Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Blog #2- English IIIAP- Recently you wrote on a synthesis prompt about teachers' salaries. Comment about the state of education in your school without being specific about specific teachers. How is your education- what are the good aspects and the bad aspects about your high school education experience. Be sure to begin with your name. Due 3/13/09
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SSwanda: I think the quality of teaching is good for the most part at our school. The teachers bring a certain dedication to their work. One good aspect for me at least is the smaller class size this year. In my honors classes I think 7 is the most in one of them. While I certainly miss a lot of my friends from past years I believe that the learning environment of a small class is better for my needs, because it makes it easier to concentrate.
ReplyDeleteEducation at Guymon High School is definitely a proirity to many of the teachers. This is evident through their methods of teaching, encouragement to students, and the "extra" time they put into their work. Most of the teachers love their job and, in my opinion, that makes them better, more devoted educators, which makes brighter, more motivated students. However, just like with anything else in life, there are those who do not particularly care about their job, and do not strive to improve their quality of work, but students can also learn valuable lessons from these teachers as well. Luckily there are not many uncaring teachers in our school. I believe that if a student truely wants to learn and to be a productive member of society that they will gain knowledge from every situation, overcome every obstacle, and learn something from every teacher.
ReplyDeletet. overpeck
ReplyDeletewell, let me just share a piece of my mind. i have been taking honor classes since 7th grade, and let me just stay, there are those which are hard and those which are not. over all the English AP program is quite challenging, but some other programs are not. when i think about some of my teachers who may be getting an extra pay for teaching honors i am floored that this could be so. many honor classes that i have taken where like any other regular class compared to difficulty and teaching methods.
in regard to the topic of coaches teaching--to be frank--that's ridiculous. i have only had one coach ever compare to any other regular teacher. and this prime example was not better of a teacher by any means, he just taught. most coaches that have ever taught me where the worst classes i've ever been in. the idea that they should be getting payed more for teaching is the worst idea i have ever heard of!
although, i do take in consider that these teachers are getting payed to coach, and then teach. so, in that light i am a little bit more tolerant.
i have also found may teachers that have taught their whole life and are simply horrible teachers. by no means should they get payed a better sallory than teachers who teach better then they do. but as i stated in my timed essay, who can diffenently determine which teachers are "better." the subject would then be bassed upon one's opinion. even if students where to be a part of this dicision, the outcome may not be as profitable as we would want.
so, what are we to do?
Mrs. Brooks says - Tasha - good comment and I think what you say should be listened to. Students deserve a say in their education. I wonder what administration would say about how you feel about some of these issues? Do students have the right to demand that coaches teach and coach? Any thoughts out there?
ReplyDeleteWhile for the most part I do have to agree with Tasha on the coaches teaching classes subject, all cliches have their exceptions to the rule. While most of our coach/teachers have been somewhat sub par I do have to say that I can remember one who was very dedicated to his work and genuinely cared about his students learning. To find a solution to the cliche perhaps it would make a difference if the administrations of schools the world over made observations as to just who could handle the dualality of the job, and who couldn't.
ReplyDeleteOk, so i want to start off by my education is probably one of the most important things to me in my life. Yes, there are times when i just don't show it, but other times i'm trying to learn. However, there are a few teachers, which i will not mention, due to the fact Mrs. Brooks said not to, that are just not very good teachers, and if getting a high pay is the issue, i say we get rid of that! Teachers who get paid more are probably good teachers that actually teach and make an impact on students point of view, therefore deserving a high pay is a reward for them. Just like anybody, rewards are not offered to those who don't deserve it. With that said, there are teachers and coaches at Guymon High School that don't deserve to recieve a high pay. With that said, there are some coaches that are in the classroom about 10% of the time, and 90% of the times they are spending their time in the gym or trying to figure out on how to improve in their sport. I know this as experience for a class i took my sophomore year. My "teacher" was probably in the classroom less then half of the semester, no joke. Instead the "teacher" was in the gym or in other coaches classrooms talking about their sport and how to improve. Also, there are some teachers that give out easy worksheets, and just talk all hour and waist time talking or worrying about other problems. Therefore, those certain teachers/coaches do not deserve a high pay, beacuse what they are doing is infact waisting out time. Along with other student at GHS, I want to have teachers teach me becuase they want to teach, not because they have to teach. Like i said MY education is one of the most important things in my life, and those teachers/coaches that are "waisting my time" should not be apart of my education.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Brooks- Students do not have the right to demand on what they do, but they do have the right to suggest the academic participation of coaches becoming teachers. Students that do give their opinion (TASHA *wink wink*) their opinion should be heard, in order for a substantial result to happen.
Tasha- I just want to say, your comment is the "BOMB DIGITY!!"
KarBro: Wow! What is there left to say?
