FatHobbit;517582 wrote:Maybe there is a correlation to shitty teachers (coaches) teaching those classes and the national obesity problem.

If you want to point a finger at one thing that is a major contributng factor to our national child obesity problem.....point it squarely at video games.

wkfan;517614 wrote:If you want to point a finger at one thing that is a major contributng factor to our national child obesity problem.....point it squarely at video games.

ha ha, you're joking right? If you want to point a finger at the #1 problem causing the obesity problem, look no farther than the parents. Blaming the TV, computer, video games, etc. is a major cop out. If a parent can't get their kids to go outside, then they are bad parents.

tk421;517619 wrote:ha ha, you're joking right? If you want to point a finger at the #1 problem causing the obesity problem, look no farther than the parents. Blaming the TV, computer, video games, etc. is a major cop out. If a parent can't get their kids to go outside, then they are bad parents.

OK...you are right.

Parents who allow their kids to play video games for hours on end are the bigger issue.....

Overpaid for only 9 months of work....Paid just write if required to work year round for the same annual salary....

ernest_t_bass;517176 wrote:How about this?

Teacher has two years to "show what they got." In that first two year, they are paid dirt (like most of you feel teachers should be). After those two years, they are bumped up to a more respectable pay. They are put on a (let's say) 5 year period of this respectable pay. In order to get to the next "bump," or increase, in pay, they need to complete another set of evaluations, done by professionals. Again, if they pass, they are paid more.

If they don't pass, they are paid the same, and will be re-evaluated in 2 years. If they fail again after those two years, it moves to a one year probationary period. Fail again, bye-bye.

For those that pass, they are re-evaluated every 5 years. One cannot receive tenure until after at least 15 years of teaching. What say you?

The same evaluations happen to people in the business world except in the business world they don't get a second or third chance.

wkfan;517614 wrote:If you want to point a finger at one thing that is a major contributng factor to our national child obesity problem.....point it squarely at video games.

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb.


Point it at lazy/bad parents.

ernest_t_bass;517482 wrote:Gut... What are your implications, though? Just curious.

My implication is that scores/performance in bad schools are still bad. When controlling for compounding factors, school does not appear to be a significant factor. It says to me that the marginal impact of "good teachers" is very marginal. Completely counter-intuitive which is what Freakanomics is all about. Maybe it shouldn't be that counterintuitive. It's not rocket science but the basics fundamentals, something good parents play a big role in. I don't know that Freakanomics looked at highschools, and certainly not in isolation. It stands to reason that you'd start to see a significant impact at the HS level when kids are getting into advanced sciences and math.

I wonder what would happen if you had subjects taught by video from highly effective teachers and the classroom instructor to offer some additional special attention. The challenge would be holding the kids' interest with all those videos. But the question I would pose is can a video/computer program be at least as effective as a teacher at learning material? The future?

wkfan;517614 wrote:If you want to point a finger at one thing that is a major contributng factor to our national child obesity problem.....point it squarely at video games.

Rofl.

It is the parenting.

One can play video games and, *gasp*, also spend lots of time outside. My parents made sure of it, and taught me that there was nothing wrong with playing video games and the like, but also taught me to enjoy other activities, like sports, camping, etc., etc.

My father used to play video games with me all the time, the old Atari and NES, and after were were bit, we would go out and kick the soccer ball around, throw the baseball, etc.

They taught me that you can play video games but, like everything, they taught me to show moderation and exercise common sense in doing so. My dad instilled in me a love for video games, haha, but also for soccer, running, backpacking, etc.

I spent a ton of time outside as a kid. I spent a ton of time playing video games. My parents set limits and boundaries and showed me how to responsibly do so.

Blaming video games is absolutely moronic.

As with most things, in regards to children, it goes back to the parents.

cbus4life;518038 wrote:As with most things, in regards to children, it goes back to the parents.

A lot does come down to schools, too. I think some have made efforts to change and it's been a long time for me, but I remember schools bringing in Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, McDonalds....not to mention the pop and candy vending machines. Even junior high had ice cream and other junk you could buy in the cafeteria. Parents could have healthy food at home and the kids could still junk out at school.

gut;518044 wrote:A lot does come down to schools, too. I think some have made efforts to change and it's been a long time for me, but I remember schools bringing in Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, McDonalds....not to mention the pop and candy vending machines. Even junior high had ice cream and other junk you could buy in the cafeteria. Parents could have healthy food at home and the kids could still junk out at school.

and we grew up just fine.

Glory Days;518051 wrote:and we grew up just fine.

Short, sweet, to the point... and so very true!

thedynasty1998 wrote:2. I absolutely think that a HS math teacher should get paid significantly more than a HS gym or history teacher.

Now I am offended. I am sorry you didn't have a good History teacher. I am an AP US History teacher. In May of every year I have 100+ students of mine take an AP test issued by the collegeboard. If they pass they get college credit, which means they don't have to take the class in college.
Last year, 92% of my students passed the exam. 71% had a score of a 4 or 5. This means that over 75 kids last year received college credit at nearly every institution in the nation. Before you respond, do your research. The APUSH test is statistically one of the hardest tests given by the college board. Last year only 47% of the nation passed the test. Math and Science are important, but I will not let my discipline be degraded.

georgemc80;518062 wrote:Math and Science are important, but I will not let my discipline be degraded.

Before you get TOO worked up, remember that these are laypeople with whom you are arguing.

I can drive over a rickety bridge and point out all sorts of things that need to be done to it to make it better, but at the end of the day, the engineer is the only one that truly knows how.

