[etni] Re: Fw: a non-sarcastic reply
- From: Lev Abramov <lev.abramov@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:53:11 +0200
Dear Batya -
Having been out of the teaching field for a while, I can afford a wider
margin of error. I intentionally placed a disclaimer at the beginning of my
posting to underline that I was not familiar with HOTS - I don't even happen
to know what this abbreviation stands for (or against). If what you are
saying is true, then - with all that I had said still making a valid point,
but being totally irrelevant - this HOTS thing is a true motivation killer,
and y'all must fight it until you win. Using FOREIGN LITERATURE to teach
critical thinking skills is certainly wrong, not only in terms of killing
the joy of studying the English literature, but also being an attempt to put
the cart before the [half-dead] horse (excuse my mixed metaphor).
In any case, you should not react to my posting so angrily. I am out of
teaching; so is my wife, and we both would rather starve than go back to
teaching English at school. At gunpoint, we will not. All our kids have
grown up - the youngest one is in the army. No grandchildren. I don't have
any personal reasons to fight for the betterment of the teaching of English.
So the only reason for me to post here is the burning desire to see a school
system where the English teacher will not be underpaid, overworked and
humiliated. I still care.
My employment outside the school system also enables me to say things aloud
that some of you might be reluctant to say because of possible (real or
perceived) retaliation. For example, I strongly believe that those who tell
you what and how to teach cannot teach. Take any one of the people who sign
the instructions on how to implement HOTS in the English classroom, put
them in the English classroom, and warn the pupils: this is a regular
teacher, just like me. She may try to convince you she is a ministry
official; don't believe her, and behave your regular way. The kids will eat
this "HOTS peddler" up, together with the briefcase and the cell phone,
before the bell rings. You think the same, don't you? You just don't say it
aloud very often...
A question: can you guys fake HOTS? Rather than openly oppose it risking
your jobs, maybe it makes more sense to just use the time to really teach
literature for literature's sake - no matter what you report and how you
present it to the powers that be (is there anyone in your school's
administration capable of calling your bluff?). Worth a try, IMHO...
A thought: all pupils were not created equal. Neither were schools, nor the
communities that send their young to these schools. Why not leave the
decision whether to implement this HOTS thing - or to refrain from
implementing it - at the discretion of the school English team? If you have
a class that allows for teaching literature at this level - go for it. But
if someone else has a bunch of kids who have probably only read five or six
books in their native tongue, overall, and cannot explain WHY they like or
dislike a book, in their mother-tongue - why bother? This approach would
eliminate the need to argue about it any further, as every teacher would be
matching the curriculum with the real needs of their specific learner
population.
Another thought: not everyone takes translation as a subject, so it carries
two Bagrut credits of its own, granted to those who take it and pass. Why
should HOTS be different? This would make an excellent subject; two more
point to the overall Bagrut score; and no fighting about it. Just make it an
elective. Not everyone needs higher-level critical thinking skills, and some
clearly cannot afford it.
All you guys have to do is join forces and be strong enough to make your
voice be heard.
On this cheerful note, and wishing y'all best of luck in this difficult
endeavor -
Lev
2009/12/17 Ask_Etni <ask@xxxxxxxx>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: sbshai - sbshai@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: a non-sarcastic reply
>
>
> This is addressed to Lev, who pointedly asked me, "How, then, do you expect
> your shining-bright native speaker students to be able to discuss
> literature
> without being able to recall and define the basic terms required for such
> discussion?"
>
> Really, the answer is so simple: Not only do they already have the
> terminology to discuss literature intelligently, but most of the eleventh
> and twelfth grade 5 pointers in our school are impressively familiar with
> enough literary terms to do so as well. (If you doubt this, I can show you
> an average student's exam!)
>
>
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