Hi Harry-
So here is the next question: as I am not yet burned out what is it that I can do to help do you think?
Best,
Rhea
Rhea Nowak
Assistant Professor of Art
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, NY
(607) 436-2827
From: "Pence, Harry" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Reply-To: Teaching Breakfast List <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:48:35 -0500
To: "[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Subject: Re: First TB of the New Year!
Dear Rhea,
Georges Clemenceau is reputed to have said, "War is too important to be entrusted to the Generals."
The story I cited reminded me that modern U.S. politicians apparently have decided that education is too important to be entrusted to the educators.
Have you heard the story of the Ancient Greek philosopher who bet a friend that there were more doctors in Athens than any other profession. A few days later the philosopher appeared with a bandage around his head, claiming that he had a toothache. The friend promptly began giving advice about treating the problem. Then the philosopher said that every person he had spoken to that day had given him advice, Thus, everyone seemed to feel they were doctors, that is, they thought they knew enough medicine to be qualified to give medical advice, even if they really knew nothing about medicine. Today everyone seems to feel that they know enough to give advice about education, even if their only qualification is that they once sat through high school English. I would normally add that these same people would not pretend to be qualified to give opinions on scientific questions, except that even that is no longer true.
There is an irony here that people who have spent their entire lives gaining some knowledge about a field of knowledge no longer get respect. This means that public opinion can skip from fad to fad, based on little except the whim of the moment. And it seems that the apparent best answer has the shelf life of a loaf or bread, and we are doomed to continually chase each new fad, hoping it will lead to nirvana.
This may well be described as the Age when Expertise died.
Sadly,
Harry
Lyndon B. Johnson is reputed to have said, "There is no substitute for a good educational system, but that hasn't stopped the American People from looking for one."
Harry E. Pence
SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus
SUNY Oneonta
________________________________
From: Teaching Breakfast List [[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>] On Behalf Of Nowak, Rhea
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 8:43 AM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: First TB of the New Year!
Is it an interesting perspective or just the recent history of teaching in the United States?
It IS true we don't trust teachers to teach and keep handing them more to do from above which takes their focus and energy away from their class rooms.
And how do we change this with out putting more responsibilities on teachers but not supporting them?
As the daughter of a K-6 teacher I have been watching this for years.
Rhea
Rhea Nowak
Assistant Professor of Art
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, NY
(607) 436-2827
From: "Pence, Harry" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Reply-To: Teaching Breakfast List <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:13:49 -0500
To: "[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Subject: Re: First TB of the New Year!
If you have any questions about why education doesn't improve, here is an interesting perspective. Warning, it is a very sad story for anyone dedicated to teaching.
http://www.buffalospree.com/Buffalo-Spree/September-2011/Education-2011-A-case-study-in-seniorityand-burn-out/
Harry E. Pence
SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus
SUNY Oneonta
________________________________
From: Teaching Breakfast List [[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>] On Behalf Of Greenberg, Jim
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 1:59 PM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: First TB of the New Year!
TBers,
This is a reminder that the first Teaching Breakfast of the new year will be tomorrow, Feb. 1 outside Starbucks in the Hunt Union at 8 am. As it often goes, we are under some budgetary constraints this semester, so please consider your personal contribution toward coffee a worthwhile exchange for the enjoyable conversation.
To kick off the new year I'd like to talk about how the first days of classes went for you. What worked and what didn't and why you think so. If there is time, I'd also like to have a discussion about email. How do you deal with it? Do you get too much of it? What strategies do you have for getting through it? Does it eat up your entire life? etc.
Hope to see you there. As always, invite a friend to come with you if you can.
Mr. James B. Greenberg
Director Teaching, Learning and Technology Center
Milne Library
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, New York 13820
email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
phone: 607-436-2701
fax: 607-436-3677
Twitter: greenbjb
"Ignorance is curable, stupidity lasts forever"
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