The Battle Rages...
Okay, Tieger Lily is back for more. Click here to read her pathetic attempt to discredit me further, and then come back to see what I have to add to the conversation.
In her first paragraph, it almost looked like she was trying to be rational...maybe even holding out the branch of peace, but then at the end she had to go and attack my entire profession with the tired generalizations of a lifetime politician. This means war!
First, I appreciate that there may be reasons Tieger Lily had to miss my English class to go to the dentist, but none of those reasons are my fault. And, as you may recall, the title of her first blog was "MR. THOMPSON IT'S YOUR FAULT!" So that entire paragraph about the big family that has to schedule appointments years in advance didn't really move me, although I can see that by including it, Tieger Lily may garner the sympathy of her classmates who also come from large families. I just hope you're all aware of how she's just trying to manipulate you by bringing it up at all.
Second, the paragraph attacking teachers...well, it's clearly the work of someone who has never had to teach anything more complicated than a five-minute presentation for a history class or a Sunday school group. Rather than write a 300-page treatise describing all the frustrations of working in public education (and all the joys too), I might point out that this is a classic case of "biting the hand that feeds you." If not for teachers, Tieger Lily wouldn't be able to read or write well enough to express her anger in a blog. (Although she clearly needs to do that apostrophe tutorial as soon as possible!) If not for teachers, she wouldn't have any hope of doing something more meaningful than correcting "homework, tests, essays, or whatever...." To suggest that the best way for teachers to get out of all this work is just not to assign it is a very naive view indeed, especially when she follows it up with this challenge: "Well isn't it a teacher's job to educate?" Actually, a teacher can't educate anyone that doesn't want to be educated. All s/he can do is create an atmosphere in which learning can occur if the student is ready and willing to learn. The government may believe that if they pass enough laws, kids will suddenly start learning more, but the fact is that no one can be forced to learn anything. We learn when we have a motivation to do so. For some, grades are a motivation. Others learn because they enjoy it. And some just sit there and criticize. But that's okay. I've done this long enough to develop a thick hide. I just wish Tieger Lily could level her criticism at me alone, for her countless petulant reasons, rather than leveling her literary weaponry at the entire teaching profession.
And the suggestion that being a student is somehow harder than being a teacher is so laughable that I won't even honor it with a response other than this: Ten years from now, Tieger Lily, come and find me (I'll probably still be in a classroom somewhere, if I'm not underground by then), and I'll ask you how difficult going to school was compared to whatever you are then doing: working, mothering, paying bills, taking care of someone besides yourself--you know, adult responsibilities. You'll understand then. Mark my words, kid: Real Life is a lot harder than all the stuff you do in school to prepare for it. These are the easy times for you. I might suggest that you embrace them and appreciate them for what they are while you are living them. Teachers offer you only "safe" challenges, and they aren't really going to let you fall hard enough to do much harm. The Real World isn't so kind. To release your venom on those who are working to make your future brighter seems pretty low.
Finally, this from Tieger Lily's last paragraph:
When people ask me why I spend so much time on my web site, I say I am trying to put myself out of a job. That is a facetious comment, though, because I know that nothing can replace the teacher in the classroom. You'll never be able to sit home, Tieger Lily, and just "read the web" unless there are concerned teachers putting information out there for you to read. So whether it's in the classroom or on the web, you ought to quit criticizing those who are just trying to help you help yourself.
"When the student is ready, a teacher appears." So goes the old saying.
Are you ready, Tieger Lily?
Everyone who reads this: Please click here to visit this web site and vote for our school to win a free laptop computer lab! (The honors class would never be the same!)
In her first paragraph, it almost looked like she was trying to be rational...maybe even holding out the branch of peace, but then at the end she had to go and attack my entire profession with the tired generalizations of a lifetime politician. This means war!
First, I appreciate that there may be reasons Tieger Lily had to miss my English class to go to the dentist, but none of those reasons are my fault. And, as you may recall, the title of her first blog was "MR. THOMPSON IT'S YOUR FAULT!" So that entire paragraph about the big family that has to schedule appointments years in advance didn't really move me, although I can see that by including it, Tieger Lily may garner the sympathy of her classmates who also come from large families. I just hope you're all aware of how she's just trying to manipulate you by bringing it up at all.
Second, the paragraph attacking teachers...well, it's clearly the work of someone who has never had to teach anything more complicated than a five-minute presentation for a history class or a Sunday school group. Rather than write a 300-page treatise describing all the frustrations of working in public education (and all the joys too), I might point out that this is a classic case of "biting the hand that feeds you." If not for teachers, Tieger Lily wouldn't be able to read or write well enough to express her anger in a blog. (Although she clearly needs to do that apostrophe tutorial as soon as possible!) If not for teachers, she wouldn't have any hope of doing something more meaningful than correcting "homework, tests, essays, or whatever...." To suggest that the best way for teachers to get out of all this work is just not to assign it is a very naive view indeed, especially when she follows it up with this challenge: "Well isn't it a teacher's job to educate?" Actually, a teacher can't educate anyone that doesn't want to be educated. All s/he can do is create an atmosphere in which learning can occur if the student is ready and willing to learn. The government may believe that if they pass enough laws, kids will suddenly start learning more, but the fact is that no one can be forced to learn anything. We learn when we have a motivation to do so. For some, grades are a motivation. Others learn because they enjoy it. And some just sit there and criticize. But that's okay. I've done this long enough to develop a thick hide. I just wish Tieger Lily could level her criticism at me alone, for her countless petulant reasons, rather than leveling her literary weaponry at the entire teaching profession.
And the suggestion that being a student is somehow harder than being a teacher is so laughable that I won't even honor it with a response other than this: Ten years from now, Tieger Lily, come and find me (I'll probably still be in a classroom somewhere, if I'm not underground by then), and I'll ask you how difficult going to school was compared to whatever you are then doing: working, mothering, paying bills, taking care of someone besides yourself--you know, adult responsibilities. You'll understand then. Mark my words, kid: Real Life is a lot harder than all the stuff you do in school to prepare for it. These are the easy times for you. I might suggest that you embrace them and appreciate them for what they are while you are living them. Teachers offer you only "safe" challenges, and they aren't really going to let you fall hard enough to do much harm. The Real World isn't so kind. To release your venom on those who are working to make your future brighter seems pretty low.
Finally, this from Tieger Lily's last paragraph:
Has it occurred to you, dear Tieger Lily, that this is precisely what you are doing right now? This blog allows you to "talk," express your views, ask your questions, and get answers. Not only that, you can do all this with a world-wide audience. You can get help from experts everywhere. You can engage your classmates in the conversation. (Lots of them are watching our coversation, you know.) You can get me to spend hours of my free time writing responses. Why? Oh, no big reason really: It's just because I care. So be nice!As anyone, in any of my classes would know, I like to talk. I learn better in a conversation when I can be part of what I am learning. Not a lecture, but
an eviorment where I can express my view, and questions and get answers. I see
no way a website can do that.
When people ask me why I spend so much time on my web site, I say I am trying to put myself out of a job. That is a facetious comment, though, because I know that nothing can replace the teacher in the classroom. You'll never be able to sit home, Tieger Lily, and just "read the web" unless there are concerned teachers putting information out there for you to read. So whether it's in the classroom or on the web, you ought to quit criticizing those who are just trying to help you help yourself.
"When the student is ready, a teacher appears." So goes the old saying.
Are you ready, Tieger Lily?
Everyone who reads this: Please click here to visit this web site and vote for our school to win a free laptop computer lab! (The honors class would never be the same!)
posted by MRT at 7:06 PM
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