Random Fail: First World Problems

[Ksandra]

Because that's all it is, a reference. I find mythology fascinating, particularly zoroastrian and sumerian, but that doesn't mean it's the least bit practical and forcing it on people to make them "cultured" is the surest way to kill any interest in it.

You don't just teach mythology. You use it to teach for various academic terms/strategies. Students have to give a speech and are practicing public speaking techniques. (Which is a common core requirement) They have learned some close reading strategies and note taking strategies, etc. through this. It is also the foundation for understanding a lot of references in other literature they will read both in hs and in College.

Your statement of "forcing" mythology is also dumb because no matter the text or content, you are "forcing" it on the kids.

As an aside, no, knowing who Pandora is won't get you a job, but it will prevent you from looking like a moron at the water cooler from saying something stupid like, "It's so weird a company made a music app AND jewelry."

I mean, one of three major popular book series right now for young teens is about a kid whose mythology book spews all the gods out.

Having a better sense of their world can make a person better understand their own.

[Anoat]

Additionally, learning a culture's mythology is essential to learning about their early history/society, as they are often tied together in creation stories.

Or maybe kids who don't give a fuck about any of that should have the option to go to trade school at 13, what the fuck do I know.

[Blubbartron]

Additionally, learning a culture's mythology is essential to learning about their early history/society, as they are often tied together in creation stories.

Or maybe kids who don't give a fuck about any of that should have the option to go to trade school at 13, what the fuck do I know.

I would argue that the primary reason teaching older civilizations' mythology is important is because it exposes children to the fact that 99% of all religions ever fervently believed have died out and simply been replaced with something newer and more generalized/vague. Also tied into this is the fact that in every case where mythology and science butted heads, mythology lost.

[Ksandra]

Additionally, learning a culture's mythology is essential to learning about their early history/society, as they are often tied together in creation stories.

Or maybe kids who don't give a fuck about any of that should have the option to go to trade school at 13, what the fuck do I know.

I agree with all of this. History classes are starting to go away in lieu of English teachers teaching writing through history lessons. You may discover in a few decades this will be the only time they learn about this stuff.

With that said, it's sad trade schools are not more popular. I think they are important.

[Lenus]

Fuck Pandora Holy shit fucking massively over priced shit

Usually go to Brighton especially for the bracelet charms.

[Aksannyi]

I found out from the Social Studies teachers at the school I'm interning at that they don't even start teaching Social Studies now until 6th grade. The kids don't even get geography in elementary school anymore. WTF, America.

[synistar]

And now we know why adults can't identify countries on a map, including the US, Canada, and Mexico.

I say break out Geoguessr during a rainy day and let kids figure out where the fuck they are in the world/United States to expose them to geography.

[FNH]

Or use those clips from animaniacs

[Airenn]

Been stress eating this weekend since still no call back from the interview. I was also bargaining with myself that if I got the job I would do something else that bold, but nooooo gotta wait another day until tomorrow. ; ;

[Xno Kappa]

Have to fucking go into work tonight.

[NynJa]

And now we know why adults can't identify countries on a map, including the US, Canada, and Mexico.

I say break out Geoguessr during a rainy day and let kids figure out where the fuck they are in the world/United States to expose them to geography.

They dont make educational games like where in the world is carmen sandiego anymore, instead they play games like "can you knock out the 80 year old man with a sucker punch"?

[TheDirtyHobo]

You don't just teach mythology. You use it to teach for various academic terms/strategies. Students have to give a speech and are practicing public speaking techniques. (Which is a common core requirement) They have learned some close reading strategies and note taking strategies, etc. through this. It is also the foundation for understanding a lot of references in other literature they will read both in hs and in College.

Your statement of "forcing" mythology is also dumb because no matter the text or content, you are "forcing" it on the kids.

As an aside, no, knowing who Pandora is won't get you a job, but it will prevent you from looking like a moron at the water cooler from saying something stupid like, "It's so weird a company made a music app AND jewelry."

I mean, one of three major popular book series right now for young teens is about a kid whose mythology book spews all the gods out.

