Truth #3: Tenure Sucks
8:20 PM Edit This 3 Comments »DISCLAIMER: This is not directed at any specific teacher or professor. This is an accumulation of dissatisfaction with the education system and the lack of knowledge being passed on. I repeat: this is not a targeting or bashing campaign.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the education system makes my eyes, soul, heart and brain bleed profusely because of its teachers’ utter apathy.
Some people love going to school, absorbing new and interesting information and expanding the overall worldliness of your mind. I thought that at one point as well, and then I reached geometry and freshman English and realized this description of school is wildly unfitting. Over the course of my years in school, I have encountered many teachers who are inspiring and truly great at what they do. And then there are an overwhelming multitude who are uninspired, careless and ruining education for all of us. Once upon a time, I was not more intelligent than my instructors, and then I graduated and moved on to college where I feel my IQ dropping so dramatically I can feel the displacement inside my brain, because they just do not care. Is this not supposed to be higher education?
And so my solution to the budget cut dilemma is to abolish tenure and fire the teachers who are NOT DOING THEIR JOBS! The university is floundering in debt and the professors do not seem the least bit concerned about their job or doing it well or the education of their students. I do not even care what they teach; if the English professor cannot pass on accurate information and the dance teacher is miles better, then the former should be relieved of the duties he/she no longer cares to perform. Maybe 25 years of teaching is obsolete when the methods are still boring and do not penetrate into the minds of the students.
Tenure is ruining the education system. Teaching should be a competitive, risky job so the methods continue to be innovative and the professors continue to be dedicated. Save money by firing those who are not doing their job. Part of teaching is subjective, but qualified education administrators should be able to tell if a teacher is effective in the classroom (should being the big word there). However, tenure is preserving teachers who have ceased to be teachers in any fashion. Teachers should be held accountable to learn new information, understand the current systems and keep learning so they can better educate their students.
The economy cannot afford to let people continue to not do their jobs well. Everyone is struggling and tax dollars should not pay for old teachers who are no longer capable of performing their duties. There is, though, something to be said for loyalty and supporting people who have spent a majority of their time putting in work in a specific place and not looking for greener pastures no matter what. However, if the time is not well spent, if they are no longer helping students, then they should leave. Others can do the job; hire those who still want to help the students. Where is the desire to share the knowledge of the world?
And, for the love of all that is holy and good in the world, please do not use the dirty dirty dirty phrase of “Students should be self-directed learners. Teachers do not need to hold their students’ hands”!!!!! There is a significant difference between producing self-directed learners and NOT TEACHING. Students should not be expected to learn information that is not being mentioned at all in class or in class resources. Do not test me on what you have never said or even alluded to.
I find this solution to be most pleasing, especially in the face of the current solution.
WORST SOLUTION I HAVE EVER HEARD ABOUT EDUCATION: Okay, let us fire the fine arts teachers.
Why can we not pay teachers who care? The children are the future! Who is going to teach them what they need to know? Why are we depriving the future artists of any education when the English teacher does not know the basics of their area? I cannot think of any reason to back up the illogical idea that arts are not important. I am also confused as to why some teachers (including collegiate professors) are being so conceited as to stay and know they can no longer care to do their jobs well. Furthermore, how can they not notice that they are failing their students by not evaluating themselves? Why are we not evaluating the work being done? Screw the big picture outlook when people can be weeded, and the rest pruned accordingly! I want to fight for GOOD education, GOOD teachers! I grew up in 35-40 students in one classroom, but most of my teachers were phenomenal so it did not matter!
Dear educators,
I am not asking for a textbook. I am asking you to teach me. I am asking for an English teacher who tells me things I did not know. I am asking for an understanding foreign language teacher who realizes that English grammar is not taught satisfactorily so they do not scoff at us when we cannot understand English grammar in Italian, Spanish or Japanese. I am asking for a math teacher who is not just teaching because they are working on something else at the university, or who is convinced that the students will either never use it or cannot understand why their subject is confusing to some. I am asking for a science teacher who is not only a researcher, but a real teacher who wants to teach science to others. I am asking to learn.
I never want my teacher to say their class is a bogus requirement so they know the students do not care if they learn anything. I never want my teacher to accuse me of being in a class because I have to be there. I never want my teacher to tell me that if I cannot understand this one portion that he/she will not help me because I am going to be completely lost for the rest of the chapter. I never want my teacher to be unable to admit that he/she is absolutely, dead wrong when the book they tested us on says he/she is absolutely, dead wrong. I never want my teacher to say, “This is not going to be on the test so you do not need to write it down”. I never want my teacher to say, “This is not going to be on the test so you do not need to study or learn it” and then give me a test only on that subject and act disgusted when I fail miserably. I never want my teacher to insult me, period. I never want my teacher to make me ball my fists up in anger because they have given the lecture more than three times, with the same slides, day after day, and know they have done so. I never want my teacher to tell me my style is wrong.
I desperately, anxiously, frantically, kneeling-ly, pleadingly, hopefully, despairingly, absolutely, positively, never-been-more-certain-in-my-life-ly, need someone to care about what they teach, how they teach it, and whether or not it is getting across to the students.
I am begging you, as educators, the next time you think, “My class is not trying, none of them are understanding, and I just cannot believe how dumb they are. I mean, not one of them cares enough to get a good grade or study at all. I wonder why they are all failing, because the information is all here. I mean, this is easy!” please stop being so blatantly conceited for one second, to also think, “Maybe I need to try a different approach, maybe my methods are just not getting through to them. How can I do this better?”. PLEASE!!!!
With hope,
An unbelievably dissatisfied student
P.S. I am the one who studies, tries, cries over B’s because maybe I should have/could have tried harder. I am the one who raises their hand during classes. Do not stereotype me. Do not even dare to think, Oh, that’s the student who doesn’t do their homework, readings or tries at all. I was salutatorian, I graduated with a 5.06 GPA, I am highly intelligent, and you have made me cry for wanting knowledge.
Posts
3 comments:
My dear Elle
How right you are! Sarah encountered for the first time a terrible, uncaring teacher, who thought her job was to test the students on what they didn't know. She thought that just because the class was entitled Honors, that meant that she could not teach them vital information that they needed to succeed in her class. This teacher has had more than half her class(including Sarah) transfer out to another class. Sarah had to give up a class that she really liked, but in the end she is much happier.
My oldest has also found that many of her "professor" seem to know less that she does, and they seem to be upset that she, a mere college student, challange them.
I hope by putting it all in writing you feel better. Please note that Sarah and I both love you.
I've been thinking on what to say about this post for a while now...and I'm not quite sure. You are right, we should not be making decisions about education based on those that can't, won't and don't teach. They should be fired and make room for those who do. Unfortunately, I think that as with any profession, there will always be the slackers, those who won't put in the effort and don't really care. Sadly apathy is a reality, and even more sadly it costs students a great deal to spend any length of time in the presence of apathy.
Tenure does suck and I wish it weren't so! I also wish they would educate professors on HOW to teach, but that's another blog entirely...
But let me just say that you are the kind of student who makes me want to teach. The true desire to learn is so rare and so treasured and is very present in you. On behalf of educators who do care, thank you for being the kind of student you are! And keep being the kind of student you are; here's hoping that some professor will experience you and be inspired to educate on a much more meaningful level!
I know I may be a young student, but I definitely agree! Teacher tenures are ruining our public school system. Isn't this whole situation about the students? Not the pay for the teachers! Their job is to educate us!
Post a Comment