ReplyDeleteTo share my opinion on the quality of our education would be to restate all that has already been mentioned by the above bloggers. Although one aspect that has not been explored is the fact that some of these less experienced teachers not only deprive us of time and intelligence but try to impose their knitwit opinions on us. I have experienced one class in particular that the teacher spends more time giving out life lessons then teaching his subject. Now, don't get me wrong, I believe that while teaching if they come across a topic that could involve some student teacher life discusions than GREAT, only as long as they don't present their opinions as gospel truth. At this phase in a young persons life we are all just figuring out what we believe, and when some teacher uses his or her job as a pulpitt to parade his or her opinions on unsuspecting students than I believe stongly that they should be repremanded to the highest degree, pay decrease if that hits the spot, sure.
K. Perrin
ReplyDeleteWell. I do agree with everything that has been said above. I think that the issue of coaches teaching is greatly lowering our level of academic achievements in the subjects that they are teaching. I can say that I have taken nothing from such subjects as Oklahoma History. I can also say that I have had some brilliant teachers that have taught in different ways to help accomodate the teaching styles of various students. The classes I have taken under such teachers have helped me with homework and things not only in their class but also homework in other subjects. For example, the timed writing we had previously in Mrs. Brooks class brought up the subject of African American rights and such. Someone brought up the Dred Scott Decision and from what I've learned in a class previously, I knew exactly what they were refering to. I think that I've benefited greatly from teachers that I've had the privilege of learning from and also have been deprived of education that I could have learned if there had been a teacher more eager to teach students such as myself.
Our coaches do a good job at what they do as far as coaching, but when extra money is thrown into the equation for teaching a class, I don't think the class benefits because of lack of interest on the coach's part.
I would like to start by saying I love that our class has no fear of voicing opinions. Great job, guys.
ReplyDeleteNow in answer to the blog, What is high school other than to prepare us for college? The experiences with friends are great and part of the experience, but all in all high school is to educate us and prepare us mentally for college and then the real world. How we receive our education at GHS varies dramatically. I commend the teachers who take pride in their work and actually enjoy their job. Students DO learn in the classes in which the teacher is enthused to be teaching the material. Who wants to learn from someone who could careless about their topic? Those are pretty much called blow off classes, we've all taken them. We, as students, should be taking knowledge to some extent away from each class, some teachers do not allow us that opportunity. Now, I do not believe that this behavior by teachers can be blamed solely on coaches. There are some teachers who hate their job, and therefore make it miserable on the students. It's not healthy for young minds to be in that kind of environment. Do I think coaches should be paid extra for coaching AND teaching a class? I do not believe that coaches should be able to teach a class at all. One cannot do both jobs to their best ability simultaneously. It should not be expected of them either. Having to balance teaching classroom material and balancing a play book is extremely challenging, so I applaud the coaches that have a good classroom and sports team because there are a select few. Simply making the coaches only coach and the teachers only teach will not fix the lack of educating at GHS. We need more thorough interviews, more evaluations of teachers, and higher standards for the people influencing us. High school is to prepare us, but if the ones doing the preparing could care less, what good is it doing our future? It's not! It's wasting our time.
Mrs. Brooks, no I do not believe we have the right to demand that teachers teach and coaches coach. We shouldn't have to. We, as students, should be getting the best education possible because that's what high school is supposed to be. We should not have to demand to learn, our administration should provide us with the opportunity to gain knowledge by hiring adults who want to teach, are willing to teach, and are good at teaching.
Mrs. B says - I do agree that students should not have to demand an education in the same way that teachers should have to demand that students be serious about education. Unfortunately- in the real world we are working with imperfect people in imperfect situations. I do believe that we can strive to move in a better direction in this area and that much improvement can be made. But....who will make the first move?
ReplyDeleteMrs. B correction - I do ag ree that students should not have to demand an education in the same way that teachers should NOT have to demand that students be serious about education.
ReplyDeleteWow, after reading all of these blogs, I could not resist commenting once more.
ReplyDeleteI must say that although the classes that I have taken that are were taught by coaches were some of the absolutely worst classes that I have ever had to endure in my education, I did learn something from each of those classes, and I almost always knew what was going on. There are some classes that are so unstructored that the students never have a clue of what is going on, these classes are not all taught by coaches. That leads me into my next thought.
Does being a coach automatically make one a "bad" teacher?
In my opinion it is not right to stereotype coaches as "bad" teachers, because, in some cases, teachers are recruited to be coaches. I do agree that the coaches who are just teaching for more pay and who are only interested in coaching their particular sport, are not the greatest teachers, but that is because they are coaches--not teachers. However, there are some great teachers who are talented enough to balance both their teaching career and their coaching job equally well. The teachers that we need to be criticizing are the ones who are only focused on getting the minimum requirements of their job done. These are the teachers who do not care about their student's success, who do not exert any extra effort, and who are only teaching for a paycheck.
