School Functions

[Janx]

The problem I've seen with schools in general is that they are run by people without any corporate business experience.

Organizing a presentation or function is something corporate people know how to do. because they've had to do it and possibly had classes on it specifically.

I've got quite a few teacher friends, and while I'm sure enough that they are good at their job of teaching kids, I can tell that they and their bosses are not good at running a school with anything approaching business experience.

Every teacher is responsible for creating their own lesson plans. Even the new ones. In the corporate world, a new employee gets handed a plan to follow that was drafted by an experienced employee. they don't share a plan in common across the entire class (immagine 5 teachers doing Math 1 with 5 different lesson plans in the SAME school).

Further, they argue that its good they do this because they can customize it to their kids.

How can they be customizing the Fall lesson plan for kids they've never met from the previous grade?

How can the new teachers write a plan targetting his kids when he's never worked there before?


This school function tale is another example of people with no sense of how to do practical business things are asked to put something together.

It's a no-brainer that a slide deck of team pictures with music accompaniment would be EXCELLENT to show during the initial seating/eating as a way of entertaining those who are waiting/filling the quite space of people stuck waiting to get food.

Generally, once people got food, it should be game on. Even the Emmies start handing out awards while the food is on the plate.

Sadly, it's too much work to take over a school system and revamp it, and the pay ain't all that great.

 

[Kramodlog]

The problem I've seen with schools in general is that they are run by people without any corporate business experience.

Good. Schools are not businesses, teachers are not factory workers and kids are not products.

At least in my utopian vision of society.

 

[Janx]

Good. Schools are not businesses, teachers are not factory workers and kids are not products.

At least in my utopian vision of society.

the problem with that is the people telling teachers what to do lack any business sense as well. they are merely teachers with masters in Business Education.


I don't expect schools to crank out kids on an assembly line either.

I do expect schools to make sound business decisions on organizing their work, budgets and so on. Having heard enough horror stories of mismanagement from teachers, you'd think Scott Adams was getting more of his tips from the educational side than corporate.

 

[Kramodlog]

the problem with that is the people telling teachers what to do lack any business sense as well. they are merely teachers with masters in Business Education.

What does commerce have to do with pedagogy?

 

[sabrinathecat]

OK, I don't like to admit this, but at one time, I was studying to become a teacher. (Seemed like a good idea at the time... What was I thinking?)
So, based on what I read, worked on, and the classes I worked in, Yeah, I have some stories, and that was only 1 year.
One of my favorite comments: "How are you planning on teaching ____ lesson?" This from a 10-year veteran--you'd think she'd have some clue by now.
It wasn't the kids that were the problem, it was the lies. Lies of omission, lies of Political Correctness, and the teachers I worked with--I wonder if the 3rd graders weren't more mature and less whiny. Many of the revered scholars and text books I endured were so full of touchy-feely crap that I totally disagreed with that I was wondering if I had been transported to Bizzaro land. No, that was the expectation.

Teachers are not saints, and they aren't geniuses (usually). They are trained to expose children to information and (in theory) expand their knowledge so that the children can function in our society and culture. Sadly, in many cases they are expected to, and force to, function as erzatz parents, because many adults breed children without assuming the responsibility of parenting them. Thus the teaching profession has been sabotaged.

OK, School Functions: Of course they suck. The mere fact that they feel the need to hand out participation trophies so that no one's precious little darling has their ego scarred because they all need affirmations... Sorry, but the participation trophy demeans any value of the real trophy.
Now, if you'd never been to one, and didn't know what to expect, fine, it was a horrible experience, but now you can get over it. If you knew ahead of time, and went anyway, knowing it would suck, then, well, you were right. And you suffered for it. Tough.
Here's the real question: Did your kid want to be there? Did your kid want you to be there? If the answers are yes, then suck it up. And remind them of this when they are old enough to be attending their own children's school functions.

I never asked anyone to go to my graduation ceremonies, and when possible (after high school), I didn't attend them myself. Closest thing was when I was testing for rank at the Dojo, and even then, I didn't ask anyone to show up for those (boring if you aren't participating).

 

[Janx]

What does commerce have to do with pedagogy?

You used too big a word. I'd have to look that up.

I think you mistake my intention that schools be run by people who've had management classes and experience for commerce.

 

[sabrinathecat]

Administrators should have experience in dealing with personnel and finance.
Teachers should know how to teach.
If there's a presentation of some kind, or an event or function, if someone doesn't have experience, they should at least talk to/bribe/consult with someone who does.

 

[Kramodlog]

You used too big a word. I'd have to look that up.

Snark?

I think you mistake my intention that schools be run by people who've had management classes and experience for commerce.

I'll reiterate my comment. Schools aren't businesses, they do not need to be managed like they were. Anecdotes of mismanagement do not mean they are mismanaged as a whole and need new standards for the head of schools. We have plenty of examples of businesses being mismanaged. The problem is people.

 

[sabrinathecat]

Schools aren't businesses? Sure they are.
State-run businesses. Their income comes from taxes. Unless they're private, in which case, tuition fees.

 

[Janx]

Administrators should have experience in dealing with personnel and finance.
Teachers should know how to teach.
If there's a presentation of some kind, or an event or function, if someone doesn't have experience, they should at least talk to/bribe/consult with someone who does.

And that's it in a nutshell.

I'm reasonably confident teachers know how to teach.

I'm reasonably confident the janitors and lunch crew know how to do their jobs.

I'm not so confident the rest of the adults in the building know how to run an organization with 2500+ inmates.