost our common sense??

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

It wasn't until I started teaching (and then left) that I realized how difficult and intricate the system really is.

Why did you leave? Five years is not that long to devote to a career.

[chaine1 116]

Why did you leave? Five years is not that long to devote to a career.

I left for a lot of reasons. I loved teaching, and if the pay was better, I would probably still do it. But I have two science degrees to pay for, and practical considerations won out, as I can make more money as a scientist. I have a large student loan debt and a teacher's salary is not going to cut it. So I'm back in school for a PhD now.

Money was the main concern, but there were other smaller issues I had with the teaching profession. Parents who thought and treated me like I was their hired help was one.

[MyLittlePony 340]

We probably agree on quite a bit.

you both should get a room.

[Teddy B 17,252]

you both should get a room.

I have a house. How much per week do you pay for your room?

[MyLittlePony 340]

I have a house. How much per week do you pay for your room?

Good for you no one cares what you have.

[EAS 45]

Independent thinking is great, and all, but cooperation is more important. Kids don't learn to cooperate in American schools. They feel like rivals, rather than teammates, and that's a huge problem. I think it leads to people having a lack of loyalty as adults.

I should also mention that kids these days growing up with instant gratification, do not have patience and cannot concentrate well, largely. I noticed a huge difference when working in Mongolia with both rich and poor kids. The poor kids were entertained much more easily and were able to concentrate very well, while the rich kids would look for some excuse to pull out their iPhone.

In the United States they are rivals. The best colleges don't admit everyone, they are selective and therefore pit students against one another. Scholarships are not handed out to everyone who asks for/wants one. The best/highest paying entry level jobs [for which there are significant educational requirements] aren't given to everyone [who posses said education], etc. Like it or not U.S. society is such that one's peers are one's rivals.

Forgive me, but having been a good and dedicated teacher for 5 years, this mentality is a small example of all that is wrong with US education.

Teachers and parents should work TOGETHER. I am not the hired help, working to do whatever a parent (or student) thinks is best. That would never work, because what one parent thinks is great, another will think is awful.

Everyone's got an opinion and thinks they are an expert about education because they went to school. Myself included. It wasn't until I started teaching (and then left) that I realized how difficult and intricate the system really is.

Is there a source for this?

This is not directed at you personally, but from my point of view teachers are the hired help. Teacher's have a defined and limited function and, for me, that function is to provide the facts and teach the skills needed to pass standardized tests that will allow my children to achieve high scores on the various and sundry placement, evaluation and qualifying tests that they will be faced with. Any other developmental issues I can handle or hire the appropriate help.

[Harsh_77 718]

in my personal experience, the problems with elementary public school lie strictly in the testing requirements. teachers are more like babysitters attempting to get young children to memorize information to regurgitate for standardized tests. not all children, or even most (especially elementary aged) are good 'testers'. the skills required to test effectively are lacking more now than ever because we don't teach children how to think or problem solve for themselves. and this isn't the teacher's fault the majority of the time. my son's had some crappy teachers, but they were all trying really hard to work within a system that isn't very conducive to independant thinking.

You are right and that’s exactly my point was that teacher used this packet concept rather than actually teaching in the class.

All they do is give out the packet and ask the student to just complete the packet activities and that’s it.

The earlier post I posted it was pointing out to where some teachers were not even creating their own pack but just buying it from another teacher who was selling it.

[Harsh_77 718]

Independent thinking is very important, but having seen schools in Japan, we are really missing teamwork in this country. I'll try to explain what I mean, using Japan as an example of a country with great teamwork.

In Japan, the kids feel like a bad performance from them lets down their class. For example: Kid A and Kid B are in the same class in Japan. Kid B doesn't do his homework. Kid A feels ashamed. Kid A tells Kid B that he's let down the class and that he should do his homework next time. Kid B will probably do his homework next time.

In the U.S., let's play out the same scenario. Kid A does his homework, and Kid B doesn't. Kid A doesn't give a ####### whether or not Kid B did his homework, because he doesn't think of them as together in the same boat... if Kid A and Kid B are friends, he might care. If Kid A and Kid B are enemies, he might be happy.

The group mentality has a lot of benefits in the workforce as well. You get less petty arguing over individual matters of opinion, and a more group-oriented focus on results.

I don't disagree that kids need to be taught to catch fish rather than being given fish. I'm just saying, that we're missing other things which may have an even bigger effect on people's lives. Japan is a very safe country, in part because of this group mentality.

That’s the culture we incorporate from kids from very early age, in US overall its always an individualist approach rather than group approach.

That same concept grows with kids and they take it to the work, in fact in US if one does not have individualist approach they are considered weak, not capable of doing things.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

American kids are a bunch of pantiewaisted daisies. Individualism my #######! You are not allowed to single out anybody and point to them as an example of unacceptable behavior. Everybody belongs.

[TBoneTX 45,289]

Forgive me, but having been a good and dedicated teacher for 5 years, this mentality is a small example of all that is wrong with US education.

Teachers and parents should work TOGETHER. I am not the hired help, working to do whatever a parent (or student) thinks is best. That would never work, because what one parent thinks is great, another will think is awful.

You're right in the great majority of instances, and I revise my statement as follows: Administrators and school boards need to remember that they work for us, and not vice-versa.

My original statement would apply when there's an intransigent or incompetent teacher.