Evolution under attack in Texas:

Originally posted by Eladar
As you can see from my reply to his post he was completely wrong about me, but was right about many other teachers.

I've had, over the years, many very excellent teachers and some quite abominable ones. The worst ones were research professors at the University of Pennsylvania. But the anti-intellectual streak in the US has long made it fashionable to slam all teachers as being incompetent and/or incapable of coping with the "real world". Such asinine groupthink has motivated every tragedy through history from slavery to the Holocaust, however, so it would be a mistake to think it is uniquely American.

Originally posted by Soothfast
I've had, over the years, many very excellent teachers and some quite abominable ones. The worst ones were research professors at the University of Pennsylvania. But the anti-intellectual streak in the US has long made it fashionable to slam all teachers as being incompetent and/or incapable of coping with the "real world". Such asinine groupthink has m ...[text shortened]... om slavery to the Holocaust, however, so it would be a mistake to think it is uniquely American.

It isn't the teachers' fault that many people don't want to learn. It is the US system's fault.

Many kids simply don't want to learn and they are not required to learn.

Originally posted by Eladar
Actually it just goes to show how ignorant humy actually is when it comes to the problems in education we have in the US.

I never spoke about nor implied anything about "education we have in the US" because I am BRITISH and was talking about my experience in the many BRITISH schools I went to, NOT US schools because I haven't ever gone to a US school.

Perhaps education is different in the US and perhaps US education has gone down the toilet (if so, can I can hazard a guess its because of interference from creationist religious nuts like yourself? -I wouldn't be surprised! ) ; I wouldn't know.
But I DO know from my considerable experience that students in ALL the many BRITISH schools I have been to, without a single exception, definitely generally WANT to learn.

Actually this just goes to show how ignorant you are when reading other peoples posts.

Originally posted by Eladar
It isn't the teachers' fault that many people don't want to learn. It is the US system's fault.

Many kids simply don't want to learn and they are not required to learn.

Many kids simply don't want to learn and they are not required to learn.

They are not 'required' to learn?
If you really believe that and if you told the kids they are not 'required' to learn (DID you ever tell your students that? ), I guess many could well have not wanted to learn.
But if your recognized the benefits of learning and kept continually telling the kids learning is beneficial, I guess the majority would want to learn.
With all my experience in BRITISH (NOT US ) schools, I have never heard of a teacher that suggested or would think learning what they teach is not beneficial.
You say; “It is the US system's fault” but, if that is the case, I would guess from your posts here that you could well have been part of this same “US system's” that discourages learning.

Originally posted by humy

Many kids simply don't want to learn and they are not required to learn.

They are not 'required' to learn?
If you really believe that and if you told the kids they are not 'required' to learn (DID you ever tell your students that? ), I guess many could well have not wanted to learn.
But if your recognized the benefits of learning and ...[text shortened]... ts here that you could well have been part of this same “US system's” that discourages learning.

I never had to tell my students this. They can see for themselves.

Kids who misbehave and fail every test and turn in no work are passed right along with the kids who try. The kids who try see this which is why every year fewer and fewer kids try.

Originally posted by Eladar
I never had to tell my students this. They can see for themselves.

Kids who misbehave and fail every test and turn in no work are passed right along with the kids who try. The kids who try see this which is why every year fewer and fewer kids try.

They can see for themselves.

then it is surely the job of a good teacher to educate such deluded kids of the benefits of learning so to make them stop falsely “see” that learning is not beneficial.

Anyone:

This (above ) was never a significant problem in all the many schools I have been to in England so why would it be in the US?
Is US school education generally REALLY that bad in the US so that most kids don't want or try to learn? or is that all just a huge exaggeration?
If it REALLY is that bad, is the cause of this got something to do with interference from the religious who don't want any science to be taught to kids/students that conflicts with their own religious beliefs?

Originally posted by humy

They can see for themselves.

then it is surely the job of a good teacher to educate such deluded kids of the benefits of learning so to make them stop falsely “see” that learning is not beneficial.

Anyone:

This (above ) was never a significant problem in all the many schools I have been to in England so why would it be in the US?
...[text shortened]... want any science to be taught to kids/students that conflicts with their own religious beliefs?

So says a person who has never been in the classroom.

You try it and tell me how successful you are as a good teacher getting kids to care. It is beliefs like yours that have destroyed education. Instead of fixing the system you choose to blame 'bad' teachers.

Originally posted by Eladar
So says a person who has never been in the classroom.

You try it and tell me how successful you are as a good teacher getting kids to care. It is beliefs like yours that have destroyed education. Instead of fixing the system you choose to blame 'bad' teachers.

I find it hard to believe kids don't find you an inspirational teacher.

Originally posted by Eladar
So says a person who has never been in the classroom.

