“Throw some content and activities against the wall and hope some of it sticks” Fuck! (I’m not gonna say sorry) I think this is the most graphic explanation of what teachers do in the Chilean educational reality nowadays I’ve ever heard. Mind shaking statement this is. It’s quite appalling to read it and see that it is as real as the sarcasm it bears.
This is our system. Well, I don’t believe in the perfect system, and I believe we will never have one. We can certainly improve it, by all means. But a clockwork system, to be honest (even though you can call me nihilist and pessimistic) it’s not possible. Most of us rely on good feelings and good intentions towards the improvement, which is perfect, and I’m very glad that some people put these nice feelings in their efforts. Also, I am really thankful about having read this book because it was eye-opener, yet my final feeling is that we are doomed, at least until someone with common sense directs the education in the country; otherwise, it will take ages to fill all the gaps we need to improve our field.
“Teaching as a means to an end” is one the hardest beliefs to wipe out, and replace Teaching by learning is even harder. For me this is the core issue of the book (or the chapters we’ve read). Some days ago, one heavy-neuroned person told some teachers and me that the only solution is to eliminate all teacher trainers from the universities, and force them to apply again by demanding competence to see whether they deserve teaching at university. It made all the sense of the world. The kings of the activity-base and coverage based education should be eliminated from the system. Once teachers learn to revolve around learning, and kids as the core, within a fair system of course, things will really improve.
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7 comments:
Dear Claudito,
I totally agree with about he perfect system thought. It’s not a matter of being pessimistic but realistic. I have the same feeling about this se of readings, very open minders but I also have the sensation that changes in classroom practices are not going to be taken into account when we as teachers are not even dignified and respected for our work by the authorities. Of course we can contribute to our students’ learning and our own teaching-learning practice but it’s like a grain of sand in an ocean.
Thx for all your reflections!
Dear Claudio:
I would like to start my post making a comment on your quotation: “Throw some contents and activities against the wall and hope some of it sticks”. Chilean teachers are becoming more interested in covering contents than ever before. For them, there is not time to spend designing and planning classes with goals in mind. As teachers’ practices do not have goals to follow, education is getting worse. There is not awareness of the harmful effects that teachers are causing on education.
I think that we are the ones who can start making the difference. It is true that this process is going to last many years, but if nobody starts it, nothing is going to change.
Dear Nihilist Friend:
I really feel identified with your words. I don't think we´ll have a clockwork education in the future; no matter what plan or especialist is in charge. However, we can trust the texts we have read and try to change things from the inside. The core is the students, the enviroment is the classroom, and that is the end of everything. No bosses, no rules, no nothing. In the classroom we shall look for that big bang that will change the students' minds... and our own teaching practices. Keep up, cheer up, you do a great job everyday... and your students may tell!
You have chosen a suitable description for our educational system. "Throw some content and activities against the wall and hope some of it sticks”
I studied in a sudsidized school, and I remember myself always copying a lot of things from the white board, doing grammar exercises and studying textbook units. Teachers were concerned about covering content and grading. I never felt I had a direction during my learning process, and it was probably because teachers didn't have clear ideas about desired results.
So, it could be a good idea to eliminate the kings of the activity-base and coverage based education; however, it may be much better to train them and open their eyes, since I'm quite sure you know is not their fault, they are victims of our system education as well.
Hi Claudio!
Yeah, throw some content and activities against the wall and hope some of it sticks... well, my dear, you and I know a pair of good examples for that quotation. The problem is you see, that everything around us seem to be going just in the opposite direction of what it should be (according to this backward theory), and that the whole context is against us. Sometimes I feel that we, teachers are the last crusaders against the hords of ignorance.
Bonsoir Claudio,
And why not be more radical and eliminate completely the TEACHING career?????? I would not mind spending the est of my life growing up organic vegetables instead of struggling day by day against a chaotic system and my own limitations as a teacher which result in NO learning at all.
By the way....some activities and contents i have trown to the wall have had not so bad results after all,sometimes we can be very good collage artists.
Dear B..o,
I felt in the darkness when I read your middle section of your post, but I think you are right. It is not a short task to carry out. Imagine if it is hard for us to carry it out, what about those who ignore the "right" way to perform our job. It will take ages to improve the whole system. However, any building starts being built from the ground; therefore, there is hope for this mission. We have to start helping putting the first stones for this building and probably we won't be able to see the final one, but YES WE CAN...as someone said recently. We as teachers have power...really,and we have known the truth and now we have to put it into practice
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