"those Who Cannot Do Anything Else, Teach..." True Or False?

[PeaceBlondie]

At least in the USA, there is this old cliché, "Those who can't do anything better, become teachers. Those who fail at teaching, become professors of education."

Poppycock. Balderdash. If it were true, nobody could ever have learned anything at school, except by osmosis from their equally ignorant classmates.

Surely we have all met teachers who were not good at their profession. But if the cliché were true, no physicians, engineers, or other professionals would have learned enough to do their job.

We have another thread going in this Teaching in Thailand Forum, started by garro, about the great teachers who taught us well. It is true that in many countries, the best minds do not get degrees in education. We have all met idiot professors who had trouble tying their shoes, but at least in theory, they knew their subject material.

Or am I being too pro-teacher? Keep in mind that in this forum, we do not allow broadside insults to "all teachers" or even to "all the alcoholic, smelly, poorly dressed English teachers in Thailand."

[toptuan]

May I submit...

"Those Who Cannot Do Anything Else, Become Rocket Scientists..."

[P.S. Nice to see some positive posts about teaching on this forum.]

[imaneggspurt]

I never really thought about it til you asked ,but actually i know 3 people that were not in the teaching proffession back home that are here, and it is because they can do nothing else,back home they lived quite well, here on the breadline,.

[TEFLMike]

Poorly dressed? Nah! Only the breadline? As smart as possibly I could be . Now will you please let me answer that private message? PLEEESE and yet another two pages loaded to My favourites

Edited June 23, 2008 by TEFLMike

[toptuan]

Quick! Tell me where the breadline is, so I can join it. All I can get is rice in this backwater village...

[TEFLMike]

Quick! Tell me where the breadline is, so I can join it. All I can get is rice in this backwater village...

Ok , I have replied to your private message, and you know who. I will send one more with 1 or 2 more detalis, if I may...

[mizzi39]

Yes, It's true. I am a total idiot who cannot do anything else, so I teach. Since i am a bloody yank, I cannot even qualify as a rocket scientist so what else am i good for?

[PeaceBlondie]

TEFLMike, at your request, I deleted several of your posts. I agree that teachers in Thailand have to dress very sharply. I was sloppier as an IRS officer.

Yes, teaching is rocket surgery (I need to check who first said that on TVisa). How else do rocket surgeons learn their skill?

[Ijustwannateach]

Actually, I find I *do* a lot in a day of teaching.... so much so that I haven't had much time to post on here lately!

[samsara]

definitely an unfortunate stereotype of the trade, but then most stereotypes are at least partly based on reality...

[PeaceBlondie]

I only had two courses taught by professors of education. One was a cousin of the heirs of Time-Life, and he became Chair of the Dept. of Education, and my daughter's advisor for both her education degrees. The other was a PE teacher who also taught criminology. Both of them knew their subject and were reasonably good teachers. Another prof. of education, brother of the PE teacher, became our university president; he sounded and looked like actor Jimmy Stewart.

[aussiestyle1983]

"those Who Cannot Do Anything Else, Teach..."

False in general, but true for Thailand (which is the only exception!)

[culicine]

I'm actually glad the best minds do not become teachers. We've had teachers here who knew content better than I ever will but they can't teach their way out of a paper bag (most of my university professors also sucked as teachers). Education is far more than knowing content. It's also about understanding children and how they learn. I don't see true educationalists even addressing or arguing this issue. Maybe increasing salaries would attract more pright minds to teaching, but the above implies there would be no improvement in the education of students. That's why salaries generally don't increase much and lag behind industry. Teaching is more a labor of love than anything else.

Edited June 24, 2008 by culicine

[bratpack]

My older brother is a very clever little thing but i wouldnt let him teach my son.He is as thick as pig shxt and cant even look after himself but he could teach at most schools uni etc.I have a hot sweat thinking about him educating kids.

[Ijustwannateach]

In my recent experience, most teachers I have contact with did not start as career educators. In some ways this is a drawback, as the educational training is certainly a plus; but in other ways there's a possibility that teachers who have never been in industry lack realistic awareness of the needs of students who may enter those industries (this applies more in science, engineering, and other occupational subjects perhaps than to more academic topics such as history, etc.). In any case, those persons who had had experience in the "real world" certainly have an important dimension to bring to the educational experience of children, as long as they are capable and willing to develop additional educational skills- and they certainly have not had histories of not "doing" anything.