tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post1320641343780732414..comments2024-03-19T07:27:06.216-04:00Comments on VOTARIES OF HORROR: Teaching Millennials: Kate's Philosophy In ProgressKatherine Woodburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14364517253667798449noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post-53140804144837675512008-09-17T00:37:00.000-04:002008-09-17T00:37:00.000-04:00The Thing that boggles my mind is the lack of pro...The Thing that boggles my mind is the lack of progress some students make in their thinking when they transition from high school to college. Many of the problems you mentioned from your college students I saw everyday when I was teaching high school. But they in High School, you know to adjust for maturity level. I also took my work seriously and got through pretty quickly, but I also had teachers who went out of their way to encourage me and work with me during the times I did struggle. Perhaps this difference is that I tried hard to earn their time and respect, and didn't expect it as a matter of principle. <BR/><BR/>That was perhaps the hardest High School thought process to overcome, when the student felt he honestly had everything coming to him and shouldn't be expected to go out of his way. It's even more outrageous when it's a college student.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post-39238713883148043442008-08-05T14:14:00.000-04:002008-08-05T14:14:00.000-04:00You should begin the year by having your students ...You should begin the year by having your students watch <I>The Paper Chase</I> (1973), and then say, "Okay, if you ever think <I>I'm</I> being mean, well, we can always do this the Kingsfield way. It's up to you."Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182644885948983861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post-20397300540519865192008-08-04T11:34:00.000-04:002008-08-04T11:34:00.000-04:00Students should be more prepared. Unfortunately, ...Students should be more prepared. Unfortunately, much of what is necessary to prepare them is forbidden to our high school teachers and administrators - particularly those in public schools. That means these kids have to wait until they're at college, Basic Training, or dealing with their first landlord or boss away from home to learn that Mommy can't fix everything and one needs to take responsibility for one's self. By the way, regardless of whether they learn English, if they learn that lesson you have largely succeeded.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post-14431378478816535362008-08-03T23:06:00.000-04:002008-08-03T23:06:00.000-04:00I like your groups! Very accurate!!Looking at teac...I like your groups! Very accurate!!<BR/><BR/>Looking at teaching as leadership, even role-modeling, is a great perspective. I've taken to mentioning the accreditation process for colleges/universities in my first-class-of-the-semester lecture, not so much because I think the students care (it's a rather complex, bureaucratic process) but because I want to emphasize the need to attend an accredited institution. If grades are given without merit and unfairly, the college loses its accreditation and <B>everybody's</B> degrees at that institution become useless. It really is a case where the needs of the many come before (and strengthen) the needs of the few. <BR/><BR/>And I've found that many students (say Groups 1, 3, and 4) appreciate a straightforward, single standard. Unfortunately, said students don't always tell me they appreciate a fair, single standard until long after the fact. I have to keep the possibility of their appreciation in mind as an abstract concept (as well as the concept of justice, however tempered by mercy). <BR/><BR/>Having said all that, I do think higher education could be seriously improved in terms of its roles and expectations. I think my students should be more prepared than they are (prepared to go directly into research, which I love, rather than still focusing on how to write paragraphs), and I think certification, in many cases, should be exchanged for apprenticeships (since most people learn on the job anyway). Still, like you say, college does prove to a future employer that the student can actually commit and stick to something.Kate Woodburyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06276977170991272672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post-86898944362443239572008-08-03T18:23:00.000-04:002008-08-03T18:23:00.000-04:00I've told my own children, as they now head off to...I've told my own children, as they now head off to college, that college is not primarily about getting an education. If all you want is an education, there's a library down the street - and it's a lot cheaper. College is about certification. You are paying for a certificate that says you've done certain work. We hope that, in the process of doing that work, you will also learn something, but that's a by-product and it's entirely up to you.<BR/><BR/>Leading - and what you're doing as a teacher is leading - means requiring that they do the work so you can honestly certify your portion of that degree they're trying to get. This is relatively easy and straight-forward.<BR/><BR/>But leading also means trying to get them to see the reason for the requirements, to encourage those led to invest themselves in the mission, to want the objective themselves - to decide to learn in the process of getting the work done. This is the hard part.<BR/><BR/>You have five basic types, then.<BR/><BR/>1. They get it, and they work at it.<BR/><BR/>2. They get it, but can't be bothered to work at it.<BR/><BR/>3. They don't get it, but in the process of doing the work, they do.<BR/><BR/>4. They don't and won't get it, but at least they'll work.<BR/><BR/>5. They don't and won't get it, and won't do the work, either.<BR/><BR/>The group one folks, you wonder why they need you. The tragic, heart-breaking students are those in the 2nd group. Maybe Simon's approach will wake them up. Group three are the ones who make a teacher's day. Group 4 one always hopes will become Group 3. Group 5, well, those are the ones you suggest might more profitably use their time doing something else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com