Teacher, M.S.Ed.

On one of the listservs I subscribe to, someone had posted an article (alas, CNBC has removed the article, if anyone finds a copy of it I would appreciate it muchly!) concerning masters degrees.  Some economists think paying teachers more for obtaining a masters degree in education is a bad idea, because they claim studies have shown that whether or not a teacher has a masters degree has no effect on student achievement.  Maybe these economists need to turn to education research because the only articles I found indicated that education degrees had either a positive or neutral impact on student achievement.

That really isn't the point I'm trying to make in this post, however.  What made me recall the article is that I'm sitting here on the first "real" day of school vacation (Saturday and Sunday don't count of course!) and I have a couple of assignments to do for the course I am taking for this "Master Teacher" program I was selected for.

A bit of background: I have a Masters Degree in Education from what I consider a reform minded school, where testing isn't the answer and we should be encouraging out students to think for themselves and look at the world with a critical eye.  All good stuff.

But I'm questioning why I applied for the program and what exactly is my benefit for spending my valuable time in it.  This past semester's course (which I'm stuck still doing work for) was not very useful.  It wasn't very well structured and the consensus was each week among my classmates that I spoke with was that we weren't exactly sure what we were supposed to be learning.  So what's the point?  I needed that class to continue on the program, but what about future classes?  Will there be the same disappointment and wasted time?  I think I learned more about education reform and what's best for students by going through my blog reader than sitting in that class all semester.  I think I would be even more angry if I had to pay for it.

That seemed to be what many teachers on the listserv were speaking to when they were describing their masters programs in education.  That's what my colleagues and I talked about during our masters program.

I'm not so quick to write off the economists' views about masters degrees.

I think people who are serious about teaching will continually work to improve their practice.  Those that are in it for summers off, well...they won't.

As far as money goes, teachers get paid squat for the amount of time they put into the job...if they choose to.  I know some teachers who get to school at 7:30 (late) and leave by 2:15.  Some teachers get in at 6:30 and don't leave till 5 or 6, plus the time they spend at home working on school stuff.


Some teachers completely redesign their courses each year to stay fresh and correct mistakes from last year.  Others pull out worksheets copied so many times they have become blurry.  Unfortunately it is those 7:30 to 2:15ers and worksheet gurus that so many outside of education point to as the norm, when there are so many dedicated teachers out there.


What kind of teacher are you?

The American Dream

I love George Carlin.  People focus so much on his use of foul language instead of his social commentary and views on the American citizen.  A side note: George needs to be listened to in his unaltered form.  A George with no foul language is not George.  He denounces schools as ruining the creativity and critical thinking skills of youth, blames business for screwing up the economy and controlling the country and overall considers the public to be a bunch of lazy, lifeless consumers.

And now Big Business is moving into education.  Bill and Melinda Gates.  Eli Broad.  Countless other Inc.'s and Co.'s and six figure salary earning CEOs of "schools" want to take over under-performing schools that are being measured with poor tests and even poorer resources.

And they are winning.  They have the media, the ear of the misinformed public, and too few people teachers standing up against them arguing for demanding a better way.

Are you asleep?

Back from a long hiatus

Can it be called a hiatus if I've only posted once before? More like a restart...

A lot has changed since I made that first post. I've mellowed out (slightly), got a teaching gig (yay!), gotten engaged to D (double yay!), buying a house, got involved in a 'master' teacher program.

That's not to say that the previous post is null and void. I still believe everything I wrote. Maybe more so now. But I think it's refined from my experiences through teaching and simply because I've been on this planet a few more years.

Hey, this blogging thing isn't so bad. Maybe I will keep up with it this time...

There is so much I would like to comment on and discuss, but I think I will plug a book I was reading. D had it laying around and I saw the provocative title and the pictures and decided that reading it would be more interesting than doing my work!

A People's History of the American Empire is a graphic novel adaptation of Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States.



I enjoyed it's frank descriptions of historical events that are often misconstrued or ignored in history classes at the high school level.

This is the kind of thing we need more of in the world: people exposing the truth about those in charge that think that they can do whatever they like.

It's late at night and I can't sleep.....

Well, here is another attempt at me blogging. I think if I just start blogging, maybe it will stick this time. I think I keep trying so hard to be amusing and witty that I lose interest in writing down whatever it is that I wanted to write.

I'm up late and life's little annoyances keep running through my head. Too many to write in one post, but I think I'll write a mission statement. I'm a teacher (well, soon to be anyways) and I need someplace to vent about what's going on in my life as well as what I think about the world.

Personally, I think the world sucks needs improvement. Well, not the world, the people in it. Most of them anyways. Most humans are stupid, self-absorbed, and gullible. Sheep is a pretty good wait to put them. They just follow the person in front of them, never questioning, never having an original thought. It's not just one group in particular. I'm not going to say Republicans are all to blame or it's all the Democrats' fault (or insert any race, religion, interest group, or group of people here). They certainly had their part in the current condition of this planet, but no one group is entirely to blame.

I am not perfect and the previous paragraph certainly doesn't exclude me, however I like to think I am more self aware than most are and I do what I can to be a bastion of reason amidst the sea of idiocy.

I think that's why I want to be a teacher. I want to teach my students to grow up to be questioners rather than followers. I don't really care whether they agree with my views on issues, as long as their view is well thought out and they can substantiate why they think the way they do. Because, boys and girls, irrational people are stupid people.

On that happy note, I'm going to try to sleep.