In Defence of Teachers
I reproduce here a response I made to a parent who pointed an accusing finger at teachers, during a discussion at KiasuParents.com. I am surprised I am still so passionate about the teaching profession!
What NIE taught was very ideal. It assumed 1) small class sizes, 2) very supportive school leaders and 3) teachers with no life of their own beyond their students. Everything falls apart once any of these assumptions are not met.
Indeed, what did we learn once we hit the schools? That we are all finite beings with emotions and who can feel exhaustion, pain and fears. Those students whom we can help, we give our all to help, but we simply cannot help all. There are too many starfishes. We can at least console ourselves that the particular starfish we threw back to the sea was helped.
Your friend will need a lot of luck to get a combination of a school administrator and a teacher who both believe they can and are willing to spend the effort to help that student, despite the other 39 also needing help. And what happens when the school administrator gets transferred out, or the teacher is changed the next year?
If a special school is not the solution, perhaps an international school with small class sizes and a price tag to match might be. Or just simply accept that the teacher can do something to help the student but only just something. Not everything.
I always hate it when I am asked that question. I hate to talk about what happens to those students, because no teacher is happy to know they are limited to what they can do to a dear student.
What is the teacher's role now? Ask that of the school leadership who insists that the teacher's job is all about completing the curriculum, because a teacher is judged if she cannot complete the curriculum. Think about it. Will you as the parent of a "normal" child, be happy because the teacher cannot complete the curriculum due to her slowing it down for those children who need the extra help? Like the child who has family issues and need motivation and pep talk in class? Like the child who is slower and needs extra explanation?
Ask that of MOE, who seems to think that paying a higher salary is the solution to getting teachers to be supermen who can do everything and has no life. I am sorry, I have seen too many "Miss" as teachers, too many teachers who missed their children's sports day or parent-teacher meetings, too many teachers who simply broke down and cried over another complaint from a parent that the autistic student has hurt her son, only to be told off by the school administrator that it is her fault for not controlling the class of 40.
You have hit upon what we should all be asking. What is the teachers' role now? A teacher's role is to motivate, to encourage, to bring out the best in every child, and to enable the child to chart his life and his path. We want every child to succeed, to enjoy learning, to know the wonders behind the fungus growing at the fringes of the school field (my students loved that special impromptu lesson).
Yet, more and more, we are expected to do not just these, but also to answer to administrators' and parents' demands that we produce silk purses out of every ear. I will be very, very happy to produce silk purses out of some ears, and to produce normal purses for most ears, including a sow's.
We are losing too many passionate teachers because of school administrators and parents who expect them to be priests, who live only for the ministry.
CluelessMa wrote:
What do NIE teach the teachers? Not on handling the children?
What NIE taught was very ideal. It assumed 1) small class sizes, 2) very supportive school leaders and 3) teachers with no life of their own beyond their students. Everything falls apart once any of these assumptions are not met.
Indeed, what did we learn once we hit the schools? That we are all finite beings with emotions and who can feel exhaustion, pain and fears. Those students whom we can help, we give our all to help, but we simply cannot help all. There are too many starfishes. We can at least console ourselves that the particular starfish we threw back to the sea was helped.
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In fact, I must say that my friend is very tolerant with the school. She informed the school when child first join the school to get referer help on child as child may have special needs. The school claims case is mild. Then, now ended up like what senseimichael mentioned, just let child sit in class and do nothing everyday. I kept suggesting her to transfer school since child is not learning the proper classroom behaviour and would continue thinking so to Secondary school.
Your friend will need a lot of luck to get a combination of a school administrator and a teacher who both believe they can and are willing to spend the effort to help that student, despite the other 39 also needing help. And what happens when the school administrator gets transferred out, or the teacher is changed the next year?
If a special school is not the solution, perhaps an international school with small class sizes and a price tag to match might be. Or just simply accept that the teacher can do something to help the student but only just something. Not everything.
Quote:
what happens to those students that you mentioned were left on their own? Sorry for me to say, if the job of teachers were to deliver curriculum, MOE need not pay them highly isn't it? Just do e-learning and need not worry of classroom management? Nowadays, computer is also so smart to identify what areas you are weak at and drill you? Many schools in fact will also ask parents to send children for tuition if not doing well in school. So what is the teachers' roles now?
I always hate it when I am asked that question. I hate to talk about what happens to those students, because no teacher is happy to know they are limited to what they can do to a dear student.
What is the teacher's role now? Ask that of the school leadership who insists that the teacher's job is all about completing the curriculum, because a teacher is judged if she cannot complete the curriculum. Think about it. Will you as the parent of a "normal" child, be happy because the teacher cannot complete the curriculum due to her slowing it down for those children who need the extra help? Like the child who has family issues and need motivation and pep talk in class? Like the child who is slower and needs extra explanation?
Ask that of MOE, who seems to think that paying a higher salary is the solution to getting teachers to be supermen who can do everything and has no life. I am sorry, I have seen too many "Miss" as teachers, too many teachers who missed their children's sports day or parent-teacher meetings, too many teachers who simply broke down and cried over another complaint from a parent that the autistic student has hurt her son, only to be told off by the school administrator that it is her fault for not controlling the class of 40.
You have hit upon what we should all be asking. What is the teachers' role now? A teacher's role is to motivate, to encourage, to bring out the best in every child, and to enable the child to chart his life and his path. We want every child to succeed, to enjoy learning, to know the wonders behind the fungus growing at the fringes of the school field (my students loved that special impromptu lesson).
Yet, more and more, we are expected to do not just these, but also to answer to administrators' and parents' demands that we produce silk purses out of every ear. I will be very, very happy to produce silk purses out of some ears, and to produce normal purses for most ears, including a sow's.
We are losing too many passionate teachers because of school administrators and parents who expect them to be priests, who live only for the ministry.
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