Heres a story I will never forget. I believe this happened last August or September... a student vandalized one of the school lockers and was given OSS (out of school suspension). Heres a quick synopsis of OSS: [synopsis] Usually OSS means the student is prohibited from coming to school and will not be able to make up any missed assignments or exams... but the school adopted a new policy where kids get to spend their OSS in a room with all the other "OSS kids". In there the teachers send them all their missing assignments where the students can minimally recieve 1/2 credit (which is better than no credit).[/synopsis] One day while in OSS, the kid who vandalized the lockers for no reason picked up a pencil and stabbed himself in the eye. That little idiot permanently blinded and disfigured himself just for a little attention and pity... and a trip to the emergency room. When he was asked why he did it he said "Ummm... I dont know". Well... good to know then. I hope this kid knows none of us are proud of him.
Every year, when the science class gets to dissecting animals someone always has to do something to get themself suspended. I know a couple of worms, a few frogs, and owl pellets have been stolen, but last year I heard a story where one kid tried to steal a pig fetus. Keep in mind those things about the size of a football... why did he want to steal a pig fetus. Other kids have unsuccessfully tried to steal dead cats out of the science labs via smuggling them in shoe boxes... children are funny.
<DIV style="background:#CCEECC;font-family=Arial;border:1px solid #000000;margin:2px;">
<blockquote>
John Kallam graduated with a BA in criminology and entered the US Army. He served for 20 years beginning in the late 1930s. He was an investigator during the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals, and stayed in Germany for many years organizing civilian police forces in the post-war era. He also wrote numerous books on criminal justice. He retired from military service in the late 1950s at the rank of full colonel.
Returning to Fresno, California, he began teaching criminology at what was then Fresno State College (later to become the California State University, Fresno). His work was well respected, but after about ten years of service, he was called to see the president of the college. He was informed that he could no longer teach with just a bachelor's degree. Times were changing, he was told, and the school demanded that faculty members hold a graduate degree. Merely having 20 years of distinguished experience was no longer considered sufficient qualification to teach. All new faculty were being required to hold a doctorate, it was explained, and the school was actually doing him a favor by letting him keep his job by getting 'only' a master's degree. So John enrolled in a summer program at an out of state college. Three months of intensive seminars and then nine months of home study would get him his MA.
On the first day of class, the instructor was taking roll. He stopped when he read John's name.
"Are you related to the John Kallam who wrote the textbook we'll be using?" he asked.
"I am the John Kallam who wrote the textbook you're using," came the dry response.
</blockquote>
</DIV>
Snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com/college/admin/textbook.htm
<blockquote>
John Kallam graduated with a BA in criminology and entered the US Army. He served for 20 years beginning in the late 1930s. He was an investigator during the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals, and stayed in Germany for many years organizing civilian police forces in the post-war era. He also wrote numerous books on criminal justice. He retired from military service in the late 1950s at the rank of full colonel.
Returning to Fresno, California, he began teaching criminology at what was then Fresno State College (later to become the California State University, Fresno). His work was well respected, but after about ten years of service, he was called to see the president of the college. He was informed that he could no longer teach with just a bachelor's degree. Times were changing, he was told, and the school demanded that faculty members hold a graduate degree. Merely having 20 years of distinguished experience was no longer considered sufficient qualification to teach. All new faculty were being required to hold a doctorate, it was explained, and the school was actually doing him a favor by letting him keep his job by getting 'only' a master's degree. So John enrolled in a summer program at an out of state college. Three months of intensive seminars and then nine months of home study would get him his MA.
On the first day of class, the instructor was taking roll. He stopped when he read John's name.
"Are you related to the John Kallam who wrote the textbook we'll be using?" he asked.
"I am the John Kallam who wrote the textbook you're using," came the dry response.
</blockquote>
</DIV>
Snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com/college/admin/textbook.htm
I've been a TA for far too many years now. Our course is mandatory for a large number of people (computer science and elecrical engineers) and a rather great percentage of them are not interested. This means that every time I get a pile of exam papers on my table I skim them through to see how many repeat customers there are. After the last one I gave a short talk to the current record holder: he has failed nine times this far. Another one took five exams before his cumulative sum was enough to pass the test. When he finally passed it I opened a bottle of cognac in celebration.
Last spring I had a rubber stamp made with the text: "Tämä arpa ei voita" (= "This is not the winning raffle ticket") to use for the most pathetic answers. The TAs of the neighbouring lab have a collection of stamps including "Copy" and "Original" for the plagiarization cases.
Last spring I had a rubber stamp made with the text: "Tämä arpa ei voita" (= "This is not the winning raffle ticket") to use for the most pathetic answers. The TAs of the neighbouring lab have a collection of stamps including "Copy" and "Original" for the plagiarization cases.
