Matatouille - Thought, Opinion, Nonsense, Etc.

Last time I wrote about this, someone left a comment, something about the "burned out teacher". It might have been something else, but it was that sort of tone.

Any teacher out there will be able to relate to this. But if you're not one, this might be interesting anyway, just to peer behind the veil of another point of view.

There are certain lines of work that most people think they know something about, but they really don't. Fashion, entertainment, comedy, cooking, how to treat the common cold. They're all like that. Let's take the first. Look, it might be that I used to think I knew something about fashion. But then I saw and read, "The Devil Wears Prada," and I can tell you for sure, without a shadow of a doubt that I know only enough about fashion to know I know nothing whatsoever about it.

I'm sure the same is true about real cooking, I mean gourmet. And the rest of the list is the same. But it's not a problem to a chef that his customers know nothing about gourmet cooking but think they do. It's a hell of a big problem for education though, because all the people making decisions in education are people who think they know something about it. But they don't.

Trust me, if you are not a teacher in America's schools today, you have no clue as to what is wrong. I can tell you exactly what's wrong. Not that I'm arrogant.

But I am a public high school teacher. I've been teaching 9th grade English for the last 6 years. Every year, the majority of my incoming freshmen have tested between 2nd and 4th grade in reading and writing skills. Shocking, isn't it? It still is to me. Every year, it shocks me all over again. How can they be this far behind?

So I may not be a genius, but I can tell you that there isn't much we can do on my high school campus to solve this problem. If a kid gets to high school 4 to 6 years behind in skills because he's been socially promoted year after year after year, I'm telling you, if we can get this kid to pass the graduation test, it's like a miracle. But the only way it's going to happen is if this kid works hard. Problem is, we've been training him for years that he or she doesn't have to make any effort. But suddenly, they have to make a herculean effort. It's a big problem.

The problem with today's educational system today, at least in Southern California, more than any other one thing, is social promotion.

So, did you know that? Didja? Well, you do now. Now go home and tell mommy what you learned today. K? And remember, you know nothing about comedy or fashion either. Ok, so you learned 2 things.

by Matt Lipeles