[etni] My two cents
- From: Ariella Kopels <mckopels@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:01:10 -0800 (PST)
I apologize up front that this is very long. I have been following the various
threads on the discussion list for some time, and it seems to me that they have
one point in common: English teachers want to feel validated â?? professionally
and yes, financially. I think that there is a large gap between what we want
out students to achieve and how the system helps us to accomplish our goals.
Recently a number of former 4 point students have approached me to improve
their Bagrut points by taking the 5 point exam. Several have told me that their
chosen institutions of higher learning have suggested upgrading English because
Math and Hebrew Language would be too difficult. â??You just need a 95â?¦â?? A
piece of cake - after all English isnâ??t one of those serious subjects. You
know - if you can use the Internet (in vaguely discernable language) and
understand movies (whose level of grammar and vocabulary isnâ??t any better)
you too can ace the 5 point modules. Does anyone take us seriously anymore?
Every one of the points discussed relates to our professional credibility. L D
dispensations have become the Wild West. There are no standards. No one is
monitoring who gets what and few parents trust our opinions. Last week one of
my students told me â??I donâ??t need to learn vocabulary, I have
â??â??hakalotâ??.â?? The number of students who have dispensations has grown by
leaps and bounds over the past ten years; yet I consistently see students who
have real problems denied help because their families donâ??t have the ability
to pay for testing. True, there are many students whose dispensations are
legitimate, but many are not. Then there is the matter of how these
dispensations are applied. Why is it that in every other subject the students
can by tested by a â??neutral testerâ?? who write the answers for them; are
English teachers not trustworthy?
And, if we are talking about standards, why is it that there are no definitive
guidelines for administering the modules? I appreciate the notion of
independence, but there is a large gray zone out there. In an attempt to make
our department more efficient, our co-ordinater has spoken to four other
schools to see how they run their Bagrut program. Not one of them gave the same
answer. Then we have the matter of the yearly grade, the kids still call it a
â??magenâ?? and thatâ??s how they see it. It seems to me that there is
something intrinsically wrong with a system of examinations that needs to have
a â??shieldâ?? for the students to do well. In the years I have been teaching
for Bagrut I have been questioned by homeroom teachers, cajoled by students,
threatened by parents (â??If my son commits suicide you are personally
responsibleâ?¦â??) and offered cash, which  was turned down and reported to
the administration - so itâ??s not all about the money .
Why are some of us looking for remuneration for the projects now? Simple
because we didnâ??t know any better. It was part of the job. I didnâ??t know
that other departments are paid for all sorts of tasks that we do for free.
Call it the Anglo-Saxon work ethic â?? and it doesnâ??t matter if you are
Israeli or European born, if you teach English you are guilty of association. I
donâ??t want more than teachers in other departments; I just want the same
treatment.
As for the HOTS, yes they are very important. They are also time consuming and
very puzzling to students who donâ??t know the concepts in their L1. This is
not only my humble opinion. I have spoken to colleagues from History and
Science, who are also being pushed HOT and heavy into the program and have
students who look at them cross-eyed because they truly do not know what is
expected of them. You can dress the program up with bells and whistles, You
Tube and worksheets, but nothing can replace solid preparation in the
elementary grades.
I think I am a good teacher, I know that my colleagues are. I just want to be
able to do what I do best and be respected for those efforts.
Shabbat Shalom,
Ariella Kopels
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