In Case You Missed This... 'Confessions Of A Bad Teacher' - Salon

[WillyT]

Confessions of a bad teacher
I took a job in the NYC public school system because I wanted to make a difference. I ended up living a nightmare
BY JOHN OWENS - Salon
MONDAY, AUG 29, 2011 19:01 ET

<snip>

"The dawn's early light" hadn't echoed off the linoleum floor before an administrator and a school aide were in the doorway ready to quell this "disruption," as they did with so many of my classes. But it was this high-spirited, everybody-participates approach that made the 9th Grade Writing Workshop a joy for me. And, I believe, for my students.

Assign spelling words or read a short story in class, and it would take all of my wits to keep the texting, talking, sleeping and wrestling in check. But make it 80 words on "Would you give up your cellphone for one year for $500?" and every student -- even those who never did any schoolwork -- handed in a paper. When I read these essays to the class in dramatic, radio-announcer fashion, there was silence punctuated by hoots of laughter or roars of agreement or disagreement.

It was almost magic. It was really fun. And I often could squeeze in some spelling, even punctuation. But we weren't always quiet.

And, according to my personnel file at the New York City Department of Education, I was "unprofessional," "insubordinate" and "culturally insensitive." In other words, I was a bad teacher.

<snip>

Much More: http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2011/08/29/confessions_of_a_bad_teacher

:kick:

[AverageJoe90]

1. Kudos to John Owens. And F.U.C.K. the NYC Dept. of 'Education'. n/t

You'd expect this in Texas or Georgia..........not NYC. Amirite? =(

[EC]

2. If this is the guy that was just on MSNBC

he was only a teacher for 5 months. Did he really learn enough in that time to be an expert at what a teacher is?

[WillyT]

4. Well... I Taught For 8 Years, And Yeah... He's Got It About Right...

:shrug:

[tammywammy]

3. Great article!

Rec

[mimitabby]

5. quite the article. thanks!

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. There is a difference in male/female teaching styles.

"You here interviewing for a teaching job?" a little guy in his late 40s with a thick Indian accent whispered.

"Yes," I said chirpily, sitting up straight on the vinyl seat in the waiting area. "I'm an English teacher."

"Run away!" he said, crouching next to me. "Really, run away! The principal will give you a U. She gives everybody a U! I've been in the System for 22 years, and I've never seen anything like it!"

Just days before, this science teacher had been punched in the face by a summer-school student. Nonetheless, his most important message was about the beating I'd get from the principal.

<snip>

"What was that you were trying to do?" she asked the next day in her office, not waiting for my answer. "Assign the children seats?"

My effort at classroom management was dismissed for what it was -- a total failure. I told her about detention, dean's referrals and my conversation with Mr. Rashid. She waved her hand.

"You need to have lunch with the girls," she said. "You need to show them that you care about them."

I realized I was living a nightmare.

I think that a major part of the solution is single-gender classrooms. The teaching style that works for girls doesn't work for boys.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=440x133

[joeglow3]

7. And this is why I send my kids to private school

I did 9 years of public school (k-8) and 4 years at a private, all boys, high school. The BIGGEST difference I noted was the percentage of class room time devoted to learning. At the private school, there was a dean of discipline who handled any issues. No classroom time was occupied with the kind of shit referenced in this article.