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What Is Most difficult About Teaching Today?
from: The Teachers.Net Chatboard
http://www.teachers.net/chatboard
Amanda asked:
I was wondering what some of you consider the most difficult aspect of teaching in elementary schools today. Do you think it is the discipline or is it more subject related?
Responses:
Posted by 5th grade teacher:
Neither. The most difficult aspect of teaching today is that the focus is on the standards, not on the children. As teachers we are being asked to teach standards, not teach children. In the drive for accountability, we have lost our way on the path to educating children.
Posted by Anon.:
Keeping up with the knowledge base of teaching which is doubling every month it seems!
Posted by Chang from Taiwan:
I think education here has some drawbacks.
- Focus too much about paper work, like tests and reading. Some kids aren't born to do these things. Teachers only make them be good and sit in the classroom. They might need some special learning, but the teachers are just too busy with the paper teaching.
- We focus too much on intelligence. The kids may have more need to learn what actually happens in daily lives. I find kids are not good even to operate a CD player. What they learn in school link not well to daily life.
- We lack a system to train kids to be a good citizen. They even begin to learn English very early in Taiwan. But I find they lack the sense of duty to be a proper citizen.
- We train them to compete with other students, rather than cooperate. We put value on the high standards. But what is actually needed by a student to function well in the future is good attitude and compassion.
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