Drifterman
Thinker
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2003
- Messages
- 125
I don't understand
Teaching kids and adults in Taiwan is sometimes so depressing because they seem to have had all the spirit drummed out of them. The occasional feisty student is a welcome breath of fresh air.
One of my American friends relates a story of how some medical students playing rugby one day decided to dispense with the traditional ball, and tossed a human head into the scrum instead.
This story is probably apocryphal, but as someone who has played rugby, it would not be out of character for rugby players.
arcticpenguin
Philosopher
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2002
- Messages
- 5,687
The child was wrong in any system but a namby pamby PC I'm OK you're OK new math new age system.kittynh said:
I remember a time when my niece asked for help on her math homework. It was a question about the associative property, except they wouldn't come out and name it. They just gave the problem and you're supposed to work it out using the associative property, but they never tell you that it's the associative property. What's the d_mn deal? I do not want my niece to be a guinea pig.
I'm not going to tell a THREE YEAR OLD that they are wrong!
Pre school for three year olds should be PC.
Heck, they are barely potty trained, and school is a scary place.
so yeah, I'm supportive and nice. The school kicks butt on every test the state throws at it, but that's down the road. Three year olds need hugs, and snack time, naps, not academic pressure.
Pre school for three year olds should be PC.
Heck, they are barely potty trained, and school is a scary place.
so yeah, I'm supportive and nice. The school kicks butt on every test the state throws at it, but that's down the road. Three year olds need hugs, and snack time, naps, not academic pressure.
prettygirlsmakegrave
Scholar
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2003
- Messages
- 50
I teach during the summers. During the school year I am still in school (highschool to tell the truth). This summer I am working in a 1st and 2nd grade classroom. These kids are behind and it is a really intense summer school program. Some of these kids are so frustrating. A few days ago completely randomly a little boy who is going into 3rd grader (an english language learner) interupts the game we were playing as a group and asks me "Why do they call it a living room? It isn't living is it?" This had to be the cutest moment. It was like a bad Seinfeld joke.
I will probably end up being a teacher but I think it will be really hard to teach in public schools. But I have to teach under-privilaged children and there aren't too many in private schools
I will probably end up being a teacher but I think it will be really hard to teach in public schools. But I have to teach under-privilaged children and there aren't too many in private schools
Shane Costello
Graduate Poster
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2001
- Messages
- 1,232
Two stories, one true, he other probably not.
Back in high school one of the domestic science classes in my year were given a mid-term test on house design, furnishing and plumbing. The students were asked to embellish the answer to one question with an appropriate diagram.
When it came to correcting the scripts the teacher was amazed to find a drawing of a pig in the answer to the aforementioned question. Utterly at odds to explain this porcine presence, there was nothing left to do but ask the student in question, who I may add didn't have a reputation as an academic big hitter.
What happened was this. The exam paper was a photocopy of a handwritten list of exam questions, and the teacher had abbreviated diagram to "dig.". It wasn't that the teacher's handwriting was illegible, but this girl thought that "draw a dig." meant "draw a pig." This really happened.
The second is an urban legend (probably) doing the rounds of the Irish university system. Of course, I've met people who swear that this actually happened, having been told by a friend whose sister heard from someone else who............
Anyway the scene is a physiology lecture on the human reproduction system. The lecturer informs the class that semen consists mainly of carbohydrates and sugars that nourish the sperm. One young lady raises her hand and asks "Then why does it taste salty?" A few seconds stunned silence was broken by gales of laughter.
Back in high school one of the domestic science classes in my year were given a mid-term test on house design, furnishing and plumbing. The students were asked to embellish the answer to one question with an appropriate diagram.
When it came to correcting the scripts the teacher was amazed to find a drawing of a pig in the answer to the aforementioned question. Utterly at odds to explain this porcine presence, there was nothing left to do but ask the student in question, who I may add didn't have a reputation as an academic big hitter.
What happened was this. The exam paper was a photocopy of a handwritten list of exam questions, and the teacher had abbreviated diagram to "dig.". It wasn't that the teacher's handwriting was illegible, but this girl thought that "draw a dig." meant "draw a pig." This really happened.
The second is an urban legend (probably) doing the rounds of the Irish university system. Of course, I've met people who swear that this actually happened, having been told by a friend whose sister heard from someone else who............
Anyway the scene is a physiology lecture on the human reproduction system. The lecturer informs the class that semen consists mainly of carbohydrates and sugars that nourish the sperm. One young lady raises her hand and asks "Then why does it taste salty?" A few seconds stunned silence was broken by gales of laughter.
Before we judge these "stupid" students too sharply, here is a bit from an autobiography I was reading.
