Over the next few days, I will reveal problems which live in our educational system. Those situations represent all four points of view found in “RESCUE THE TEACHER, SAVE THE CHILD!”: students, parents, teachers and administrators.
Problem #2: Search the website of any university or college and read the resumes of professors who are preparing today’s teachers. These professors did not spend much time in the public school system as instructors. It does not matter today’s teachers have the 21st century technology language if their classroom is void of discipline and decorum.
Is it the professor’s fault he didn’t stay in public school K-12 education? No. The fault lies on today’s institutions of post secondary education. These ivory towers insist their faculty hold a doctoral degree. This degree insures instructors never possessed significant time in public education as the dissertation alone would take years. There are research and publication requirements saddling the backs of higher education instructors. Are these instructors equipped to arm a teacher with proven methods if a gang fight erupts in his classroom? Do these professors even begin to understand the human tragedy of homeless children in our schools or the implications of a classroom filled with students who cannot speak English? You might scoff and think these examples are the extreme. I dealt with all three in middle-class America public schools.
What could today’s colleges/universities implement to recruit future teachers? How could those institutions of higher learning utilize teachers in the field? Have you appeared at your alma mater as a guest speaker or a workshop facilitator? If you have, consider that an exception. My experience is universities/colleges do not have much of an interest in improving the public education system. Perhaps they understand that task to be incredibly challenging since the university system is a major part of the problem. How can we change that? How can teachers become proactive at their alma maters? Buy my book and find out.