Quote:
Originally Posted by peter12
Standardization of mediocrity. I am told that the two year education program contains virtually no further specialization of craft, but instead a lot of pop psychology and learning strategies. Teachers are being created to read curriculum to their students. They are, in effect, mouthpieces for the education bureaucracy. There is no room for difference or creativity in a public education system.
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I just finished my 2 year education degree at the UofC. My convocation is in June and I've already applied to the school boards and I'm waiting to hear back. I received my English degree beforehand (there is a "combined" degree that takes you 5 years to get both). So as someone who has just gone through this...
The program itself is lacking, and you're right, a lot of it is pop psychology and learning strategies. It's a bit wishy-washy at times, but there are really strong aspects as well. There are solid courses on specialization, assessment, diversity, interdisciplinary work, etc. Do I feel more prepared to teach now than I did 2 years ago? Absolutely. Further, it's true, imo, that the standards to get in are quite low (2.5 gpa, much less than what I needed for my honours program) and the amount of people in the program I'm sure breeds some mediocrity.
But, to say that teachers are being created as mouthpieces and there is no room for difference or creativity is a silly, sweeping generalization. Maybe I'm just in the honeymoon phase with my new profession, but I've been blown away with the quality of work done by my peers and myself. It feels quite good to go out for my practicum, to share a classroom with a teacher who has been teaching for 15+ years, and to have her say that my unit plan is "brilliant" (strong words in my opinion haha) and that she wants all my material so she can teach it next year. I've heard this type story from multiple peers as well. There is a sense that many are always trying to find new and different ways to teach old material. And why not? Believe me, you think learning about something boring like Confederation is crappy? Try teaching it. It's just as bad for the teachers (sorry to pick on confederation). Anyway, I just wanted to share that I feel quite differently, that there is room in the classroom for difference and creativity.
I'm excited to become a teacher. I know it will be very difficult and very exhausting, that I will be overworked and under appreciated, but I'm excited to finally start, after 6 years of university, working in a profession that I am truly passionate about. Now if only the CBE would call me and I could get a job haha...