Janet Kaiser on mon 29 oct 01
Thank you for that post, Joyce. It warms the cockles of
the heart to hear about teachers and schools which are
fully functional. Where teachers are still able to give
their all, with the support of everyone from their
students and parents, right down to the school
directors, administrators and governing bodies.
I have personally hesitated to say that there is such a
thing as an instinctive teacher, because everything has
to be qualified and quantified these days. Right number
of ticks in boxes...? Yes! You are a "good teacher"...
I hazard to suggest that your approach is/was pretty
unconventional? I have not heard of any teachers being
"left alone"... On the contrary -- at least here in the
UK.
But to enlarge on your findings, those teachers who are
top of the class in my book, teach or inspire the most
important subjects of all: Enthusiasm, Curiosity and
Joy... That is why the child delighted at each new
snippet of knowledge it learns or skill it acquires,
only requires the system to guide and advise them along
the learning curve... Most children are intellectual
sponges, but it is those "super teachers" who can
facilitate a child into becoming a giant:
intellectually, morally and socially. Not a genius, but
a well-balanced, competent, functional adult in the
making. Inspirational teachers are the key to learning.
But it is particularly difficult to achieve in classes
with up to 45 children, all of whom need testing and
assessing individually, complete with paperwork for
each lesson. I may sound bitter and twisted about this,
but Britain has gone/is going through a major change in
education policy in recent years. Pupils, teachers and
schools are being graded and tested to such a degree,
that many good-to-excellent as well as
bad-to-indifferent teachers are leaving the profession.
When teachers spend 50% of their time and available
resources assessing themselves, their learning plans
and their students and passing on enough paperwork to
the satisfy the administrators, inspectors and
ultimately the Minister for Education, that becomes
understandable. It is good that poor teachers are being
weeded out, but what happens to those currently going
through an educational system, which is being run by
stressed, demoralised and overworked teachers?
Also - and this has something in common with the
parallel thread on "touching" - teachers are being
undermined in the classroom. Disruptive and aggressive
behaviour is increasing, because teachers are being
taken to court for any action from shouting to
restraining a child. Suspensions and court cases are a
daily occurrence. Physical attacks on teachers by
pupils and parents are increasing, and even murder
(although thankfully still rare here in the UK) are
making the classroom and the school a dangerous and
intimidating working environment.
Schools and departments for "children with learning
disabilities" accept any child who has not attained a
specific grade for their age. This means those who do
have genuine learning problems are thrown into the
chaos created by those who actually have behavioural
and social problems. "Social exclusion" is the big buzz
word in educational circles. And of course teaching any
child who comes from an insecure home, is malnourished,
ill-clad or abused is going to be very difficult for
even the best equipped school in the world. As most
teachers come from a middle-class background they are
unable to understand the problems those children have
and are ill-equipped to deal with them, because
practical training and other strategies are still not
included in degree courses.
Intimidation and attacks on teachers is becoming a
grave problem and bullying is a major concern
throughout the school system. But in an environment
were the intellectually and physically handicapped are
at the mercy of healthy, strong, aggressive youngsters,
it is no wonder that bullying is a major reason for
lack of self-esteem, intellectual development and
educational progress throughout the school. Once
teachers "loose it" what chance have the others?
The most difficult aspect of this modern system for me
to accept, has been the exclusion of the Arts from the
National Curriculum. Or to be precise, art and music
have become elective subjects. This means that many
children are deprived of any opportunity of learning
creative, manipulative and sensory skills... Clay has
all but disappeared from main-stream British schools
and where it is still present, it is usually not fired.
Even drawing -- that most elementary skill -- is
neglected. We get youngsters at the drawing board in
The Chapel of Art, who cannot even hold a felt-tipped
pen let alone draw anything. And I mean that
literally... They are intimidated by the pen and paper.
One child told me that any "drawings" or illustrations
required of them are done using clipart and a digital
camera at school...
The former Minister of Education stated that Britain
should take the educational system in Singapore as its
model. I guess that is what is happening... All hi-tech
with no room for the Arts, creativity or individuality.
I guess I really AM old, because I shake my head just
like my Granny used to do... I even sound like her some
days!
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
iandol on tue 30 oct 01
So teaching may be instinctive but if you were faced with the following =
in your elementary class room or from one our your own offspring, what =
would you say was the problem and how would you teach the solution.
