Re: What type of teacher are you?

Posted by To Ms. VanDora By Dean Safire NYU on 3/24/08

More | Report Post

Ms. VanDora sorely needs a course in remedial writing. In
respect to teacher types, each item could be expounded upon
but for its purpose in this site, the author is correct. The
foundation of generalizations is truth. On a whole,
especially in the public school system, one finds these kinds
of teachers, with a great abundance regretfully falling into
the "book teacher" category.

Dr. William Safire


On 3/20/08, Isabelle VanDora wrote:
> On 11/03/07, Susan Altman wrote:
>> "Book teachers" simply teach directly from the book. All
>> homework assignments, quizzes and tests are directly
>> derived from the class text. Their knowledge in the
>> subject matter is shamefully negligible. Past tests are
>> shared between students for easy grades. Memorization for
>> regurgitation is the key to passing their classes.
>> Administration receives little or no student complaints
>> for obvious reasons.
>>
>> "Check collectors" are teachers who, out of incompetence
>> and/or apathy, do the bare minimum and deprive any viable
>> educational growth in their pupils. They are simply in
>> the field for a paycheck, medical and retirement benefits,
>> and the generous vacation periods. They are better off
>> working in toll booths.
>>
>> "Buddy teachers" lack the courage and competence to be
>> effective instructors; therefore, out of a need for
>> acceptance and job security, attempt to befriend their
>> students. One should remember that education is not
>> necessarily a popularity contest; earning favorable,
>> respectful approval is more beneficial for all involved in
>> the process as a natural byproduct and goal which mostly
>> true educators earn. The buddy technique usually backfires
>> with the lamentable result being disrespect from the
>> pupils.
>>
>> “Tyrant teachers” focus classroom time more on chastising
>> and dishing out punitive measures than imparting fair and
>> balanced discipline when appropriate. During free time
>> and prep hours, tyrant teachers can be found patrolling
>> the hallways and bathrooms seeking out deviants to be sent
>> down to the office. Often they have old axes to grind
>> from their disappointing days in grade school and attempt
>> to make up for shortcomings in other areas. However, they
>> do make assistant principals jobs easier.
>>
>> "True educators" are a rare breed indeed and perhaps
>> should be added to the endangered species list. These are
>> learned, focused, and devoted educators who know their
>> material, impart it in such a way as to inspire students
>> to learn. They put time into their lesson plans and
>> consider the group and the individual with the same
>> sincere intent and regard. Enthusiasm and knowledge abound
>> in the classroom instead of discontent, boredom,
>> misbehavior and daytime snoozing as you have with the
>> aforementioned. The harshest level they may practice in
>> class is that of benevolent dictator.
>
>
> There is some truth in the above posting. There is also
> sweeping generalization, condescension, and over-
> simplificaation of what's working and not working in the
> classroom. As too many non-teaching personnel employ the
> term 'educator' to describe their office work, I prefer to
> use the term 'teacher' to describe what I do. There are
> teachers, doctors, lawyers, plumbers, electricians, and
> pastors who are motivated solely by job benefits. However, I
> think there may be some faulty reasoning embedded in the
> harsh condemnation of the idea that it is unethical to value
> job security and benefits. While I do enjoy what I do most
of
> the time, I do not think my students are well-served by
> martyrdom. I do plan to continue to seek to improve
> compensation and working conditions for all who provide
> quality instruction. There is faulty reasoning in the
> assumption that children misbehave only in the classrooms of
> apathetic, incompetent personnel. I think it's wrong to fail
> to consider the importance of building a stronger sense of
> personal responsiblity for learning among each new
> generation. We are very good at finding fault with each
other
> while those who actually have the duty and responsiblity for
> weeding out the ineffective and incompetent continue to
> pretend that they cannot do just that. (The truth is that it
> takes effort to dismiss a tenured teacher and quite a few
> personnel are unwilling to make that effort and/or lack the
> courage to do so. You see, it's notjust teachers
> demonstrating apathy and incompetence within the school
> setting. I don't find fault with parents as much as I used
> to....I don't blame previous teachers for poor preparation
of
> their former charges....I don't even succomb often these
days
> to finding fault with the system itself....instead, I've
> started to notice how often the successful students have but
> one thing in common: a sense of their own personal
> responsiblity for their learning.....such a quality trumps
> all other possible mitigating circumstances..poverty,
parents
> who have abdicated their roles, boredom in the classroom,
> limited academic offerings, etc.......with all of these
> potential blockades, these students shine anyway....not
> because of intellect, or parental support, or the quality of
> their school staff's efforts, but because they have chosen
to
> exercise self-discipline and accept personal responsiblity
> for their own lives...........

Posts on this thread, including this one

• What type of teacher are you?, 11/03/07, by Susan Altman.
• Re: What type of teacher are you?, 11/13/07, by Anon.
• Re: What type of teacher are you?, 11/27/07, by Samuel T. Hawkins.
• Re: What type of teacher are you?, 1/26/08, by Hit the nail on the head with this list!.
• Re: What type of teacher are you?, 3/20/08, by Isabelle VanDora.
• Re: What type of teacher are you?, 3/24/08, by To Ms. VanDora By Dean Safire NYU.