Teachers: Why?

[linkidoo]

Teachers are given the role of teaching (obviously) us things that are important for us to know later on in life. Now, this sounds like a good idea and sometimes (rarely) it works. But why must schools pick the most thick headed, disrespectful fuckwits that the world has come to known? And why do they always seem to hate you with a fury that could melt lead?

Here's some theories:
They had no friends during school(nothing against all loners) but were good at school. Thus was qualified to become a teacher, letting them cause us grief because we have a happier childhood then them.

They have a passion for being in authority, but don't want to be watched and checked for their own actions. Therefore becoming a teacher would enable them to have full reign on youths because are rights don't mean jackshit to them.

Because no one would want to have children with them, they see fit that we have to be their children minus the adoption fees.

Thats my theories, feel free to share your own.

[fishpit]

I guess many teachers (excluding collage/university) only teach for the pay check- they have absolutely no passion for the subject(s) they teach. Like students, they want to leave school as soon as possible. Little wonder they can be so mean.

Of course there are also many great teachers who really can teach and don't treat students like shit. But every teacher I've encountered, no matter how good or bad, always asserted authority. This authority, is of course inevitable. So killing the school system is only way to kill this authority.

[xcriteria]

Of course, teachers vary in their motivations and personalities...

I'd agree that authoritarianism is common though. In some (many?) cases, it's their personality. Another cause is the teaching philosophies and methods taught to teachers -- like behavioristic theories (behavior shaping via rewards and punishments) and methods for "classroom management." Also, the school structure itself of one teacher managing whole classrooms at once, promotes this -- teachers do have a lot of students to deal with, and it isn't necessarily easy even with good intentions.

Here's a Teaching Style Quiz that assigns a teacher into one of three categories: authoritarian, laissez-faire, and indifferent.

This Learning vs. Teaching Styles chart is pretty interesting, it shows compatible vs. incompatible pairings of teaching styles with learning styles. Interesting way to look at it -- obviously some students don't mind as much as we do the authoritarian structure.

[NowhereWoman]

My belief is that, whether intentionally or nintentionally, we as students are being taught to be teachers.
After all, in what profession do you need to know the definition of a 'gerund?'
I'm sure there are some editing positions in journals or newspapers, sure, but really, only a teacher would need to know this useless bit of info, in order to tell her students about it, give them a worksheet and a quiz(which they will presently forget!!!!!!)
This stuff happens in every subject, every day.