Mrs. Brooks: While it is important to have the best educators teaching and preparing students for their futures, it is also equally important that students learn to gain knowledge from each and every obstacle that they encounter, even if that obstacle is a horrible teacher. Life is full of many types of teachers, and the only way to be successful in life is to learn from whatever is placed in one's path.
Mrs. B says- you are absolutely correct Paxton! As students ( and yes I am currently a student as well as a teacher) we are not simply to be consumers to sit and be entertained. Knowledge comes in the seeking - I believe that teachers are to help students to find that knowledge. Therefore, learning is not just the responsibility of the teacher but also and ultimately the quest of the student.
ReplyDeleteC. Montano
ReplyDeleteFirst off I would like to say that there is a point in everyone's blog that I agree with. However, I did not see a comment on the fact that the coaches in our high school cannot be coaches without being a teacher. All coaches are required to have a teaching degree as well as a coaching degree. I, as well as many others, have had classes where coaches have taught, and I believe we all agree that they were not the best or informative classes. Most teachers who are not coaches do put forth a whole different work ethic and it shows in our tests, grades, and performances. As stated in my synthesis paper, I believe that the pay of teachers should be determined by how well students perform and what they have learned, not on the number of years taught. The student on the other hand, is the one who has to put forth effort and show their want to learn. The teacher is not nessicarily the one to motivate the student because the student has to be the one who is determined to become a better student. I believe that one of the biggest reasons students are willing to achieve is because of the type of role model they have for parents. Students are only willing to work as hard as they are pushed, and some students push harder because of the way they are raised. I, for example, am pushed by my parents to do better and to do all I can while learning from my mistakes. In my school work, my parents teachings have helped me along. Many of the teachers that I have had have pushed me as my parents do, and I strive to become better. Students who don't have parents who really care are forced to go to school everyday and put up with it. If they have the want to be a superior student, then teachers who love their job and love helping students succeed are the teachers who they look to for help. Coaches are just there because they have to be in order to coach their sport, and these types of students cannot fully express themselves in classes where nothing is really being learned. But the only way to help any student is to be a teacher who is compassionate about their job and to help EVERY student along. I have met some of these teachers, but I would like to see more.
OK SO YOU WANTED AN ADMINISTRATORS POINT OF VIEW.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all do you remember what the discipline is like in the coaches classroom? One of the reasons we do not mind coaches as teachers is their classroom control. Have you even taken Mr. OSullivans class. I would put him up against any teacher in the district. He has compassion for his students and even will take on students no else wants. Look at his 7th hour class some time and see who is in it. I can count on one hand the total number of students every coach in the High School has sent for a discipline referral. I have been in other districts and the administration all feel the same. Coaches have a great impact on what all students are achieving. Sometimes the extra curricular teacher is the only motivation that can make a student achieve even in honors class. Many of our students are involved in sports, Band, Choir, Ag.,Art, etc. We would like to see all of our student body involved in activities.
Not too long ago, I asked myself that exact question. As I do with everything that I question, I worried about it. The main aspect of my education that worries me is the time that is wasted in "blow off classes" and free days. I am one of those people that likes to be productive with their time, and sitting around like we are in Pre-K does not seem very educational to me. On the positve side, I do have three classes this year that are challenging me and are giving me an assurance about the quality of my education. So to put my opinion about the quality of my education into a five star rating I would give it a three and a half! After asking several adults about this topic on education, I found out that a big part of high school is the "experience."
ReplyDeleteD. Imboden-I agree with Lance about the "blow off classes" and free days, but sometimes it's nice to have those because it allows me to work on my art pieces and whatever else I may be behind on(which is a lot this year). Or even on a rare occasion I may be able to catch up on sleep...but not in English class because it's so darn fun *cough*
ReplyDeleteSSanders
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that this year it's become increasingly difficult for me to be enthusiastic about my education and I give kudos to any teacher that can teach their material in way that interests me.
I don't know if it matters if the teacher is coach or not. There are the occasional few coaches who can teach a core class and actually teach the material to the students. Then there are the others who I feel should only be able to teach unnecessary electives such as health, stage craft, music appreciation, etc. For example, because of a certain coach I had last year for science, I have to retake the Science EOI at the end of the year, along with my subjects from this year. I have to admit I am upset with myself for not trying harder, but I feel that with the proper instructor I could have aquired enough knowledge to pass the EOI's. I feel only a person who is equipted and able to teach a core class should be allowed, a teacher that actually cares about the progess a student is making throughout the year.
