Response to "Is the Great American Teacher Dead?"
I read an article in my TESOL 103 Pedagogy II class asking the
question " Is the Great American Teacher Dead?" Some teachers are
quite confident in their teaching and some are not. Perhaps the teachers feel
they are failing because the students seem not to be learning or are perhaps
not interested in the lesson material. The classroom teaching and its success
depends more on the delivery of the lesson by the teacher. Is the teaching up
to date with technology and what is going on in the world today?
Some outside critics of the American university learning system have observed
that American universities are lacking in intellectual competitiveness and
compassion. Perhaps the students seem to be more on their own in their
learning. American universities seem to be places to have fun and the studies
take a back seat to all the fun. The article seems to express that American students
don't learn to go deeper into their studies. Is this because of the way the
instructions and lessons are brought forth by the instructors or teachers?
Perhaps many of the students are just trying to finish their studies and get
the grades they need to pass. The classroom instruction does not challenge the
students to think deeper. Are the students hungry for learning or do they just
want to do what they want and not be challenged in their thinking. Do the
instructors challenge their students to think outside the box?
The article in question (link at bottom of page) tells of how
students in the United States are more often depressed than those outside the
United States. Is this because the students have not been challenged enough to
think deeper on an intellectual level? The article mentions that Darwin said
the animals that struggle in the world have larger brains than similar animals
that do not struggle. It seems anxiety and depression affect the outcome or
success of university students in the United States. Is it more about the
lesson material being presented in a way the students don't understand or it's boring,
so they are not challenged to think for themselves?
Students and teachers should
have positive relationships when it comes to learning in the class. The student
should be encouraged in their studies and not be overly critically judged by
their teachers. The material learned should be reviewed and the students should
have assignments that help them reach this goal. The students should be taken
care of in their intellectual studies and they should have the opportunities to
do the assignments in ways they are able to bring forth their critical
thinking.
In Iceland where I am from you are in school to learn and think.
The universities do not have sports programs and the extracurricular programs American universities have. Students in Iceland sometimes fail since there is not a
balance between intellectual studies and extracurricular activities. Students
should have choices in how they are going to meet this balance. I think
American universities are more fun to attend because of the balance between
studies and everyday life is more balanced. Students in other countries, like
Iceland, have mental imbalances because of the competitiveness in the university
system. Many students feel they have failed when their grades are lower than
what was expected of them.
