Can vs. Want
Jared T. Byrd
January 14, 2010
It’s interesting to note that between the three of us in my little group (Kayleigh, Joh, and myself) that we all report generally positive scholastic experiences, such that the negatives stand out much further than the positives. Yet those negatives carried a similar theme; teachers who do not in any way care about the students learning the material. While I disagree with the concept that every student wants to learn, I am very much in support of the idea that every student can learn. Any teacher who claims their student is unteachable (as opposed to merely hostile to the idea) has abandoned their craft for a poor excuse.
Speaking of laziness, my preference as stated for a private institution is also an act of laziness. Tim was quite correct when he said that such an institution typically fails to give a wide perspective on the world. That was the advantage I was looking at, that having one accepted view of the world to be taught made it so easy to know what it was you are supposed to be teaching, as opposed to having to constantly fear who on the PTA you were upsetting by forcing one view or neglecting another. But this is laziness, especially in America. It is a perspective from the teacher’s advantage and for the detriment of the student, we can teach one thing without fear, without having to clearly explain why we were teaching no other perspective, other perspectives aren’t allowed.
I have been fortunate to have many teachers who were competent in their field and in the skill of teaching itself. At this university specifically I have had several professors who I have lauded to other students as being exceptionally good at what they do. One in particular I noted put Joh at ease, as she has him for the first time this semester. In brief on poor Joh, I really hope she doesn’t keep any embarrassment over her bathroom-related request in class. As I learned from discussion with her, this is her first term at college since leaving high-school so long ago. As we all did our first semester, she still has a high-school concept of the proper etiquette for class. I gave her a little heads-up, I think she was more ill than embarrassed in the end.