Comments on: On the Value of Your Own High School Learning http://www.jarche.com/2008/02/on-the-value-of-your-own-high-school-learning/ Life in Perpetual Beta Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:59:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave Ferguson http://www.jarche.com/2008/02/on-the-value-of-your-own-high-school-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-163100 Dave Ferguson Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:31:43 +0000 http://www.jarche.com/?p=1456#comment-163100 I remember quite a bit, some of it quite obscure (e.g., poetry by Thomas Merton). And I remember distinctive teachers, most of them good: Brother André, who'd be pleased that I can speak <i>some</i> French; the English teacher who coached me to win a speech contest; the shambling, dull-looking history teacher who related early 20th century events to the then-current world. Most of them had been teachers all their lives, but brought zeal and a sense that the subject mattered. Harold, your comment above made me pause and think. You're right about the cottage industry (I have taught in three states, though long before the No Child Left Behind act). My grad-school project was field-testing self-student programs for teachers, most of whom were eager to at least try ways to improve their effectiveness in the classroom. The challenges they face today -- technological, institutional, and chronological (as in, only so many hours in their day) -- confound me. I remember quite a bit, some of it quite obscure (e.g., poetry by Thomas Merton). And I remember distinctive teachers, most of them good: Brother André, who’d be pleased that I can speak some French; the English teacher who coached me to win a speech contest; the shambling, dull-looking history teacher who related early 20th century events to the then-current world.

Most of them had been teachers all their lives, but brought zeal and a sense that the subject mattered.

Harold, your comment above made me pause and think. You’re right about the cottage industry (I have taught in three states, though long before the No Child Left Behind act). My grad-school project was field-testing self-student programs for teachers, most of whom were eager to at least try ways to improve their effectiveness in the classroom.

The challenges they face today — technological, institutional, and chronological (as in, only so many hours in their day) — confound me.

]]> By: Harold http://www.jarche.com/2008/02/on-the-value-of-your-own-high-school-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-163042 Harold Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:56:02 +0000 http://www.jarche.com/?p=1456#comment-163042 In spite of our industrial system, with standardized testing, established curriculum and teachers colleges, it's still a cottage industry. Each teacher, alone in a classroom, with almost no contact with the rest of the school, community or world during that 50 minute period. One thing I've noticed about the teachers here is that those with some life experience before going into teaching make for more passionate and grounded teachers. Great to have you back in the conversation, Jennifer. In spite of our industrial system, with standardized testing, established curriculum and teachers colleges, it’s still a cottage industry. Each teacher, alone in a classroom, with almost no contact with the rest of the school, community or world during that 50 minute period. One thing I’ve noticed about the teachers here is that those with some life experience before going into teaching make for more passionate and grounded teachers.

Great to have you back in the conversation, Jennifer.

]]> By: Jennifer Nicol http://www.jarche.com/2008/02/on-the-value-of-your-own-high-school-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-163036 Jennifer Nicol Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:43:38 +0000 http://www.jarche.com/?p=1456#comment-163036 What remains vivid for me are those subjects taught by teachers who loved their stuff. They were better at communicating the broad strokes of the subject matter; other teachers gave us the details but couldn't help us find the big picture or the personal connection with a subject. (It does make you question all the effort that goes into curriculum design, if it all comes down to the skill of the teacher). The broad strokes remain somewhat sort of intact, even though the details are long gone from mind. Sometimes all that remains is a kind of mental placeholder... as if to say, "I don't remember how to (fill in the blank) but I know that knowledge exists and I can find it if I need it." And sometimes there's not even that. Despite not-bad marks in all the senior maths, I have NO idea what it all meant. What remains vivid for me are those subjects taught by teachers who loved their stuff. They were better at communicating the broad strokes of the subject matter; other teachers gave us the details but couldn’t help us find the big picture or the personal connection with a subject. (It does make you question all the effort that goes into curriculum design, if it all comes down to the skill of the teacher).

The broad strokes remain somewhat sort of intact, even though the details are long gone from mind. Sometimes all that remains is a kind of mental placeholder… as if to say, “I don’t remember how to (fill in the blank) but I know that knowledge exists and I can find it if I need it.”

And sometimes there’s not even that. Despite not-bad marks in all the senior maths, I have NO idea what it all meant.

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