My Hatred for Learning
By Christopher MooreA while back, I wrote an article titled Wanna be a teacher? Your Ph.D. is no qualification. Click the link and give it a quick read. I had some supporters, such as Hertz Friar:
I really think because of the said “hoops” that you have to jump through to teach, it really ruins the quality of the teachers we have. Personally, I’m now wondering if the reason 3 of the best teachers we had at our school quit because of these regulations (one of which being a PhD.) I notice the replacement for the computer science teacher isn’t even a computer science or math major. Why? I doubt it’s because an English major with no prior experience in programming was the most qualified man they could find to teach outside of these regulations.
This gets to the point of the article: computer science classes are being taught by people with english degrees and a basic understanding of computers. Why? Many reasons. A computer science degree can lead to a better paying job. So there just aren’t that many computer scientists out there willing to take a pay cut to teach. Combine that with the fact that a computer scientist who wanted to teach is more than likely not qualified since they don’t have an education degree.
After I finished my M.S. degree, I went next door to the School of Education to find out what I needed to do to teach physics in high schools. They told me that I would have to declare a major in education (I could double-major in the subject I wanted to teach if I really wanted.) I explained that I already had a B.S. in physics and had just finished a M.S. They were very rude and non-accomodating after hearing that. You don’t just all of the sudden decide you want to teach! Knowing how to “educate” is more important that knowing the subject you are teaching.
Anyway, Kelly Snyder didn’t much like what I had to say:
Don’t you see the irony of your intolerance of the educational system? Your students were forced to be in your class. In spite of what you might tell yourself, you had a captive audience that probably wouldn’t have shown up if they had a choice. How many tests did you waive because you knew a student could get an A? How much did you protest standardized testing when you had the chance? I bet you didn’t.
The reason you were supposed to take classes in education was that you were teaching. What, exactly, was your objection to learning something new? I find it interesting that you enforced the will of the system on your students, but you considered yourself to be above the rules. If you ever become a teacher again, you should ask yourself why your students should trust you; you have already demonstrated your own disdain for classrooms, tests, and learning.
First, not one of my students was forced to be in any class that I taught. They all chose to be in my class. No school in any school system I’ve ever heard of forces student to take physics.
“How many tests did you waive because you knew a student could get an A?” This is in no way analogous to anything I have written. Let’s pose the question properly for the situations I was describing: How many tests did you waive for students taking “Physics for Poets” after successfully completing “Advanced Placement Physics”? I’ve never been in that situation, but if it where up to me I would waive them all.
Second, I never poo-pooed standardized tests in general, I merely said that it was ridiculous to require a man with a Ph.D. in physics to take a middle school level math test. I hope you can see the difference. If you read carefully, you can see I never made any objection to taking education courses. I wasn’t thrilled about it, but I at least understood what they were supposed to provide. I just thought it was stupid to require an undergraduate linear algebra course when I’ve successfully completed a graduate level linear algebra course (not to mention having actual experience using linear algebra to solve real problems.) I was in the process of taking education courses, but No Child Left Behind was breathing down the neck of my schools administration, and they couldn’t wait for me to finish.
Do I consider myself above the rules for high-school students? You’re damn right I do! Because I have the knowlegde they want. If they want it, then they play by my rules. I’m the adult with the degrees and deep understanding of the subject. The police get to break the speed limit sometimes. It’s not that they are above the law? They are the law!
I do not have a disdain for classrooms, tests and learning. I have never demonstrated such a disdain. In fact, everything I have written has been in defense of classrooms, tests, and real learning. Unlike Mr. Friar, Kelly missed the entire point of my article: Physics is being taught by “science” teachers who had one physics course in college and got a C. It’s not that I have a hatred for learning, I have a hatred for learning incorrectly.
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