unwellness’ required reading week – assignment one
Posted: December 15, 2008 Filed under: Uncategorized 8 Comments »This week I will highlight some articles, books and other media that I am really digging lately. And, you know, I always think the world would be a better place if everyone agreed with me. So go forth and read/listen. And come back and discuss.
I would never have read this article in the New Yorker. I read it sporadically anyway, finding myself with it in hand if Beck is asleep in the stroller and I am out or maybe it's the closest thing as I am headed to the bathroom for some peace and quiet. But even if this particular issue had made it into my hand, I would have skipped this article because of its football "padding." Our director sent it to us and recommended it, alerting us to the "padding" thing, and I really loved it. I really could easily make the leap to being a school administrator (and once even tried) if it weren't for all those darn parents. And teachers. And other administrators. Anyway, I am extremely interested in what makes for good teaching and how we can reform this country's education system using something other than (or at least in addition to) standardized testing.
This is a great article, and I’m not even a teacher! I do volunteer work with an organization that runs summer classes/workshops with young girls, so I do know a lot of teachers. Anyway, the article was quite compelling and I even found the football part to be interesting.
PS I’ve been reading your blog for a long time but I don’t think I’ve ever commented. So…hi there.
Thanks for the article, I’m going to read it tonight. I really miss the philosophical angle that existed at BCS. it doesn’t exist in the same way here.
har har, I had the opposite reaction. From the title I thought it looked boring, then I saw that it had something to do with football. Maybe I’ll read it…
having been a victim to some really sub-par teaching in the last two months, i am actually going to read this… i dont know how it will apply to secondary education, but i’m game to brainstorm for anything that helps improve education for anyone!
I thought it was a good article, but once again it is putting the onus on the teacher and I just see so much needing to be done by the schools the states before even getting to the teachers. When teachers, even great ones have no supplies, way over crowded classrooms without even chairs for each student. Students being allowed to threaten teachers without consequence, administrators funneling school funds into new football uniforms before providing enough books for an entire class even the best teachers will fail.
It is that simple. Until the education of our kids is a true priority it really doesn’t matter what teachers are hired.
What bleu said.
I do think the idea of a teaching apprenticeship is a good one. In my case, I decided to go back to school to get by teaching degree (after a decade of mulling it over), but what I really wanted was to be a teaching apprentice to see whether I had any aptitude for it before forking over the money for a degree.
interesting read. Looking forward to your next assignment.
xo
I am behind with the required reading! But this was a good article, thanks. It’s interesting, but you’d think they could at least partially teach some of these techniques now they know what helps, so that we’re less reliant on the teachers themselves knowing it instinctively.