LookieNoNookie
Posts: 12216
Joined: 8/9/2008 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: vincentML quote:
ORIGINAL: Kirata quote:
ORIGINAL: vincentML The role of leaders is to gain respect and trust by modeling it and by showing they have something of value to offer their followers. Respect is a two way street. If teachings want respect from students they earn it by giving respect and by giving a school experience that is desirable, by winning the hearts and minds. The role of teachers is to teach. The role of students is to learn. Everything else is either secondary, or psychobabble. Winning hearts and minds? Seriously? Teachers should be treated with respect whether or not the student "respects" them. Otherwise, the only thing you're preparing these kids for is to be disliked and unemployed. K. Oh, if only the world of public education were as simple and straight forward as in your dreams! Many of these students are already disliked and unemployable before they begin, and they probably know it. The black children I taught seemed to fall into two major groups (with many in between of course) There were the strivers who seriously sought an education and looked forward to college and then there were the reactionaries who taunted the strivers for "acting white." The reactionaries (for lack of a better word) were encumbered by their own skepticism about racial justice. There is a cultural problem within the black student community and there is a culture problem within the white teacher community. There are those who expect respect simply on the basis of rank and those who work hard to learn to manage sensitive issues. Psychobabble? Really? There are no books on being a successful executive in the business world? There are no studies on worker satisfaction? There are no experiments with horizontal organization vs. vertical, hierarchical organization? There was never a book for the business world titled "How to Win Friends and Influence People?" A teacher trained with good management skills and people skills won't encounter much disrespect or disruption, and will know how to deal with it smoothly. In the world of Black and White everything is not so black and white. Not so hunky dory. Populations are not so cleanly cut into their expected roles as you might wish. Vincent, I suspect you held back for some level of PC. I couldn't have said what you said more effectively. It's about effort. It's always about effort. And you,as a teacher have to somehow also teach desire. To be fair, some environments are tough (having never been a teacher, I can only presume you know what you're talking about, moreover, the struggles you've endured to get equal distribution of thought and cognition has been at best frustrating....thanks for caring)...I can't imagine the frustration you've endured, regardless of skin color (allow me at this time to apologize to ALL {my teachers at least} those I helped cart off to the looney bin for MY part in their need for Rolaids). You must have an unending desire to have parents more involved, to tell students when they tell you "there's nothing for us to do....local funding for parks and community centers is so low" to say...."read a book, hike, build a tree fort, walk, enjoy the sun, build a model airplane". I have so much respect for teachers. (Wish I did then but....now that I have money, thankfully I'm able to help in other areas....the sad truth is....there were guys just like me 40 years ago who saw the same dilemma, wanted to help turn the tide....I didn't see it....didn't want to. What's the answer?
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