Having a better sense of their world can make a person better understand their own.

Fair game on teaching other stuff through it, but that doesn't make it any more important on its own. I feel like you might be taking it a bit too personally, though; I'm not saying you shouldn't be teaching it, but that it's just something that's generally extraneous and unnecessary to be taught. I'm sure you're a perfectly fine teacher, but I'm also sure if you were completely unrestricted you would do things differently. The fact you can deal with hundreds of shitty teens on a daily basis without constant mental breakdowns and still have the spine to stick up for yourself means you're probably pretty good at your job. I work as a math tutor and only have about 8 students at a given day and want to strangle about a third of them more often than not.

Yes, the K-12 system forces almost everything down student's throats. That's the biggest problem, their goal is to become as standardized as possible when education is a personalized thing.

Knowing who Pandora is does absolutely nothing for the idiot who can't realize that it's not the same company that makes those two things.

And if you forced the kids to read that book, most of the students would hate it and hate you. Because that's what schools do, make you hate things you may have liked otherwise.

[Aksannyi]

You realize that she probably doesn't have any say in half the stuff she teaches, right?

The teacher I'm interning with has certain things she needs to cover. One of them is The Odyssey. That's not up to her, it's up to the county. Possibly even the state.

The units I'm teaching I also had no say in. I'm teaching Romeo & Juliet to the Honors kids and Anne Frank to the Regular kids. That wasn't up to me. That's a county curriculum requirement. She's taking it personally because you're criticizing what she's doing when all teachers want to do is fucking teach without everyone and their uncle telling them what they're fucking doing wrong.

[TheDirtyHobo]

Yes, I am aware of that. I pretty much directly said that.

I'm sure you're a perfectly fine teacher, but I'm also sure if you were completely unrestricted you would do things differently.

The whole thing was to say "I'm not criticizing you personally so much as the fundamental goals of the schooling system."

[dasva]

Yes, because I taught them. That's what teachers do. Part of the project is to find where their myth figure is seen today.

Given the fact that after a week of going over it they still don't realize there is a project I think you are being overly optimistic about their retention of said material

[Melena]

Trying to watch the super bowl on the xbone and cbs's servers are getting raped

[Ksandra]

Given the fact that after a week of going over it they still don't realize there is a project I think you are being overly optimistic about their retention of said material

Kids will remember random shit that relates to what is important to them like their belt brand (Hermes), but don't give two shits about grades.


@Hobo, I chose to do the mythology because the book is challenging, and the content is relatable because they are names they will recognize. I actually think Hamilton's text is one of the most important texts to teach in high school. That is why I take it personal. You are questioning my text choices. There is so much you can do through mythology while teaching culture, it's awesome.


I do honestly think it is amazing that often people whine that future generations can't critically think, are dumbed down, and not taught the way we were, but when a teacher actually tries to use materials that will create critical thinking, is not dumbed down, and was text we were taught, the response becomes, "How useless."

When I worked at the private school where kids got a million times better education than public schools, guess what we taught? Hamilton. To 7th graders. And I didn't have say in it that time.

We want a country of smart people, and part of being smart is studying other cultures and seeing how it applies to your own. Just worrying about what skills get you a job creates lemmings. Making connections is a way to critically think.

[TheDirtyHobo]

I'm not questioning your choice of text. I'm challenging the idea that the specific text matters as much as the analysis of it. You could learn the same techniques from an equally deep analysis of Twilight. The idea that having read or not read certain books is the basis for someone's level of intelligence is archaic, leads to academic circlejerking and is one of my biggest pet peeves. Greek mythology in particular falls into that category: it only prevalent in culture because it's prevalent in classrooms. If Norse mythology was taught instead, maybe Nike would be called Hretha and Fafnir's shitty helmet wouldn't be called Assjammer because no one can remember how to spell it. Never having heard of Dionysus before doesn't make them uncultured or stupid.

[Astylla]

Since eating low carb again my alcohol tolerance is garbage. 2 drinks and I was tipsy as fuck

[NynJa]

Trying to watch the super bowl on the xbone and cbs's servers are getting raped

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