Registering for Spring

As I sit here waiting for my college registration hour to arrive, I find myself wishing that certain degrees carried a bit more import with employers. For example, if a person gets an Associates' Degree in Design Drafting, he or she could probably get an entry-level or slightly higher level job as a drafter with an engineering firm. That makes sense. That's what they went to school to learn. But what about those who find enjoyment in a more liberal arts-type education? There are certainly Associates' Degrees available in the Liberal Arts field. But it is noted in my college catalog that this degree is for those who are seeking their Bachelor's Degree in the same field. The AA degree does absolutely nothing to make a person marketable. He can't teach with an AA degree. There are very few employers who list the ability to analyze Shakespeare as a job requirement. And so, the student proceeds to a university to get a four-year degree in liberal arts. That degree qualifies the student...to get a certificate. Then, with that certificate, the student can...teach liberal arts.

Are you starting to see a pattern? Our society has become so oriented towards profits and business and technology that we are losing an appreciation for a part of our human experience that makes us well-rounded. Students are forced to take classes in majors which don't interest them because the classes that do interest them won't get them a job. Can you tell where I'm going with this? Here I am, looking at the list of Associates' Degrees available from my local Community College, and there isn't a single one of them that I want to pursue. Oh sure, I would like to go for liberal arts, but to what end? What good would it do me? Yes, I would probably enjoy the classes and gain an appreciation for a wide range of subjects. Let me just take my degree and fill out my application for McDonalds, thank you very much. This goes back to my previous rant on teachers and requirements, as well. Just in case you didn't catch that.

So I sit here, wondering what I will do. To tell the truth, I just don't know. All that I am sure about is that I am going to take my French classes so I can have the benefit of learning another language. At least that will do me some good in my daily life. (Don't ask...it's a long story.) But after that? What's the point of continuing my college? I'm already in a job that I hate. Should I get a degree to work in another job that I'll hate? No...that would be a waste. I think I'll just stick with French and writing and see if I can parlay that into something better. If not, well... would you like frites with your burger?

Teachers

My son has been dealing with the difficulties of high school. Lately it seems as though his homework is overwhelming. That isn't surprising, as he is taking some very tough classes. But that did get me thinking about the disparity in homework between different instructors teaching the same course.

Please don't get me wrong. I admire teachers greatly and I think that they are overstressed, underpaid, and underprotected. However, I do think that some teachers use homework as a substitute for good teaching. They ramble on in class, hoping that students pick up some information, but then expect them to do the bulk of their learning by copying paragraphs and doing exercise after exercise. There are benefits to homework, and studying is a necessity. But shouldn't the better part of the teaching be done within the classroom, where the teachers can see the results? I wonder if it is just a form of surrender by certain teachers who have given up hope of seeing progress in their students or by those who are just tired of the job.

That brings me to the second part of my rant: certification. Granted, we want qualified teachers giving instruction to students. Certification gives states the ability to ensure themselves that teachers meet some minimum standards. Yet, I have seen a number of teachers who have their certification who don't seem qualified to teach a dog to sit! The problem lies in a system that forces teachers into a mold and a pattern of teaching that is unimaginative and stifling.

I am not a teacher. At this stage in my life I would love to try my hand at the job. The monkey wrench in the works is the fact that I do not have a bachelor's degree. With my current job and family situation, there is no way I can even find the time to go back to school to get the degree. I have been told over and over again that I could be a teacher, that I should be a teacher, and that I would be a good teacher. My obstacle lies within a little piece of paper. Frankly, I believe that I have the skills to teach. I have the desire to teach. But I am, according to all the laws of the land, unqualified to teach. I wonder if there might be a better way.

Until that day, I'll keep helping my son through his homework and trying to get my A.S. degree in some subject or another. I'll also keep wondering what would have happened if I had been allowed to teach or had found the time to get my degree. I blame myself first and foremost, but I still wonder if this system isn't broken.

You Can't Have It Both Ways

I was just thinking about the debates that are raging through our public school systems these days. And as I thought about it, I wondered if things aren't getting to the point where our kids are going to suffer. What am I talking about...?

There is this big debate going on as to the teaching of "intelligent design" along side evolution. Now frankly, I am not a believer in evolution, although I used to me. I would be very content if textbooks just stated that evolution is a hypothesis, as there is no way to prove it to be factual by experimentation (which is the basis for scientific reasoning). They could say that there are other hypotheses as well, including intelligent design, creation, etc.

The thing that gets me is that right alongside this is the argument about the pledge of allegience, wherein one side wants "under God" taken out and the other side wants it left in. This is a sore point with me, as various commentators and sociological experts have stated that, in fact, the pledge of allegience is a form of worship to the flag. Those who want "under God" left in are still worshipping a piece of cloth with their mouth, while saying they believe in a Creator on the other side. Either way, this is a form of indoctrination for the kids. Some will say that the kids don't have to say the pledge and that's fine. However, all you have to do is look at the way these kids who don't say the pledge are ostracized by the teachers and the other children to see that it is a difficult thing to do. People want to create a more "inclusive" society for all races and beliefs, but isn't the pledge divisive in that way?

Then there are those who say that people are being patriotic by saying the pledge, and those that don't say it don't love their country. Be real, folks. Would a spy or terrorist have any qualms about saying a pledge in public? Of course not. They would say it, do their dirty work, and laugh that all they had to do was to say some "pledge" to move suspicion away from them. No, the pledge is not a standard for loyalty.

When all is said and done, our kids are being dragged into the middle of a bunch of incredibly selfish people who want things their way and don't want to hear alternatives. Let's keep our eye on the ball everyone. You want what's best for our kids? Improve our schools. Give the kids textbooks and safe environments. Give our kids families who have dinner together instead of running off in a million different directions to soccer practice, dance practice, cheerleading, etc., etc. ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Quit using the kids to further your own agendas and make a name for yourselves. Put their needs, their safety, their emotional well-being, and their futures first.