Learned Helplessness

[u/ReesesNightmare]

[u/donorcycle]

Let me preface that I have nothing but love for teachers. My comment is not directed at teachers - you are a singular entity, you cannot on your own be held accountable for our nations education system.

My comment was directed to the powers that be. The ones that purposely have systematically dummied down our education system, for their own reasons. Rockefeller family comes to mind. "I love the poorly educated." That particular side of the aisle has been toying with our education system from way back when. You are a teacher, I have no business educating you in history lol.

I firmly believe that teachers, educators et all are absolutely critical, treated like second rate citizens, and woefully underpaid. My comment 100% was directed to our government. The ones closing the Department of Education. They are the reason our education system is absolute trash. It's by design. We are the United States of America. No way shape or form should we be ranked 20th in the world. Semantics aside, some countries skewer the results, firmly agree with you. But not 19 countries. That is my point. We are still poop, lol.

[u/Naughtynuzzler → u/donorcycle]

I appreciate your clarification! There's a lot of people out there right now blaming education for a lot of things, and now a federal government who seems to only want to make.our jobs harder by taking away funding, so I'm a bit on edge lol.

[u/donorcycle → u/Naughtynuzzler]

I genuinely meant it earlier when I said - "this is how all teachers should be." Earlier, there was a video of a famous footballer and they surprised him with his old teacher when he was a little boy. This famous, somewhat cocky millionaire, turned back into a 8 year old little boy on the spot. Even took his hat off his head out of respect. My comment was - this is the kind of everlasting impact a proper parent like / educator / guardian / adult influence can have on a kid. Children will now and forever always be OUR future. They made that clear when I was a kid at least.

Education wise, there was a time in our country where we taught home ec, woodworking, metalworking, automotive, shop, etc. It gave kids the absolute basics on adulting, for when they graduate and go off into the world. It also gave the less than scholarly students at least some skill sets to use in trade work. I have 25 year old employees today who put tinfoil in microwaves and don't know to remove the container from the box with their frozen meals lol.

[u/Naughtynuzzler → u/donorcycle]

To be fair, the high school I teach at has a cooking class, a wood shop class, and a childhood development class (how to raise kids, how the early brain develops, etc.) A LOT of those skills you talk about - especially learning to not put foil in the microwave lol - were taught at home back then. Education starts with parents - we only see them for 6, 7 hours a day, 5 times a week. We don't get to teach them healthy eating habits, common sense around electrical outlets, proper hygiene... they need parents for that. And so many parents are either incapable of being there for their kids or struggling so much themselves that they physically can't manage it, you know? 90% of the teachers i work with certainly know that children are the future - but we inherit them as they come, and need to meet them where they are. Half my 9th graders enter high school and don't know their continents lol. And I don't necessarily blame their middle school teachers for that.

[u/noooooolikeusain → u/Naughtynuzzler]

I love the way you guys are interacting, respectful and sincere. And with a deep and critical understanding that teachers are not the problem, the system is, so thank you guys

[u/squaaawk → u/noooooolikeusain]

My feelings exactly.