I was listening to The Wall for the 3,467th time when "The Happiest Days of Our Lives" came on. It goes like this:

When we grew up and went to school, thee were certain teachers who would hurt the children anyway the could

By pouring their derisions upon anything we did, exposing every weakness however carefully hidden by the kids.

But around the town it was well known when they got home at night their fat and psychopathic wives would thrash them within inches of their lives.

I made me think a lot about elementary and middle school were like for me. I had some of the worst teachers in all of Philadelphia from first through eighth grade. It did wonders for my self-esteem and my sanity considering how insecure I was, particularly in elementary school. In Pink Floyd: The Wall, they illustrated public schools as factories where normal kids were broken into becoming mindless, docile students who would eventually be put through a giant meat grinder (with plenty of hammers in silhoettes and what-not to symbolize oppression). That was similar to my school experience. I've always had a belief that a large number of teachers only went into teaching because they couldn't cut it in other businesses or wanted to get benefits. I know that's not always the case, but there area good number of said teachers out there. I'd like to know if anyone here had experiences similar to that of mine or Roger Waters'. I'm sure there're plenty out there. I'd just like to get a feel for them.

well, i think it might have been your area or just the teachers you have... a good number of the teachers i have had, have encouraged free thought, even if it meant argueing with them for their beliefes. now, the security at my school fit that profile exactly like you said, and would rather tell a student to shut the ---- up then talk... but ya know... not everyone can be intelligent, right?

I've had teachers who've legitamately cared about me and encouraged free thought. I can think of three off the top of my head. They're in the vast minority, however. It was the same way for my dad (which is why we both have an initial distrust for teachers).

the truth is that not all teachers are a bad some are evil souless beasts that destroy lives (hell in one of the high schools i went to a teacher was arrested for child abuse) but you do get the teachers that are there to help and enrich the lives of children. unfortunatly its the b@st@rds that we always remember

My high school teachers were a lot better than my elementary and middle school teachers. The ones I thought were really cool I gave the title "uncle e.g. "Uncle Steve" Rahmann (economics), "Uncle Mark" Durr (americn history), "Uncle Phil" Mayberry (world history), "Uncle Pete" Bowyer (English 3) and "Uncle Mike" Sinor (American government). Notice I had all of these guys in high school, not in elementary school. High school is when decent teachers begin to emerge.

Our public eduation syystem is at the whim of the beaurocracy. Do you expect it to be efficient or good?

True. One more reason I cheer on anarcho-capitalism.

Actually, all you should learn is how to read and write. Just in kindergarten and 1st grade. Then you can learn everything by reading books. I prefer book learning than going to some bleedin' school.

but then where is the controll

It's reasons like this I support and endorse Montessori education. It allows children to explore their surroundings and build their knowledge in a relaxed environment. They don't haave information shoved down their throats like they do in public education.

I'm guessing this is an expensive private education system

How about educaton Socrates style, with group discussions of Q and A?

Yes, that kicks ass.

Private, yes. Expensive, not necessarily.

but elitest nonetheless

One of the teachers in my elementary school was arrested for pedophilia. I want to know how he was hired in the first place.

I was in gifted education after elementary school. My teachers were great, but the gifted program was located inside of another school (I went to a school with the non-gifted kids, and had different teachers and a different lunch period), so in the administration of the school I felt a large sense of conformity. It disturbed me, greatly. Now, however, I'm at an arts school, so there is a lot of creativity and openmindedness.

you sound like you had the best school life so far out of all of us

My mother teaches Montessori school and my sister attends it. THere are several parents on payment plans and stuggle to put their kids into Montessori education because they know it's levels above public education. I ask you, my friend, are we all elitests? I'll admit, there are elitests who put teir kids into it because they think of it as expendive daycare, but what of us who've studied the Montessori method and understand its impotance? Montessori schools aren't elitest in the least, neither are the teachers and most of the parents who put their kids though it. They simply want what's best for their kids.

I went through gifted education. It was after the school wanted to condemn me to a school for mentally handicapped kids and they gave me an IQ test and, well, lo and behold, I'm gifted to the point of near-genius. It was pretty decent, for publc school anyhow. I did get a better education that way.

BTW- Because of Montessori education, my little sister (my angel) has a better grasp on things and is, without a doubt, smarter and more intelligent than I was at her age. If I had to, I'd drop out of collage and work two jobs to put her through Montessori school myself. That's not elitest to me.

P.S.- I don't mean to knock on you, Prez. I really don't. I'm just trying to make a point. Nothing personal. Peace?

I just believe that the better education shouldnt be available to only those who have money otherwise we create a social structure whereby the rich kids get every opportunity and the poor get the crap end of reality since birth

although there will be the occasional breakthrough on the whole we would be breeeding separate classeas and creating an eletist society.

i just wish that these schools could be available for everyone.

instead of the few no-rich people killing themselves in work just so there kid can have a better oportunity in life

it means just as much for a growing child to have there parents with them instead of them working every hour the day brings just to help there child

i'm sorry if i'm ranting but i feel strongly on this subject

No problem, Prez.

oh goody

That would not work out at all, I'm afraid.

Learning by yourself from a book is considerably harder than learning from a teacher. Most people don't have that kind of discipline. It is extraordinarily hard to motivate yourself -- take it from someone who has mostly independent study courses (I live 50 miles from my university, and commuting isn't a realistic option).

As for public schools....meh I went through this in Elf's thread that was quite similar to this one, and I don't really have the time to go into it in depth again...so I'll try to summarize. While there are genuinely bad teachers out there who never should have gone into teaching, a lot have just become discouraged because they don't make enough to live decently in the city they teach in (this is particularly true for large cities), class sizes are pushed way past what they should be, there are next to no supplies available, and many students disrespect them and could care less about what they have to teach. If our schools had better funding and teachers were paid what they should actually be paid...perhaps this wouldn't be such a problem.

I hate my school, period. They are cheating us out of an actual middle school expiriance cuz we only have two teachers in every grade. My 8th grade english/language teacher is a no good greedy old pig, she is always complaining how the teachers don't get enough money, even if she owns a frickin jewlery store, and about 3 grandfather clocks, she even drives to school in her mercades.
The worst part is that is that she is a feeble old hag that needs to always have her way and she forgets everything. I can recall about 3 assignments she gave us and said we could do it ina certain way, but then when we get it back and see the 60% D on our paper she says quote "too bad" I can tell it is quality work, but if isnt done the way she wants she considers it "inappropriate" and b***** about it when we question her. I am now near the brink of insanity, she took away the ONE thing in the class that I enjoy, the journals, this is a time when we write what we want about a subject, then if we want to, we are allowed to read them in class. She set no time limit or max amount of people that can read their writing, and in direct violation of the first amendment, she declined to allow me to read, the journal wasn't innapropriate, it didn't question her authority, it didn't even use the mildest of curses like "suck" or "crap"



I could ramble about this subject for hours on end, but I find little point, I just hate my school. I don't like using the word hate, because it's a strong word, but it is the only word that can describe the relationship between the school and I.