"I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance. This sort of treatment had only one result: I did not do well on examinations.
This was especially true of my Entrance Examination to Harrow. The Headmaster, Dr.Weldon, however, took a broad-minded view of my Latin prose; he showed descernment in judging my general ability. This was the more remarkable, because I was found unable to answer a single question in the Latin paper. I wrote my name at the top of the page. I wrote down the number of the question '1'. After much reflection I put a bracket round it thus '(1)'. But thereafter I could not think of anything connected with it that was either relevant or true. Incidentally there arrived from nowhere in particular a blot and several smudges. I gazed for two whole hours at this sad spectacle; and then merciful ushers collected my piece of foolscap with all the others and carried it up to the Headmaster's table. It was from these slender indications of scholarship that Dr.Welldon drew the conclusion that I was worthy to pass into Harrow. It is very much to his credit."
Who wrote this? And what was the learning disability that he suffered from?
"I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance. This sort of treatment had only one result: I did not do well on examinations.
This was especially true of my Entrance Examination to Harrow. The Headmaster, Dr.Weldon, however, took a broad-minded view of my Latin prose; he showed descernment in judging my general ability. This was the more remarkable, because I was found unable to answer a single question in the Latin paper. I wrote my name at the top of the page. I wrote down the number of the question '1'. After much reflection I put a bracket round it thus '(1)'. But thereafter I could not think of anything connected with it that was either relevant or true. Incidentally there arrived from nowhere in particular a blot and several smudges. I gazed for two whole hours at this sad spectacle; and then merciful ushers collected my piece of foolscap with all the others and carried it up to the Headmaster's table. It was from these slender indications of scholarship that Dr.Welldon drew the conclusion that I was worthy to pass into Harrow. It is very much to his credit."
Who wrote this? And what was the learning disability that he suffered from?
Jeff Corey
New York Skeptic
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2001
- Messages
- 13,714
I reach a required Experimental Psych course. A prerequisite is Stat. P get a lot of, "Why do we have to learn this stuff, I want to be a clinical psychologist."
So I tell them to change their major to Sociology and try for a M.S.W. with can lead to licensing in NY.
As to the quote about, I would have guessed Steven Hawkings, but he did not have a learning disability.
So I tell them to change their major to Sociology and try for a M.S.W. with can lead to licensing in NY.
As to the quote about, I would have guessed Steven Hawkings, but he did not have a learning disability.
Chanileslie
Unregistered
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2003
- Messages
- 2,347
Thumper said:
I used to tutor English at the College level, and it was appalling how bad these students wrote, and then when I corrected them or explained simple rules, so many would argue with me, and state that it didn't really matter.
My 13 year old writes a much more cohesive and cogent paper than many of my tutees. It is rather sad.
I, in my every day life, deal with full grown adult in a business environment, and the poor writing skills that many have, is absurd. Especially since many of these individuals have attended college. I had one woman in my department who claimed to have graduated from UCLA, and she didn't know what plagerism was nor the rules that pertained to it, and she would become completely indignant when I would correct her horrible grammar! <sigh>
On the other hand, I admit that when it comes to proper writing and speaking, I am a maritnet! My children are not allow to be sloppy in their speech or writing, and "ain't" is not a word used in this house in a serious manner! Also, the use of double negatives - nothing makes one sound more ignorant than the use of double negatives, IMHO! Oh well.
Okay, I am done now. This is a pet peeve. <climbs off soap box>
Chanileslie
Unregistered
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2003
- Messages
- 2,347
Yahweh said:
Okay, much of your post, I understand your frustration, but these are things I don't get how you can call you students ignorant and idiots for correcting *YOU*, the teacher, who should know better and at least attempt to speak well. Yes, your bad, and I have every sympathy for your students. I understand why they seem to show you so little respect.
Also from you post, it appears to me that you have little like or understanding of the children who you teach. This is sad for an instructor, and even sadder for the children who have to deal with such an instructor.
Sometimes, you reap what you sow.
Re: Re: Are your students needlessly stupid?
Oops, my bad, I came off far more harsh than I intended.
As for respect, I get no more, no less than than any other teacher. Sometimes you get your "smartasses" who think insulting the teacher is funny. Silently, I laugh inside my head because some of the remarks legitimately are funny... other times the unecessary "I dont care" and laughing silently is obviously unfunny. In my class, I am all for humor. Otherwise I'm boring the kids. I know what bored kids look like, I've seen a computer class.
Overall, I have a generally pessimistic attitude. Some legitimately want to take my class, but the majority of the them will never admit this but they only take my class because the other kids say its an easy 2 credits. Its the same reason why the kids who dont take my class take the "world religions" course or the "sociology" course. That sociology teacher is far more boring than I would be if I was teaching that class.
