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Monday, February 11, 2013

Who's Arrogant and Condescending?

In an article linked to by Instapundit, a teacher complains about a conference he attended:
"I spent the last thirty minutes listening to a group of arrogant and condescending noneducators disrespect my colleagues and profession. [...] 
Today I have listened to people who are not teachers, have never worked in a classroom, and have never taught a single student tell me how to teach.”
The last part is extraordinarily unlikely.  We've all been students and have all taught ourselves (for example, at minimum, that would be the ostensible purpose of homework).  Therefore, we're all experts to some degree on teaching and, more importantly, learning.

If I had to do it over again with my kids, I'd be sorely tempted to home school them

10 comments:

erp said...

Totally agree about home schooling, but I think it's too late. It's sure to become illegal as soon as Dear Leader consolidates all power into his hands which at the rate opposition is collapsing shouldn't be too far off.

You’re right about the rampant arrogance and condensation among educators, but lucky for them, they are, in the main, so stupid as to not have the slightest clue of their cluelessness.

A friend sent me a copy of a letter of recommendation from the head of the English department at a very prestigious selective northeastern college to the head of a graduate department of English of a similar institution.

A civilian reading it would think it a parody. Sadly those of us familiar with EdBiz would know immediately it was genuine.

Howard said...

I gave some thought to homeschooling, but when the time came the business just took up too much time to make that feasible. The kids had some good teachers but were also propagandized. Fortunately, they were able to see through it easily. They all have healthy skepticism, decent curiosity and good critical thinking skills. I'm lucky that they dodged that bullet.

erp said...

Howard, have your kids navigated college yet? That's when peer pressure and marks get serious.

Bret said...

I just saw a bumper sticker that said, "You can read this so thank a teacher!".

Hmmm, I could read that before I went to school. I guess I should thank my parents and grand-parents.

More arrogance - that we need public education to learn how to read.

erp said...

The punctuation is wrong. Whom shall we thank for that?

Harry Eagar said...

Many, almost all in my experience, home schoolers are teaching their kids to be premodern ignoranti.

The occasional ones who do very well in modern terms are far outliers.

Susan's Husband said...

My personal experience is exactly the opposite. For what reason should I value your personal experience over mine?

Bret said...

Harry,

Long ago that was probably more true and in some places still true.

Home schooling demographics has changed hugely in the last decade.

Public schools are pretty bad and I'm finding that a majority of non-progressives are at least considering it as an option.

Outside of the circles you travel in, it's pretty mainstream now.

On the other hand, I have a hunch you consider all conservatives, including those who post and comment here, to be "premodern ignoranti" (is that really a word?), so in that case yes, it's true by (your) definition. :-)

Howard said...

erp,

My oldest is in law school. The middle one is headed for a doctorate in pharmacy. Only the youngest is still an undergraduate. He'll get through as unscathed as his sisters.

SH,

bingo!!

erp said...

Howard, then I congratulate you.

Harry, as in all things, let's define the terms. If I'm not mistaken, ignorant to you means unfamiliarity with the minutiae of leftwing cant.

Reaganphones?

Hardly to be used as a clarion call for performing urban riot on call should We, the People wake up.