"Education: That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the fool their lack of understanding. " - Ambrose Bierce
The above: a trait readily applicable to and found in significant amounts in my university's Secondary Education program, in which I am currently enrolled. Also known as: A waste of time and good money. Sure, I know they mean well, and there really are many good teachers working hard for the preparation of us preservice teachers. But as a whole...the program itself is tedious, repetitive, and incredibly dull.
Take today for instance: carefully extracting myself from the comfort of my warm bed, hauling up to campus, entering the classroom...and our teacher, alas, is not there. Of course, that's not a big surprise, since in this course, our teacher is literally never there - it's a Distance Education class, which meets here in Logan but the professor lives and broadcasts from Vernal. What's also not a big surprise, though, is that she's not even broadcasting today. Even the TA doesn't know why, acts nonchalant, and informs us we are to present our "problem-solving activity ideas" for class today and then we're free to leave. We look at each other in disbelief but act it out anyway, "presenting" what we'd written in five minutes last class. (Incidentally, our last class was the previous Wednesday, since we've already been informed that class is permanently canceled every Friday for the rest of the semester.) There aren't that many ideas to present - only half the class even bothers to show up anymore... Because when we do have class, it's usually to listen to lectures about how lectures shouldn't be used in classrooms anymore, in favor of more active, group-oriented, hands-on activities. Not even the irony can keep me awake anymore!
Were this kind of situation restricted to one or two classes, I suppose it would be bearable. But, ever since I finished the English program to move over to the Education one, the quality of classes, professors, coursework, and education has decreased significantly. Instead of analyzing literature or creating and comparing essays, or studying history and interpreting facts, classroom discussions are little more than opinion-sharing, not unlike how I might envision a group counseling session. We're all a little long-winded and love the sound of our own voice. And it's not that I don't care about everyone's experiences.
It just seems we're so intent on talking about education that we don't really get...educated.
It's been a long while since I really felt challenged in these classes. This doesn't mean that I'm overly smart; on the contrary, I feel like many other students are more prepared than I, which makes it that much more pathetic that we're not being pushed to our full potential. One of my teachers doesn't even give deadlines - she just lets us turn it in whenever we'd like, cancels class all the time, etc. Not that I mind her cancelling class - without fail, every time I'm there I ask myself why I even bothered to show up. So oppressively dull....
Yet in a way, it makes me want even more to become a teacher. Sometimes learning from bad examples motivates you all the more strongly.
4 comments:
Ambrose Bierce' definition is indeed a valid indictment. Living in close proximity to (and having a pretty high interaction level for one not actually in) graduate and post-graduate studies, I can see many examples of gifted and intelligent people who use their talents to obtain more (as it were). And I also see many who seemingly paid a lot of money to add two or three letters at the end of their name, but you couldn't tell it from talking to or observing them.
p.s. as you are still in classes and as the world (including the tedious and boring teachers) gets more connected, you might be cautious about your posts until the semester is over.
Amen...What are we even doing? They do try though (or do they?). As for me I feel that expectations are low and I consistently meet them. I even suprise myself with how little I can motivate myself to do for these people. Just let me be a teacher already!
Let them read. It's nothing I wouldn't write on a Course Evaluation Form! :)
Beckie! I found you from a comment on Jalayne's blog. As for the secondary education program - I agree with you. When I was in the program I hated all of my classes. And I actually just used that time to do my math homework. I could go on for a while about things I didn't like in the program. And then when I made it into the real world I didn't feel like the program helped very much. It may be because I did math homework in my sced classes - but I honestly think that the only way we really are going to learn is through experience. And I finally learned a lot when I taught high school last year! But even though I hated the program and quit my job - I love teaching. Push on - and conquer!
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