This was in the Vancouver Sun a couple of weeks ago. Give it a read and please let know you what you think! I've heard some very differing opinions on it so far...
When teachers lap-dance for students
Sunday, March 21, 2010
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5 comments:
This article makes me totally irate!!
First of all, as a teaching profession, we are not in the business of being "popular" and I have no idea where this writer gets off by accusing us of being trained to be so. In fact, this totally goes against our code of ethics, our principles of doing what is right for the child, the profession, and for educating young minds. It may be difficult at times to take a stand that is not considered popular, but we are binding to a code that is not based on "popularity". And I think it is extremely flagrant for the writer to accuse the teaching profession, as a whole, that we are bowing to a popularity vote at the expense of educationally sound curriculum.
WHAT KINDS OF METHODS COURSES HAVE WE BEEN TAKING AT POST-SECONDARY LEVEL THEN? I don't know about you, but I certainly can't remember a course titled EDTE 555: Methods on Remaining Popular to you Class of Students
Just because two unprofessional teachers decided to participate in a totally inappropriate and lewd act of performing a lap dance, does not mean that the education profession is denigrated.
His article not only insinuates but accuses us of pursuing a profession "where learning and intellectual achievement came a distance second to amusement and entertainment".
I think the writer is despicable!
This is something I've been thinking about for a while. Not lap-dancing, but keeping students entertained. I think teaching is becoming more and more focused on student engagement and trying to keep students motivated to learn. In some countries, children are not at all able to access education, and when they do get the chance, I think the would be much more appreciative of the learning they are getting. I think maybe that in North America, we are a bit spoiled. There are so many things trying to grab our attention, and it seems like teachers are almost having to compete with these other influences.
The trick I think is to figure out how to engage students while at the same time focusing on learning, not entertaining.
I agree with both Daniel and Sarah. Daniel makes a good point when he said that we need to appreciate learning more in North America. So many kids just show up because the HAVE to, they don't want to be there and no matter what we do, they'll just sit there and shut off.
Sarah is right too about this writer lumping us all together as one, where it's really two individuals who engaged in this act. I'm pretty sure we aren't in teaching because we want to be cool, if that was the case I'd become a rapper or something. I could honestly say that, although I do care if my students like me or not, I'm not there to try and be like them or dress like them. It's still a job and the majority of teachers still treat it that way by acting professionally.
We can't let one or two bad apples spoil it for the rest of us. But no matter what profession you look at, there'll always be one or two in the group who defy the "traditional" standards of professionalism, it's not just specific to teaching.
This article was interesting and I can verify that I have witnessed an apathetic attitude in some teachers. It is also interesting to note that several high school students, during an interview last semester, made it very clear that they dislike teachers who try to be too much like "us". I believe it is our position as new teachers to speak up to the misconception around student centered learning, UDL, critical thinking and inquiry. It is also part of our mandate as members of this professional to expect and uphold the standards set out by the governing body. So, in my opinion, teachers should keep their lap dancing at home where it belongs, and act like a professional when the are at work.
For myself, I read this article and wrote the following response last week but I was so infuriated I thought I’d sit on it for awhile to see if I cooled off --> No such luck.
Is it professional to say that I found the authors opinions to be ludicrous and revolting? I felt slightly removed from this article as I couldn’t help thinking that his views were perhaps tainted, definitely extreme and probably based out of misinformed hearsay; I had to double check the heading to remind myself that this article was in a reputable newspaper. At the end when it was revealed that the author was a teacher, I was a little shocked. In spite of his credentials, I found his generalizations to be glorified, insulting and ridiculous. Further like many biased generalizations, Michael Carbert’s claims seemed to be unguided, propagandist and ill-willed. Because of this I don’t feel the author is a reputable source or worthy of further consideration.
The following 2 passages I feel particularly highlight this author’s nonsensical and foolish ramblings:
1. “In our classrooms, little is taken seriously anymore. The ethos of our schools centers on fun and amusement instead of hard work, sacrifice, or academic excellence. Learning is treated as a joke, earnest effort something to be sneered at”
2. “Many young teachers now view their work not as an act of service or a serious responsibility, but instead as a continuation of all the fun they themselves had, as students in schools where learning and intellectual achievement came a distant second to amusement and entertainment”.
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