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.