tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8705078887057341738.post1949716070895315089..comments2024-03-19T07:30:55.288-04:00Comments on Curmudgeon: Once Again, Jay MatthewsCurmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04323026187622872114noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8705078887057341738.post-27300122364889996672014-02-02T09:38:09.889-05:002014-02-02T09:38:09.889-05:00Wanting to invent all your own methods and materia...Wanting to invent all your own methods and materials amounts to proclaiming that the successful teachers that preceded you have nothing to contribute to your practice. It's HIGHLY arrogant for a beginning teacher to say this, or for her/his professors to hold that opinion. And it also amounts to saying that alignment between grade levels is useless, and that your desire to invent everything over again trumps the students' need to have access to a tested curriculum. <br /><br />Of course, experienced teachers start with solid curricula (hopefully with the cooperation of their school districts) and then add their personal expertise and knowledge of what has worked well in the past. <br /><br />I would have sunk like a stone as a first grade teacher without a highly structured reading program with good materials. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8705078887057341738.post-5267969672996514702012-01-05T13:24:50.751-05:002012-01-05T13:24:50.751-05:00I don't think it was TFA people who came up wi...I don't think it was TFA people who came up with "learning styles" and similar pablum. It was highly-educated people with plenty of experience in the education field.<br /><br />And they *still* came up with crap.Darrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15730642770935985796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8705078887057341738.post-48805010034645243162011-12-19T11:03:14.734-05:002011-12-19T11:03:14.734-05:00On your first point, having teachers get lesson pl...On your first point, having teachers get lesson plans and guidance, there are lots of teachers (even experienced ones) who would love to have more material and feedback. There also lots who take the "not invented here" attitude and insist on doing everything themselves.<br /><br />This guy tries really hard, and probably does a good job, but I'm not sure I understand his logic on creating his own stuff all the time:<br /><br />http://www.anurbanteacherseducation.com/2011/10/developing-world-history-curriculum.html<br /><br />On learning on the job - everyone does it. It can't be helped. You did it. I did it. You have a do a job to learn how to do it. Whether you want to call student teaching learning on the job or not, that's what it is. Everyone, in every occupation, learns on the job. That's life.<br /><br />Still, the way we do things now - throw a new teacher in a room with a bunch of kids and close the door - seems just like throwing kids into the water hoping they don't drown while they try to learn to swim.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com