Effective, dedicated teachers are both idealistic and realistic. They set high standards for themselves and their students and also must make adjustments for students’ differences in intellect, background, ambitions or lack of them, and their attitudes toward themselves and their education. They work hard to send their students out into a tough world well prepared with knowledge and communication skills and confidence that success and accomplishments are within their reach if they apply themselves.
Teachers stay current with world issues and the myriad problems facing their communities, state and country, as well as their students’ problems. They use their thinking not only to teach the subject matter in their particular discipline, but also to encourage students to think about their own adult responsibilities and about as many aspects of life as they can, without detracting from the learning required by their subject. They teach students how to think and support their thinking with solid reasoning. They work hard to give their students a good look at life and convince them of the necessity for preparing to take part in it.
Teachers find imaginative ways to engage their students, but having the freedom to depart from the day’s class plan is vital to that engagement. If a student brings up an important issue that’s filling the papers and airwaves with controversy, the teacher needs latitude in her teaching to take time for the class to discuss it, even if it’s outside the scope of the subject of the lesson. Spontaneity contributes to the wholeness of an education.
One of the frustrating problems with teaching — and one I would be unable to cope with if I were back in the classroom — is the time constraint inherent in the present day requirement to teach to tests, which cover a narrow part of the curriculum and take away valuable time from the discussions of things that matter more.
What would Socrates say if he were under this pressure to pass a test or to engage in one-sided learning from a computer? He talked face to face with his students about important things that mattered to them and to the success of their society — things including logical reasoning and the free expression of ideas that would lead one to wisdom if pursued. It was a process that forced the student to think problems through, defend his thinking and arrive at answers logically.
How could there possibly be time in our present system of incremental learning of facts, evaluated by frequent testing, for a Socrates to teach a Plato? And there is a Plato waiting to be challenged in a good many classrooms.
We will not have an educational system that adequately prepares students until we change our priorities to include the vital lessons about life and the thinking and speaking skills that will enable students to function competently in any setting and give freedom to the teacher to conduct classes as she feels will be most effective.
Certainly it is necessary for young people to be competent in math and the basic elements of science, and computers are useful in those disciplines. But history, which shows our successes and failures and a good understanding of the process of creative and critical activity, as well as the other important elements of a well-rounded education, must be taught through interaction between teachers and students. Teachers must have time and latitude to integrate all those things.
We need to make politicians understand they are jeopardizing an educational system that was doing its proper job until they interfered, and they must stop their criticizing and meddling and allow teachers to teach and run the show.
Edwin Treworgy of Milo is a retired teacher.