Administrator:
ReplyDeleteI believe it is up to the personal goals of the teacher. I have a college in Texas that took over for a science teacher. The state test scores for this teacher were at a all time low. This teacher never treated the students with respect. Average test scores on state testing were at or around 17%. The coach that replaced her was very ambitious and raised the scores the first year to over 50% and has made progress for the past 3 years. He also has had a state final Basketball team for the past 2 years. By the way the teacher he replaced taught science all day.
One more thing you may not realize. Education is about giving you experiences to help you make it in life. You may not even like being in school, but we are giving you a set of tasks that must be completed. We as educators believe that when you are able to complete certain things, even with discipline you can be a productive citizen and not one living off the other citizens.
Yes, i totally agree with whomever the administrator is. Coaches can make good teachers, i have one right now and he knows his material, and relays it in a positive way that makes us want to learn. I must also agree with Sydney, some coaches are not cut out for a teaching position, but i think as time passes by, it eliminates the ones that cant handle it. I also bring up the point of teacher shortages throughout the United States, and especially Oklahoma. I respect teachers for what they do, and yes i can whole heartedly say they are not in it just for the money, with Oklahoma being rated as one of the lowest paying teacher salary states in the US. People must also realize that teachers and coaches are human beings, they have their ups and downs just like the rest of us, unfortunately they are judged much harder in the students eyes. With that said, i have come to the conclusion that some coaches make bad teachers and others perform with absolute excellence. This is our school system, we should learn to overcome what we think is right or wrong because for another person it could possibly be totally opposite.
ReplyDeleteI know I've already gave my 2 cents worth; however, I feel I have more to contribute than that. JHale said "What is high school other than to prepare us for college?", which for those of us in (H)Eng III on this blog that is a correct assessment. However that is not the aspiration of everyone, as many are content with their high school graduation or even less. To quote Dennis Quaid playing Jimmy Morris in "The Rookie", "There is nothing wrong with that and there are many good people who have done it". LHarland said "I found out that a big part of high school is the "experience"." Whether you're the valdictorian or you drop out after a year and a half of high school, you get this out of your eductation. It is also the fatal blow to homeschooling as this is the one thing your can't replicate in that setting. Some say you can have your kid play sports and that will rectifle that, but as a guy who is usually pretty private and/or reserved in the lockeroom setting and somewhat in the classroom but to a lesser degree I know that if you love the game but don't get along with your teammates, your still going to show up to practice/games and hardly talk or socialize at all.So I would say that the most basic element of education is to make you realize that you are going to have difficult people to deal with who may be your boss someday, and to somewhat force you to put differeces aside and make friends. Our school if not all schools deals us that reality. It also makes us examine how we are going to support ourselves in this world. Some are on the college track, others work after graduation, and a few apprentice in whatever they want to do, which was common in the distant and recent past.
ReplyDeleteMR. SMITH ADMINISTRATOR
ReplyDeleteI am proud of all of you for your blogs about your education. I would be worried if at your age you accepted everything. I think what makes us unique is the little differences we have between each other. Sometimes these differences make the world work and sometimes it doesn't. We still must try to make our life and world a better place even though we will make mistakes along the way. Good luck and keep an active role in your future.
A. Wells
ReplyDeleteWow I love how we aren't afraid to express our opinions! Good job guys!! I don't even know where to begin! I have to agree that I have had some classes(history)which were taught by coaches that I really didn't gain much from. I practically just sat there with a worksheet watching my teacher talk on a phone.(and I'm not going to mention any names)But, then I have had some wonderful classes taught by coaches. So the title "coach" doesn't atomatically put them in the bad teacher catagory. I understand that some students need that extra push and if they are in sports a coach might be the right way to go, but not every coach leaves a good impression(or should be a teacher)...I am very involved in extra classes such as Ag, Art, and I would in band if the schedule would have worked. But sometimes I do have to rember those classes and they help relieve stress and put me back on track. I have no clue what I would do with out my HECTIC Ag schedule or my relaxing Art. I agree with the statement that some kids only come to school for the extra classes such as sports, art, band, ect...But, that could be because the teacher isn't helping them. I know if I'm having trouble understanding a class or am not enjoying the teacher I begin to dread even going to school even if it's only that one class/teacher. I beleive that our administration should do some more suprise drop ins on classes to see how they are going. I seem to recall my freshmen year I only had a couple of "bad" clases. My sophomore classes were perfect!! But, this year I know I have one class that I am absolutley LOST in and have no clue what is going on and the students are out of control!! And I dread that class...So teachers salary shouldn't be decided on what subject they teach, but how well they teach it coaches just seemed to get blamed more than others, but I understand if they are focusing on their sport and not their class. But not all "teachers" are that great...so we really need to look more into the classrooms and see what's actually happening.
(Mrs. B lol its not your class don't worry I think you know what class I'm talking about!)