This post is a response to a comment from my friend Julio Ramirez on Theory X and Y. A while ago I tried to write about my experiences, but was a long post longer than this, especially the memories of my school they give for a separate post, I really want to be more objective.
Only once agrees to work in a school, teaching at 10 and 11, and as there was a program I decided to implement a different system, a system and, in my system had no notes, only small projects, it was not necessary attend classes, but had to move forward on projects, on the other side was the content, the course was about mathematics modern number theory, topology, applied mathematics (some projects involving Bernoulli numbers, game theory, Euler characteristic, graph theory, applied mathematics studied in some digital systems), at the beginning some students tried to sabotage the class recocha engage in, these students were interesting - I noticed that when the break did not eat breakfast, so I started to invite them for breakfast every day and stop to talk to them in the end were the most committed, a moral, with no hunger motivation.
Everything was moving very well, began to emerge very good ideas were discovering concepts, suggesting ideas and had a total order in the classroom, breathed a spirit of hard work and commitment that impressed me a lot, in fact some of these students were more creative than my college students. I expected a total failure and I met a great success, of course had a few students were, but wanted to learn, and they were always asking questions and went, that was important.
class occasionally became a physics class or economy, taking interesting and unexpected directions. But problems arose, the director had a long series of complaints, I had to follow a program according to ministry, which was asking to use the book as the school had a commitment to the editorial, could not take breaks (the class was 3 hours straight) and could not eat breakfast with students, or rather with the students, it was frowned upon , which was to take list and exams, and my job was to coordinate with the other teacher because she was terrified of my methods, it was teaching them things that even she knew.
Well I agreed on some things, like making a program, make a clear partial disqualification and make the break in the classroom, it was usually a place to talk about movies, TV and criticize the Colombian but could not force anyone to buy a book that was very bad, "if there were 70,000 students who had no breakfast, I imagine that with an expenditure of these your family should be deprived of some basic need-so di the option of using any books or make photocopies, and clear conflict with the director, I accuse myself of sloth (not to make assessments) and not be committed to the institution (to lose money they do not follow the book) and that after a couple of months called me, raised me easily, or do what you say or is fired, so I quit. Apparently delayed enough to re-implement the system and failed to get regular students buy the book, they complained all year, asking that my system will be implemented in all areas.
My conclusions from this experience is that in that school only interested in money and not students, in fact, some teachers were treated as if they were delayed, the owners and teachers were treated as if they were delayed starving a saturated market are easily replaceable parts, so I better shut up and do your job, your job is behind many, that was the philosophy. The worst thing is that 99% of schools are in that style.
On one hand I realized that all have interests and work if you move. Even the best of the class was a student in other courses considered him mentally ill. We must make education more humane, that does not mean drinking beer with the students, but if you understand a little about your environment and be flexible in some situations, and more if it is difficult socio-economic backgrounds. That education should not be in the hands of administrators (bad managers) should be in the hands of people who care about education and people, not only to maximize profits and maintain discipline.
On the other hand I think the standards of education are really mediocre things really can be taught interest in secondary education. Middle school books suck. The salaries of middle school teachers are a pittance, are to maintain depressed. Secondary education is perfect for producing cheap labor, with zero self-esteem, zero creativity, and zero social and political criticism, the typical employee of the typical third world companies. (The upper classes of Colombia studying abroad or in schools with foreign educational systems).
Well now we come to the University, my first teaching experience was very interesting, I took some liberties, I remember that in calculus II Univalle teach Fourier series notation Landau, among other things and stop the calculation was applied to study the laws of Maxwell (two students joined a primitive radio) the result was great, the classes were intense and exciting, and my problems circulated and discussed by all parties and some answers really surprised me.
But the boss said ships to the level they are engineers, then I played a course in economics has been the worst experience of my life, people of no interest (there were two exceptions), I remember this class as students they were dead in their chairs, was then more students with less motivation and less motivated colleagues with students, then came massive courses, classes, workshops, standardized super classes in auditoriums, budget problems, public university finally getting worse exponentially, but still made some good research and many brilliant people have opportunities to develop their potential, but if everything goes as it is, it will end.
Then I started in, I just simply say that such attempts to propose expanding exhibitions on subjects seen in the course or where they could apply what they learned, the results are grayish. Some students recognize that math is much more than what can be displayed in a course and found items that were of interest also was his first encounter with something similar to an investigation, that was the good part. The downside, some students saw it as an opportunity to get a simple note, presentations and impromptu mediocre (some extremely poor), others made presentations to technical resources and little content (much substantive little verb), it seems that it works other course. Well, some did not go well, but in the effort to understand some things you can do better and acceptable standards are higher than they thought, there is much to learn, and gladly recognize that effort, I know I touch and I hope that they can use to see things with a different tone.
the bitter Well I have not been removed, the only thing that counted was the good faith, but some people behave in an indecent way a note is all that matters, appear in Table of honor and 10 subjects to see the next semester, I that. But the students make a decent stay.
I am now evaluating objectively which has led to this state of things, all this deserves serious reflection and taking action, but perhaps the best start is to ask students to reflect on what they want and how that they do, they are more critical, and try to avoid what can the way that makes them more stupid, this is usually is easier, is to follow all the instructions to the letter without thinking. The universities have what they are to call into question what is stated, science advances thanks to mistrust, not to swallow it whole ... and if Newton was wrong and if Einstein ... it is curious that the systems are always privileged beings with the ability to support themselves. But in general the average is less and less creative and more ready to eat, perfect economic units.
always bored me to write, is because this is basically useless, finally, the moment I'm still trying to offer a creative alternative, to release a little pressure about grades, but not to be lazy, but rather so they can think without pressure, can stop to meditate from time to time.
Although as stated in July, some see freedom as an opportunity to do nothing, make a note without effort, which is a bit disappointing. But some students take it well, and for them it is worth continuing to do things well.
Amid this swing is that I am the best teacher, but try to improve. Not enough to have moments of inspiration, I find ways to give all I can give in the present order of things, but I do not lack the desire. But it's sad know that humanity is what it is, because we we devise ways to pass information from one generation to another, it gave us the advantage as a species, and now all this because every time we go to less information, or meaningless information , or single pass important information to selected groups.
in our country is more sad, teachers are unlikely to be enforced, is intended almost no money for education and research, there is a negative perception of the profession, fewer and fewer people are studying or have undergraduate teacher vocation Some students treat teachers like their maids, good teachers are the obstacles for cardboard, little knowledge is appreciated, and will remain third world (the third is because most teachers have salaries of three), if this does not change.