Are the kids in any way negatively affected by my class... of course. By the end of the first 2 weeks of class, a lot them become arrogant. They think they can philosophize on any subject... its been 2 weeks. All they've learned is the class curriculum and the "Logical Contradictions" method. No worries, that arrogance dissappears after the first month. If you notice, most of the kids who take a debate or a public speaking class tend to come off a little more arrogant than those who dont take the class.
My class isnt an integral core part of the educational acedemic curriculum. Its about as important as a foreign language class. My kids seem to enjoy my teaching, they like the class, they really do learn a lot more than what I credit when I talk about them.
I'm a good teacher. I know this because my students tell me I am. Philosophically, They say, therefore I am.
I'm not in the least bit frustrated. I'm amused by petty and pointless questions. The fact is, I love my students. The class is fun. I have a very sarcastic and negative sense of humor (which the kids like). I can be goofy when I feel like it.Chanileslie said:
Oops, my bad, I came off far more harsh than I intended.
As for respect, I get no more, no less than than any other teacher. Sometimes you get your "smartasses" who think insulting the teacher is funny. Silently, I laugh inside my head because some of the remarks legitimately are funny... other times the unecessary "I dont care" and laughing silently is obviously unfunny. In my class, I am all for humor. Otherwise I'm boring the kids. I know what bored kids look like, I've seen a computer class.
Overall, I have a generally pessimistic attitude. Some legitimately want to take my class, but the majority of the them will never admit this but they only take my class because the other kids say its an easy 2 credits. Its the same reason why the kids who dont take my class take the "world religions" course or the "sociology" course. That sociology teacher is far more boring than I would be if I was teaching that class.
Are the kids in any way negatively affected by my class... of course. By the end of the first 2 weeks of class, a lot them become arrogant. They think they can philosophize on any subject... its been 2 weeks. All they've learned is the class curriculum and the "Logical Contradictions" method. No worries, that arrogance dissappears after the first month. If you notice, most of the kids who take a debate or a public speaking class tend to come off a little more arrogant than those who dont take the class.
My class isnt an integral core part of the educational acedemic curriculum. Its about as important as a foreign language class. My kids seem to enjoy my teaching, they like the class, they really do learn a lot more than what I credit when I talk about them.
I'm a good teacher. I know this because my students tell me I am. Philosophically, They say, therefore I am.
Shane Costello said:
I'm not sure of whether this is a situation that has occured in different places or not, but I can 100% vouch for it having occured in 1994 at QUT in one of my life-science tutorials. I know this because I was sitting directly behind the girl who asked it. We later became good friends (now get those dirty thoughts out of your heads....I know what you're thinking!). And it wasn't for show - she was so embarrassed (not the sharpest tool in the shed, mind you), she ran out of the room close to tears.
Mind you, we all thought it was pretty funny.
I got pretty angry when I later shared that story, only to be told it was an urban myth. So whether the story spread (I'd doubt it), or it has happened elsewhere, or what, I don't know.
But it did happen!
Athon
I'm one of those frustrated teachers working in a system and a society that does no support education. The latest debate around these parts involves how pointless the teaching profession is. We get paid too much, don't work a full year like other professions and should be baby-sitting - er, 'educating' - society's children for longer hours.
Then the system itself aims at pumping students into tertiary courses they don't have the ability to do...hmph, don't get me started.
But to be honest I love my job. Why? Because 90% of my kids are passionate, headstrong and curious human beings who I love talking to. I learn so much from them, it's scary.
Like Yaweh, I also get some pretty good feedback. Just today I was told by another teacher that a student wanted to be in my class because he thought I was a pretty cool teacher. That gives you a real buzz.
I know I'll burn out in less than five years, hence I'm already looking to my next profession. But for people who are wired for it, teaching can be pretty rewarding.
Athon
Then the system itself aims at pumping students into tertiary courses they don't have the ability to do...hmph, don't get me started.
But to be honest I love my job. Why? Because 90% of my kids are passionate, headstrong and curious human beings who I love talking to. I learn so much from them, it's scary.
Like Yaweh, I also get some pretty good feedback. Just today I was told by another teacher that a student wanted to be in my class because he thought I was a pretty cool teacher. That gives you a real buzz.
I know I'll burn out in less than five years, hence I'm already looking to my next profession. But for people who are wired for it, teaching can be pretty rewarding.
Athon
Dyslexia makes you no less important...kittynh said:
The most important Englishman that I can think of is that lovable Benny Hill. *Benny Hill Theme Music Plays* Woohoo! He keeps patting that old mans head, and chasing around the pretty women, dont he know thats rude. Slapstick humor... good fun.