[etni] Fw: re: in response to Maxine
- From: "Ask_Etni" <ask@xxxxxxxx>
- To: "ETNI" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:10:51 +0200
----- Original Message -----
From: Tamar Nahari - tamarnahari@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: in response to Maxine
For too long, I have felt that I have been
teaching pupils things that they should have been studying in
their native language before they were required to perform
them in a foreign one.
Like punctuation!! Why is the idea of a period at the end of a sentence such
a battle?
David wrote:
>I have been following with great interest the discussion
between you and Batya concerning the new literature programme.
I have to first state that I am one of the mutineers, a
teacher and co-ordinator who signed the letter over a month
ago that was sent to the various parties involved.
I happen to agree with Batya in her objections to the content
of the programme and the way it is being implemented. As she
has pointed out, the fact that so many teachers are up in arms
has to be taken into account. Perhaps we have simply come to
the end of our tether after years of what we are beginning to
see as abuse by the system. The demands for the Bagrut have
risen – first book reports, then projects, then the modular
system that necessitated the giving of FOUR separate “magenim”
to pupils (meaning 4 lots of confrontational situations with
many of them). Budgets have been cut, meaning that schools can
employ fewer teachers to teach grades and consequently classes
have become larger and more heterogeneous, whilst the number
of hours allocated to teach them has been reduced.
The objection to the HOTS programme should be seen as a
symptom of a much wider malaise affecting English teachers. My
guess is that had the new proposal not come after so many
years of chopping and changing the Bagrut programme whenever
someone in power seems to get a whim, then just maybe teachers
would be more open to change. (That is not to say that the
HOTS programme is not without its many flaws.)
As for your idea that we should be “at the forefront of
change; leaders, not followers” I feel that I have to raise an
objection here. For too long, I have felt that I have been
teaching pupils things that they should have been studying in
their native language before they were required to perform
them in a foreign one. Take book reports for instance. Every
time I give out a reading assignment, I am informed by at
least one pupil, “What do you want from me? I don’t read books
in Hebrew, now you want me to read in English?” Most schools
do not require pupils to do book reports in Hebrew on a
regular basis. And how about composition writing? I am still
struggling with my 12th grade 5 pointers in two schools as
many of them do not know how to build a paragraph. Some of
them don’t even skip lines between paragraphs (I wouldn’t dare
teach indentation) no matter how many times I point this out
to them. Had they been writing properly IN HEBREW from an
early age, this would not be an issue today.
I could go on here and give many other examples of things that
are done in English before they are touched on in the pupils’
native tongue, but I will spare you the anguish. Somehow, I
think that other posters will chip in with their examples.
The truth is that I would rather be a follower than a leader.
The clue is in the name of our profession – “Second-language
teachers.” If you want me to lead, then quite simply pay me
more. In any institution, leaders are remunerated on a higher
level than the lead. If not, then let me follow and get on
with my job.
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