Stupid Americans
Why is there a stereotype about stupid Americans?
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| Dana Goldstien (2011) |
Much of the epilogue fought for the teachers, but it also condemned them. And she's right. Many schools don't produce the quality of teachers that they should.
"Some prospective teachers serve as student teachers for a year, others for a semester or not at all," (265).
That statement hurt. In context, teachers should be getting more schooling before they're thrown into the classroom. Many teachers only have a bachelors and some not even that. They just have to pass the test. There is virtually no time as a student, and all the time as a teacher, expected to be an expert or at the very least a professional.
At the age of 20, I'm not ready to say I'm an expert in all things English. I have not read many famous books. I do not have the intricacies of English grammar memorized either. I have not been taught how to write the "perfect" paper. Am I prepared to be a teacher? No. Most of us will wing it and we will screw kids up as we go before getting to the inspiration part that everyone obsesses about. We will scar kids and I will probably personally be responsible for a child hating anything to do with reading and writing.
On the flip side, I will unknowingly change a life. I will inspire someone to be a famous author. I will teach someone how to read. I will tell a child that they are not stupid, and they will believe me.
Do I think teachers need more education themselves? Yes.
Teachers might require a Bachelors degree in their field. They have to like kids. They might student teach for a year or less. They might observe a few classrooms. Then they pass a state test in their subject area and are teachers.
The difference is concerning considering we're supposed to teach those who might be those doctors going through almost 12 years of learning after they graduate with a high school diploma. We are told to put them on that path.
What does that mean for the future of these kids. The ones who are covered in acne, who haven't grown into the limbs, who travel in packs because they're scared to be alone.
So why is there a stereotype about stupid Americans again?
I also found the doctor example to be intriguing. Teaching is a vital profession that influences people's lives, and yet they are often ill prepared for their job. It begs the question, "why doesn't the amount of time spent training reflect the importance of the profession?" However, what I'm wondering is whether we need to extend the length of time teachers attend school or if we simply need to improve the current system we have for training people to be teachers.
ReplyDeleteIt's common that people think the quality of teachers is not as important as doctors', because teachers don't have scalpels in their hands. But that's not true, as you point out, teachers might have changed someone's life unconsciously. As long as people like you realize how important it is to guarantee the quality of teachers, things will change. And we as future teachers should be responsible for our quality and work hard for that. I don't think it's about how long we should be trained, but how much effort we put in it and what attitude we hold toward it.
ReplyDelete----Renee Huang