16 times 7 equals 211.=20
or
24 take 9 equals 25
Modern curricula!! One of my colleagues told me that he could teach =
everything needed by teaching jewellery; art, math, history, literature, =
science, humanities. Could do the same thing with pottery without much =
effort
Yes, in Australia, Singapore is held up as a model to emulate. But it is =
a dictatorship, not a regal democracy.
Philip Poburka on wed 31 oct 01
Dear iandol et all!
...I should imagine that the Arithmetic 'problem' is largely one of review
bye the student of their conclusion...or maybe a paucity of what could be
called prior experience or interest in Arithmetic matters generally.
I would ask them to see what 'Seven' is in the first place, then what twice
Seven is, thrice Seven, and so on 'till sixteen were reached...Likewise with
the 25 take 9: 25-take-1, take 2 etc...or maybe they were not interested or
were distracted...too, how old they are could influence matters...lots of
things can and do...if one does not quite know what 'one-of-seven' is, or is
not disposed to care, I should begin in some empathy or other acessment of
that...
Funny - I was thinking about Singapore last night...wishing I knew more
about it.
For a Country or a City-State to be 'run' bye a 'Comittee' or bye
more-or-less covert collusions or incidental opportunistic privellege based
collusions covertly enjoyed amid inside 'groups' whether or not they ejoy
relative concealment behind a so-called 'president'...or 'run' bye a
dictator...I should wonder more of the qualities of the results OF their
doings, than that I should object per se on the basis of described
austensible titular attributions of Power and authority.
Things tend to be only as good as who is doing them...at least in many ways.
Over here it is rather hard to tell who 'does' what...worse yet not to know
that, to suppose things are as they 'seem'...than to wonder just what the
'structures' and arrangements of 'Power' and Authority really are...
Seem to whom?
..."exactly"...
Morning coffee...6:37 a.m...
Phil
Las Vegas...
----- Original Message -----
From: "iandol"
To:
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2001 11:13 PM
Subject: Instinctive teaching
So teaching may be instinctive but if you were faced with the following in
your elementary class room or from one our your own offspring, what would
you say was the problem and how would you teach the solution.
16 times 7 equals 211.
or
24 take 9 equals 25
Modern curricula!! One of my colleagues told me that he could teach
everything needed by teaching jewellery; art, math, history, literature,
science, humanities. Could do the same thing with pottery without much
effort
Yes, in Australia, Singapore is held up as a model to emulate. But it is a
dictatorship, not a regal democracy.
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Janet Kaiser on thu 1 nov 01
Ivor... I am the dumb, almost totally innumerate one. I
don't even understand the question! But I can tell you
I make a wicked maths teacher. Honestly! Because I can
empathise with those children who have not yet
discovered the beauty, symmetry, wonder and boundless
possibilities of mathematics, which Eckhard and others
tell me truly does exist.
That is why I disagree to some extent with some who
have said that personal skills and knowledge are
imperative when teaching a particular subject. I think
we have all suffered from teachers who were geniuses in
their field, but could not impart a glimmer of interest
or enthusiasm in their pupils... First on my list were
both my maths teachers! Far from awakening excitement
and wonder, mathematics remained pure unadulterated
drudgery. Hence my conscious effort and hard labour to
always "make maths fun" for my own pupils.
As for your pal teaching everything through a jewellery
or clay project... This is of course the basis of
Rudolf Steiner's educational philosophy.
Steiner Schools are state-funded in Germany and
elsewhere, but sadly are not here in the UK. Our local
Steiner School had to close a couple of years ago. It
was in a house built by Maddocks who also built most of
Tremadoc and Portmadoc (Porthmadog) and where the poet
Shelley lived for a time after fleeing from his
debtors, so it is also known locally as "Shelley's
House". Local legend has it that Shelley was shot at by
a farmer infuriated at him "putting sheep out of their
misery". I don't know what happened to the lovely glass
panels by Bill Swann, a local glass artist or the
remarkable hall built by international sculptor and
Royal Academician Prof. David Nash. Both parents of
children educated at the school and just two of many
artists and makers who wished their children to profit
from a Steiner and not main-stream education...
Good grief... They even worked with clay AND fired it.
Definitely a good school... :-)
Janet Kaiser - Good heavens... Bill Gates does not know
how to spell innumerate... There is a message in there
somewhere...
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
----- Original Message -----
16 times 7 equals 211.
or
24 take 9 equals 25
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