Ivory Tower

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Home : 2003 : September : 11

Ivory Tower
By 4th year teacher

It almost seemed as though everything I learned in my college years was a waste. I had one teacher who taught us sound pedagogy, but b/c all of the other profs pushed cooperative, hands-on, alternatively assessed things,
we thought the old bat was crazy. After my second year, I was sorting my college files and compared the notes to my own experience. I discovered that I could have just paid attention in her class, skipped the rest and done great.
Colleges seem to present an "Ivory Tower" approach to learning. I believe those methods designed to draw in the kids who do not do well with traditional

methods hinder about half of my class.

Aside during my first year: How did I spend so long teaching fractions (they learned them last year, but couldn't do my fun activities)? The most humbling experience comes when a kid says my mom showed me to just do this..."Yes, Billy that is the way I learned too, but today you can skip count to multiply 2,645 by 2. Now try this, 2, 4, 6, 8, ..."

How hilarious that I now aspire to be that which I ridiculed in college! I vary my lessons, but kids get burnt out on fun, fun, fun activities all of the time. Watch a class reaction when they have one of their fewer "fun" lessons. Our teacher is the best!