I will never forget 2009. It has been a year of horror stories for me - where teaching is concerned. Three weeks ago, I turned down a very lucrative offer from a local college that wanted to hire me to run a program for a subject that is very close to my heart - Sociology.
Many of my friends and my husband, thought that I was quite mad to turn down the offer. The head of department who called me was really surprised for she expected me to say 'yes' and had almost finished drawing up the time-table for my classes. Well, I can safely declare that really love teaching but I am terrified of the type of students who exist today. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule but these are rare and few in number.
Currently, I am in retirement and help a few children of acquaintances. Today, I had the nightmare of my life.
This girl whom I had been helping for a few months wrote the following answers for plural forms of nouns. I am not exaggerating, neither am I joking. I had gone through these with her a few weeks earlier.
mouse mouses *then after I protested, she changed it to mousees
woman womans *then she changed it to womans and then to womaness
milk milkes
dirt dirtes
and the list goes on....
A few months ago, I had a few sessions with a 12A1 student and during the first lessons, she wrote, "I has a good family...." In another essay which required her to discuss the social values of watching cartoons, she wrote this in her opening paragraph : "Cartoons make us laugh. Cartoons make us cry."
I almost fainted and I asked her quite adroitly, "Are you trying to make me laugh or cry?" I did not want to teach her anymore after that....
Another boy wrote "My father swam up on the sand."
Today, I asked a girl who had finished reading "Of Mice and Men" for her literature course a very simple question....What is the main theme of the novel?
Her answer : People. The theme is about people.
I cannot believe that she gave me such an answer after printing out pages of notes from internet sites on the novel.
What is happening to our education system?
When I asked her why Steinbeck chose to paint a character like Lennie, she was stumped and gave me simple elementary answers.
A few weeks ago, I stopped teaching this girl who wrote "I sure you can find me book." I am really not joking here.
I do not know why it is so difficult for students to use their brains to think. It seems like an impossible task for many.
I still remember how I collected hilarious errors in my "Little Book of Errors" years ago. I think the best entry was the seven different versions of how 'nowadays' should be spelled.
Now a day
Nowsaday
Noday
Nowsday
Now a day
Now a days
Noseaday
Thankfully, I do not teach in any institution now and would not want to go back unless they can assure me that they can give me students who are willing to work.
Sigh.
Many former students gasp in horror when I share with them these tales of horror and some have advised me to write my memoirs....sigh...but I rather remember the beautiful memories of those wonderful times teaching students who can think and are willing to exert themselves intellectually.
And so here I am, a housewife who has no pension and who reads, blogs and has far too much time on my hands....Life is simpler this way and less stressful.
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I also ranted at length at this post called THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY a few months ago.
10 comments to BELIEVE ME - TEACHING IS SUCH A NIGHTMARE THESE DAYS!!!!
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Unknown Hi Richard
Sadly, what you said is true. Our 'great' big brother is on the look out to make things better.:-(.
I guess it is tough for me having taught at an international school for nine years and then at a local college for another nine years before I called it a day.I have seen the gradual deterioration in the 1990's and the accelerated drop in the last five years.
Sighs. I blogged about rote learning and the death of critical thinking skills before...I worry for this nation. I hope the next generation will be able to vote correctly, let alone speak/write correct English.
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Richard Cranium Hi
It all started with the stupid English 122 way back when. That subject was to teach us natives how to communicate with tourists. I'm sure you remember that well.
May I encourage you to not lose heart. Have you watched the movie "The Dead Poets Society"?
I wished I had such an inspiring teacher (played by Robin Williams in the movie). I got my kids to watch it, and they were inspired as well.
But these days, school kids correct their teachers' English. Can you beat that?
Kind regards
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Unknown Hi Richard
I am really touched by your very encouraging comment. I guess I am taking it quite badly for the shock is too great for me to bear. Many of my former students have at least a masters or a PhD from blue chip universities and I inspired many to go beyond their wildest dreams. Many of them still keep in touch with me and I have blogged about them here.
But if truth be told, in the last five years, I have only seen less than five good students.
I love "Dead Poets' Soceity" and just watched "The Emperor's Club" last weekend. It is also very good with Kevin Kline I think.
Yup, I am not surprised at the fact that kids can correct their teachers' grammar or spelling - even in international schools!
I reckon a lot has to do with the death of reading and the impact of the internet which has numbed the brains of many - making them less reluctant to exert themselves mentally.
Still, I would not go back to any institution now. Being an idealist, I'd rather remember the good times than to drive myself insane!
Thanks again...sorry for ranting...I will not lose heart but it is one of those days when I hit the roof with these quirky responses. :-(
Take care and have a lovely evening. Oh - I am posting my son's third chapter of his story tomorrow at 6 a.m. Do catch it if you can...
CHAPTER 1 THE FIRST OBSTACLE - WITCHES & LEPRECHAUNS can be found at THIS LINK HERE.
CHAPTER 2 A DAY WITH THE GORDON can be found at THIS LINK HERE.
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romerz Koon Yew Yin explains the reasons why rather well.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/32000-the-great-malaysian-brain-drain--koon-yew-yin-
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Unknown Thanks for the link, Romerz. Excellent article and I do agree with her. At the same time, I believe we all know that certain quarters deliberately wrought changes in the system to undermine the progress of some while manipulating the so-called pseudo-advancement of others.
Sigh. The writer's conclusion in that article is spot on!
What we need is fairness....
You and I survived the old system and we are living testimony to the fact that it worked and will work. But how many will ever have the gumption to acknowledge that?
Very sad.
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xinch http://www.sun2surf.com/articlePrint.cfm?id=38039
you might want to check this out miss khoo :) i just had a conversation with a streamyx customer support girl and her english was so atrocious that for a moment i wondered what language she was speaking. let's not even get into the fact that as someone on the tech support team, she had no idea what a macbook was. -_-
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Unknown Hi Xinch
Oh dear! How awful! I guess you can gauge how I feel Another friend's had an encounter with a GRADUATE who insisted that there are 30 days in the month of February because there are 31 days in January and March!!! *faint* Perhaps that customer care/tech support team member that you spoke too went to the same institution as that other person.
sighs
The situation is really very bad. And we all know how this came about in the first place. Students are not trained to use their brains anymore but to partake in rote learning.
Take care and hope to see you soon.
hugs
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Cat-from-Sydney O Wise Master,
And that's why my Mama decided to teach kits instead of kids...heheheh....purrr purrr purrr. We don't talk back, you know.
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Unknown My dear Cat-in-Sydney,
Ah you have a wise Mama...You are a good kitty and hope Brad is as well!
Take care n hope all is well with you.
Selamat berpuasa and hope you and yours are in the thick of preparations.
Richard Cranium Yups. Peoples nowaday English is quiet bad. But it's ok. Coz our gr8 governments shall take care of us no matter how.