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From: pector@ihuxw.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: education: re:JJ
Message-ID: <570@ihuxw.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 7-Nov-83 15:30:04 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxw.570
Posted: Mon Nov  7 15:30:04 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 8-Nov-83 14:01:22 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il
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!rabbit!jj and the rest of you (et al. or what ever is current in Latin):

Presenting anecdotes may lead others to good solutions.  One thing that
occurred to me because of Parnass's anecdotes and mine is that a big problem
results from the fact that teachers are people, too. (Brilliant, huh?!)
As a result, they have problems and hang-ups, too, and can be screwballs.
One way to deal with this type of situation is to restrict teachers' and
students' actions.  This is probably a very unpleasant alternative.  By
giving teachers a lot of powers in the classroom a lot of good things and
bad things happen.  Some teachers can do a lot for their students and
bring out the best in them by being very flexible in their teaching.  Other
teachers can do the same thing being strict.  Any teacher can be bad by
being too flexible or strict.  In other words, there aren't too many good
teachers since few can reach a balance between the natures of their students
and themselves, strictness and flexibility.  As far as how to strike back
fairly if you are a student who is treated unfairly, I don't think much can
be done in our system.  Teachers do not like parental influence unless it
supports them and the educational system tends to say that teachers, and not
parents, know what is good for the students.  At the moment, I think it is
hopeless.  I'm going to sit on it awhile and maybe I'll hatch a more optimistic
thought.  More than likely, though, some of you will beat me to it! Let's
hear from you by writing to net.flame!  (Personally, I like the anecdotes).

							Scott Pector

P.S. Don't send me any mail.  If you wish to respond, do it in net.flame
     for everyone's benefit.  I've gotten some entertaining letters recently
     and I think others would enjoy them.