teachers Options

[brooklyneast05]

should we be able to fire teachers who have failing classes? who seem to suck at teaching? should we pay them less? should teachers with passing classes get paid more?

[mipadi]

Well, passion seems to be that X-factor that makes a person go from ordinary to extraordinary. And if you think about it, passion for one's job is a problem in most areas; it's not endemic to teaching. How many times do you find a passionate Wal-Mart employee, or a passionate waitress? Maybe those are bad examples, but think of your favorite café: a passionate barista can make your café visit go from mundane to awesome.

The problem, of course, is that most professions aren't shaping the minds and lives of our cherished children. It also doesn't really matter if your waitress doesn't give a shit about her job, because it won't really affect your life in the long run, but a teacher who lacks passion -- or, more usually, a string of teachers who lack passion -- do affect a child's affinity for certain subjects.

I don't know. It's a tough problem. I think the solution is not relying on schools to enrich children so much. I was generally bored in school growing up, but my parents and a few select teachers really encouraged me to explore different interests.