You try it and tell me how successful you are as a good teacher getting kids to care. It is beliefs like yours that have destroyed education. Instead of fixing the system you choose to blame 'bad' teachers.

I was curious about one thing: I think it is safe to say you are a young earther creationist. Correct me if I am wrong. But with that assumption, can you honestly say you never tried to inject young earth creationism into your charges? That would be honorable.

Originally posted by sonhouse
I was curious about one thing: I think it is safe to say you are a young earther creationist. Correct me if I am wrong. But with that assumption, can you honestly say you never tried to inject young earth creationism into your charges? That would be honorable.

I can honestly say that I don't speak much about evolution while teaching kids to factor.

I do bring up the assumptions one makes when carbon dating, but leave it at that.

I'm neither a young earther nor do I hold to the earth being very old. I fall on the side of 'who knows' and 'who cares'. If you can't repeat it, then I don't consider it helpful nor scientific.

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
I find it hard to believe kids don't find you an inspirational teacher.

Actually kids generally do quite well in my classes. I am of the opinion that kids should be taught the easiest and most efficient ways of working problems and general truths that apply to all situations.

Kids who try really appreciate what I have to teach. Most math teachers in the US don't really know math well. One teach was amazed at me and called me a walking math book. She was really amazed that she remember how to take a derivative from the limit definition a year after I showed her how it worked. It's a wonder what you can remember when you understand what you are doing.

A German exchange student had me one year for is math classes. He was from Bavaria. He took math class and I taught them both: Analysis (trig/pre-calc) and AP Calc. My classes didn't count in Germany of course, but he did score very well on his math test the following year. I think he said he scored second highest in Bavaria which was very surprising since math was never his best subject. It was a pleasure having a Gymnasium level student in class for a year. He seemed to appreciate what he learned.

Originally posted by Eladar
So says a person who has never been in the classroom.

You try it and tell me how successful you are as a good teacher getting kids to care. It is beliefs like yours that have destroyed education. Instead of fixing the system you choose to blame 'bad' teachers.

what on earth are you talking about? Are make this all up as you go along?

So says a person who has never been in the classroom.

err, NO: unsurprisingly, I have been in a classroom and MANY times in MANY different classrooms (and in many schools due to changing address many times when I was a child ) . I have also been to several colleges and universities.

You try it and tell me how successful you are as a good teacher getting kids to care.

Obviously, I am not in a position to try it. Are you implying, as your above statement makes it sound, that it is hard to motivate students to want to learn?
If so, you then contradict that by your later last post by saying “Actually kids generally do quite well in my classes.” and this is after suggesting many don't want to learn. -well, judging by your many unconvincing posts, cannot be so hard motivating them to want to learn then.

It is beliefs like yours that have destroyed education. Instead of fixing the system you choose to blame 'bad' teachers.

OBVIOUSLY, I don't believe that the problem is caused by “bad teachers” nor implied any such thing.

Originally posted by humy
what on earth are you talking about? Are make this all up as you go along?

So says a person who has never been in the classroom.

err, NO: unsurprisingly, I have been in a classroom and MANY times in MANY different classrooms (and in many schools due to changing address many times when I was a child ) . I have also been to several colle ...[text shortened]... IOUSLY, I don't believe that the problem is caused by “bad teachers” nor implied any such thing.

As I explained earlier the perspective of the student is not accurate. Get a job teaching in an average public school and come back and talk to me.

Originally posted by Eladar
As I explained earlier the perspective of the student is not accurate. Get a job teaching in an average public school and come back and talk to me.

So you have to be a teacher in a class to see that the students are trying to learn but if you are a student in that class, you cannot observe this? 😛
that would be a totally idiotic implied suggestion.
I have eyes and ears just like any teacher so what BARRIER is stopping me as a student making the same observations of the general behavior of the students as the teacher? What is stopping me observing the few that just play up and disrupt the class and the majority that spend their time making notes, reading, writing, and do what they are told? I can also observe hearing what criticism or praise a teacher gives to each students work plus other indicators, such as their marks and what they say etc, give me a general sense of each students effort.
A student that generally ignores what the teacher says and gets very low marks would generally be one that isn't trying to learn (unless there is something strange with his mentality ) and a student that does what the teacher says and gets very high marks would generally be one that is trying to learn (unless he is so extremely smart that he can learn without effort ) -this is pretty obvious really and not difficult for a student in a class to observe. How would that be "not accurate", as you claim?

Originally posted by humy
So you have to be a teacher in a class to see that the students are trying to learn but if you are a student in that class, you cannot observe this? 😛
that would be a totally idiotic implied suggestion.
I have eyes and ears just like any teacher so what BARRIER is stopping me as a student making the same observations of the general behavior of the students ...[text shortened]... t difficult for a student in a class to observe. How would that be "not accurate", as you claim?

You must be a teacher to see how students are in general.

You are simply ignorant and don't wish to be enlightened.