Pick6;517511 wrote:The only teaching jobs ive ever heard of head football coaches having are PE, health, and art. Those aren't necessarily hard classes to teach

I did my student teaching with the head football coach. High school English teacher. I coach varsity baseball and varsity basketball.

Pick6;517511 wrote:The only teaching jobs ive ever heard of head football coaches having are PE, health, and art. Those aren't necessarily hard classes to teach

Also, do you mind if I ask what YOU think are the "hard classes to teach?"

slingshot4ever;517918 wrote:Overpaid for only 9 months of work....Paid just write if required to work year round for the same annual salary....

Looks like your Spelling/English teacher was paid too much.

georgemc80;518062 wrote:Now I am offended. I am sorry you didn't have a good History teacher. I am an AP US History teacher. In May of every year I have 100+ students of mine take an AP test issued by the collegeboard. If they pass they get college credit, which means they don't have to take the class in college.
Last year, 92% of my students passed the exam. 71% had a score of a 4 or 5. This means that over 75 kids last year received college credit at nearly every institution in the nation. Before you respond, do your research. The APUSH test is statistically one of the hardest tests given by the college board. Last year only 47% of the nation passed the test. Math and Science are important, but I will not let my discipline be degraded.

I meant no offense to you, and I actually think teachers who teach AP classes should be paid more than those who don't. I commend you for your work, but as a whole, I think that Math and Science teachers are more valuable and more important. I don't mean anything to you personally, but from my experiences, it seems to be the coaches who are more often than not history teachers. Does that mean they are not good teachers? No. But I do think that if someone wants to be a HS teacher/coach they tend to go towards history moreso than math and science because it's just an easier path.

thedynasty1998;518106 wrote:I meant no offense to you, and I actually think teachers who teach AP classes should be paid more than those who don't.

What about special education teachers, who spend a TON of time writing IEP's, etc. They put in a lot more time than regular ed teachers.

thedynasty1998;518106 wrote:But I do think that if someone wants to be a HS teacher/coach they tend to go towards history moreso than math and science because it's just an easier path.

What makes you say it's an easier path? I've had many college friends (who go the History path) that say that the Social Studies Praxis exam was dang near impossible. One of the hardest tests they had ever taken.

Again, I'm just playing devil's advocate, but most of your responses are near exemplary of what the public "thinks" they know, b/c it just seems to be the obvious answer.

"Uh, duh football coach is the PE teacher. It easy to teach PE." I'm not picking at you, but fact of the matter is, the layperson simply does not know. You are in real estate. I can say this and that about that field, make it sound like I know, but at the end of the day, YOU are the one who actually knows what's going on. Just because you attended school does not make you an expert. I have bought houses and sold houses. That doesn't make me an expert at the process of marketing it.

ernest_t_bass;518115 wrote:What about special education teachers, who spend a TON of time writing IEP's, etc. They put in a lot more time than regular ed teachers.



What makes you say it's an easier path? I've had many college friends (who go the History path) that say that the Social Studies Praxis exam was dang near impossible. One of the hardest tests they had ever taken.

Again, I'm just playing devil's advocate, but most of your responses are near exemplary of what the public "thinks" they know, b/c it just seems to be the obvious answer.

"Uh, duh football coach is the PE teacher. It easy to teach PE." I'm not picking at you, but fact of the matter is, the layperson simply does not know. You are in real estate. I can say this and that about that field, make it sound like I know, but at the end of the day, YOU are the one who actually knows what's going on. Just because you attended school does not make you an expert. I have bought houses and sold houses. That doesn't make me an expert at the process of marketing it.

No offense, but the math/science classes in college required to be able to teach math/science in HS make history classes in college look like a joke.

I can not speak for the Praxis exam.

ernest_t_bass;518096 wrote:Also, do you mind if I ask what YOU think are the "hard classes to teach?"

Math from Algebra up
English, not Literature classes
Chemistry, Physics
Economics, Accounting
Foreign Language

Pick6;518149 wrote:Math from Algebra up
English, not Literature classes
Chemistry, Physics
Economics, Accounting
Foreign Language

What makes History "not hard to teach?" Just curious. (I teach Econ and Accounting, so by your standards, I'm in the clear )

(Before anyone says it... we have PSAT's today, so I have more free time than normal)

The History Praxis is probably only considered to be one of the "hardest" because the one's taking it are not as prepared as other majors. A math and science major is going to take much harder classes than those who are taking history classes, so maybe they are just more prepared come time to take the Praxis?

I have two friends that I know very well who are history teachers, and there is a reason they chose history and not math. It's because math was too hard, and they would get paid the same with an emphasis in history.

I just don't really see how you can compare math and science which takes problem solving to history which is just memorization. It's just two different types of learning and IMO who cares if someone doesn't know what the capital of Idaho is if they are able to excel in the math field.

ernest_t_bass;518150 wrote:What makes History "not hard to teach?" Just curious. (I teach Econ and Accounting, so by your standards, I'm in the clear )

(Before anyone says it... we have PSAT's today, so I have more free time than normal)

History is about memorization. You read a text book and memorize it. Math takes problem solving and can be taught of explained in different ways of thinking.

thedynasty1998;518153 wrote:IMO who cares if someone doesn't know what the capital of Idaho is if they are able to excel in the math field.

Geographers?

ernest_t_bass;518157 wrote:Geographers?

That's what someone would study at the college level. I'm not saying geography and history are not important, but there is a reason that China is surpassing us economically and it's because of the innovation and focus on the math and sciences being taught over there.

Maybe we can agree to disagree, but I don't think a history teacher has the same value as a math teacher, although that's obviously not how the current system is setup.