Keys to the Downhill Slide
Canadian education has changed significantly over the past 150 years. From its beginnings as places to learn to read by using the Bible and a speller, to modern theoretical experiments on students, educational endeavours have always attempted to shape students’ minds. Yes, education has been more about shaping successive generations for a purpose than just teaching kids how to learn. It is, after all, relatively easy to get students engaged with things that interest them. And young minds are notoriously easy to mould.
We humans live according to what we believe. Our beliefs govern our actions. If a parent really believes they can teach children to “do as I say and not as I do,” they will fail as a parent. Children mimic what they see modeled. Healthy humans are kind and compassionate, friendly and honest. But they only become that way when they are taught to be like that and they see it lived out in the life of someone they respect.
How does this principle of children’s learning what they see apply to schools and the education students receive? Teachers are the models. Children spend a lot of tie in school and often see their teachers more than they see their parents. Teachers are responsible in the schools for providing the lens through which the students see themselves and others. Sadly, many parents believe the teachers think like they do and uphold the same principles. However, what I learned when I studied the teacher education curriculum, and heard from students how some of their teachers behaved, I had to conclude that teachers are taught some fundamental beliefs that contradict my beliefs and those of most of the people I know.
First, I believe hard work is the key to any kind of success. Second, I believe kids should be taught what they need to know to become responsible citizens. Third, I believe learning self-discipline is part of maturing. Then, I believe learning to read well is one of the most important first steps in education, and I believe that memorization plays an important part in learning. And I used to believe that most teachers believed those principles also. However, my experiences as a teacher have taught me otherwise.
The following list of theories taught to teachers has brought about a spate of changes to education over the years that leave students confused, wounded, and immature instead of trained to handle life.
THEORIES that Prove to be LIES
- Self-esteem is the most important factor in raising children. See “The Mantra of Self-Esteem”.
- A student’s feelings are to be validated, no matter how confused is the feeling. See “Validating Feelings is More Important than Learning”.
- Discipline means harming a child. See “Discipline or Punishment?”.
- The traditional ways of learning by memorization are old-fashioned and useless, if not harmful. See “The New Math Confusion”.
- Children learn naturally and rarely need guidance to learn. Constructivism, or “Discovery Learning” means setting the child adrift to guess at what they are learning; that is more interesting to them. See “Reading Wars: Are You a Genius Because You Can Read This?”.
- When a student is struggling, it is never his fault; he must have a learning disability. See “The Creation of the Learning Disability Boom”.
- All students want to graduate at the same age, usually 17. See “Education in the Fast Lane”.
- All teachers are caring and knowledgeable, knowing what is best for other people’s children because they have an education. See “The Rising Tide of Content Expertism”.
- Parents are peripheral to a student’s life and are usually too ______ (whatever) to really know how to handle their child’s education and upbringing. See “The Greatest Divorce”.
- School is supposed to be fun. Hard work is not necessary. See “A Work Ethic or a Fun Ethic”.
These ten theories are each damaging in practice, and have caused the pitiful state of modern education that is harming students and teachers alike. Each of these is discussed at length in the other blogs I have posted, and I hope you can take the time to read about what really happens in too many classrooms.
A further study concerns what happens to teachers when they try to apply the principles discussed above. The rate of teacher dropout is now becoming obvious and only the strong or the uncaring survive. Some stay because they are natural teachers and always work harder and harder to provide some learning for students while the system continues to demand more and more. Some stay because they do just enough to survive and take the summers off. Some get more education and work their way up the ladder to administration, where their knowledge turns into control of the system. Some stay just for the money. In any case, teachers become a different kind of victim and the school children suffer.
Some suggested reading:
Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
School’s Out by Andrew Nikiforuk (This one is Canadian, and well worth the read.)
The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America by Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt
The Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori
The 5 Hour School Week by Kaleena Amuchastegui, Aaron Amuchastegui, et al.
Free to Learn by Peter Gray
Explicit, Direct Instruction (EDI): The Power of the Well-Crafted, Well-Taught Lesson by John R. Hollingsworth