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Arkansas Teachers Chatboard

Elementary Classrooms

by Inez

Aug 30, 2008

I am a retired teacher. I have a question: Are teachers now told exactly what to teach? I have been told that teachers are no longer able to decide what to include in their lessons.

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Well, Inez, you heard right. At my school, we have a acing guide, and EVERYTHING is spelled out for us to do. We were told we have to be on the same page and the coaches come around to check, or we have to email in what page we're on. The words for us to RECITE in the text are colored- coded. We are no more than puppets. We move when our strings are pulled and not before and not afterward. Every minu...See Moreacing guide, and EVERYTHING is spelled out for us to do. We were told we have to be on the same page and the coaches come around to check, or we have to email in what page we're on. The words for us to RECITE in the text are colored- coded. We are no more than puppets. We move when our strings are pulled and not before and not afterward. Every minute of the day is planned out, and someone is always monitoring them. Most of the time is spent assessing, not teaching. Oh yes, you don't teach anymore; you're a FACILITATOR. The kids wonder up on a way to find the answers in math. Most everything is done in groups or pairs, not much individual work anymore. You have absolutely NO freedom to teach outside the pacing guides. That's frowned upon big time. All classrooms basically look the same. They need to clone us and be done with it. No, actually, I don't see why parents bother to send their kids to public school anymore. It's awful. Well, I know why. Most of them don't want the kids at home with them. They want the school to babysit them and we do because the kids don't do very much at all. America is in big trouble. Kids are getting dumber every year. They graduate and don't know their facts. Well, they graduate and can't read and write. You should see some of the STUFF the kids turn in for assignments. It needs to go nowhere except the trash. We were told that we are not to teach for mastery. We just introduce. Everybody will end up on meth and crack to get through their depression.

Back to the curriculum. I'm not complaining about the curriculum because I like it. I don't have to do any of it. They've made my job much easier. There are teachers who want the recognition and are too glad to do all the work, and I'm too glad to let them. I don't know what America still has a public school system. Parents can just buy the books themselves and read the information to their own children. We are PUPPETS, I tell you. You don't have to have any thinking power. The books tell you what questions to ask. It tells you how much time to spend on what. All of the practice sheets are supplied. We never have to make out teacher-made tests anymore. It's all a joke. A big laughable joke. Everything is rubric scored. In math, the correct answer doesn't mean much anymoe; it's the process. Kids can have the wrong answer and still get most of the credit.

On 8/30/08, Inez wrote: > I am a retired teacher. I have a question: Are teachers > now told exactly what to teach? I have been told that > teachers are no longer able to decide what to include in > their lessons. >

Sep 11, 2008

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