[etni] [FWD: Bordering on the ridiculous]
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- To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2004 20:36:06 -0700
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Bordering on the ridiculous
From: "Candy Schorer" <candella@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Dear Friends,
Shavua Tov!
I take exception to the following comment made by a colleague.
"Placated by gmul, teachers allow Senior High School to become a bagrut
conveyor belt, teaching to become test coaching, and students to become
bored and disgusted as they push, pull, pinch, hoist and drag them
through the bagrut."
Whether or not my esteemed colleague really meant this or not can be
debated at another time.
I feel that the comments on the list have gotten out of hand and when
we start turning on each other we lose our objectivity and ability to
be constructive.
I also had many students taking the Matric this year. 10th grade Native
Speakers, 11th grade 5pt EFL students and 5 pt 12th graders. On the
whole, my students did very well and there were few surprises. I didn't
write this on line because I felt that I had been lucky this time
around.
Like all of my high school colleagues, I work very hard for my gmul.
We go to bed in the wee hours of the morning and spend more hours
grading, preparing, planning and giving extra -unpaid hours of lessons
to our students than we do in frontal teaching.
We don't only prepare our students for the English Matric exams. We
teach them literature, world culture and customs. We give them the
basics of writing and prepare them to deal with an English -speaking
world. Moreover, we fill in many of the gaps in their "forever being
shortened" school schedule. Now, with the NBA, we teach them the ins
and outs of research and project writing - skills that prepare them for
the uni. In other words, we help prepare them for the future and for
life.
Does the gmul compensate for all of this? Does anyone say thanks? The
answers vary.
The main thanks we get come through our students. When they visit and
report their accomplishments - the pilot, the army spokesperson, the
doctor, the shaliach, the community worker - and attribute part of
their success to their knowledge of English, that's what we want to
hear.
I am not tooting the horn of high school English teachers, but I know
that we are not only part of a "Bagrut conveyor belt". Our students are
not being dragged, pushed or otherwise abused on the road to
matriculation and I doubt whether they are bored.
We are all facing a difficult adjustment period and we must pull
together and help each other regain confidence in ourselves as skilled
educators.
We should be asking ourselves why a change in an exam has thrown us off
balance. Are we going to let an exam bring us down? How can we be an
active part of the exam process and not passive bystanders?
The bottom line is that we have been asking for guidelines and answers.
So far, we haven't received any information in spite of the fact that
we are the true facilitators of the NC/NBA.
Therefore, I propose the formation of a committee of our peers that can
work with the Inspectorate. I am willing to join and I am sure that
many of my colleagues will be willing to volunteer their time as well.
Let's get to the crux of the problem, solve it, incorporate the answers
and move forward. This will allow us to begin the coming school year
with surety.
Have a nice summer and Chodesh Tov.
Yours,
Candella Schorer
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