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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: J. C. Dithers who wrote (51404)	6/18/2002 3:48:08 PM
From: Solon	Respond to of 82486

Firstly, I see from this post that we are focussing on a different developmental stage of education. You are referring to those whom (with or without the guidance and assistance of a teacher) have demonstrated a competence in learning, and have chosen (at least tentatively) a path to follow toward certain academic goals. In this case your responsibility would be less interventionist than with smaller children who have yet to establish any personal sense of direction or motive or reason why. This repairs some of our differences. However, I would still suggest that there is an ethical obligation as a professional in the field of human development, for you to make your more mature experience and perspective available to assist those whom are straying from what is in their best interests. I do not mean intrusiveness. I simply mean that a teacher is more than someone who can paraphrase a textbook and answer a few questions. A teacher can model enthusiasm and joie de vive which motivates and draws out the best in his or her students. A teacher can recognize when students of limited life experience are losing their sense of direction. A teacher can encourage questions and involvement fromm students, and can motivate them to challenge his subject mastery as a teacher. The interactive skills of the teacher are critical as to the degree to which students will feel comfortable in availing themselves past class time in utilizing the services of a live master in a particular field. Certainly, we can assume that two teachers giving the same course are equally qualified in terms of understanding the textual material. How then does one account for the different quality of students who emerge at years end; or for their disparate sense of having benefitted in any substantial way; or for the degree to which the respective classes were anticipated and enjoyed? Perhaps the best students can overcome an indifferent teacher; many, however, cannot.