The Smartest Kids in the World..anyone read this?

[briansmama]

I think I'm going to have to buy the kindle book too. I've already downloaded it on audible, but this is one that I'd like to read more than listen to.

[brendag]

I just got the book for my Kindle.  One thing I do when looking at whether I want to buy a book is also look at the negative reviews to see if there is a reason I might not want to buy.  Well thought out and written reviews, not just the "this was horrible" type as that usually doesn't help anyone decide.  :)  

 

In looking at one of the reviews on Amazon, someone gave the book 2 stars.  I still decided to get the book, but the person who wrote the review had this in their review:

 

The statistics are much more concise and much, much better explained with all the nuances in the in the OECD paper. "Viewing Education in the United States Through the Prism of PIsa" 2010; 63 pages.
(free on the Internet at: http://www.oecd.org/unitedstates/46579895.pdf)

 

I have not even begun to look at this paper yet, so I can't comment on it, but I love looking at research.  For those waiting for the books from their libraries, maybe this will be an interesting read if you like research.  My inkling is that the book is still worth the read (and easier), but since I just bought it 10 minutes ago, I can't compare.  :)

 

Brenda

[violamama]

Whoa, I am now completely curious about the book. 

Are those of you calling out the lack of superior intellect, thorough specialized training and extensive experience homeschool moms? And if so, do you ever secretly (or not so secretly) worry about the fate of kids homeschooled by average moms? Or is that kettle of fish too old to open... ?

[Dana]

Whoa, I am now completely curious about the book.

Are those of you calling out the lack of superior intellect, thorough specialized training and extensive experience homeschool moms? And if so, do you ever secretly (or not so secretly) worry about the fate of kids homeschooled by average moms? Or is that kettle of fish too old to open... ?

When contrasted with the dreck that is some of the worst teachers in the US, a homeschooling parent is far better. When contrasted with a gifted teacher who knows their subject, I know I fall so far short that I am doing my son a disservice. However, we do the best we can with what we have.

 

I also had my son read the Paul Tough book mentioned earlier in this thread as well. It's also very good. I want my son to know where his competition really is for college acceptance and for jobs. It's not just being better than a mediocre education locally (although I had some amazing teachers years ago in the same area); he's competing with kids who work hard and have teachers who are experts.

 

I think as homeschoolers we do a disservice to say that homeschooling is always better. It isn't. When we don't look at what we're doing (both individually, and yes, IMO, as a community), we can't improve and we can't fill any gaps if we deny their existence.

 

And yes, I've been homeschooling my son for 5 years now and we're in his 6th now. I've also taught at the cc for (ouch) 15 years and was credentialed to teach secondary math. I've done my student teaching and have graduate hours in education, so when I criticize the pitiful state of education courses and say that my 11 yo could pass them, I'm talking about the courses I took and the degree I have. If we lived in Finland, maybe he'd be in public school (assuming his allergies could be managed). Where we are, he'll be homeschooled, but I don't kid myself....he'll still have serious gaps.

[Rosie_0801]

Are those of you calling out the lack of superior intellect, thorough specialized training and extensive experience homeschool moms? And if so, do you ever secretly (or not so secretly) worry about the fate of kids homeschooled by average moms? Or is that kettle of fish too old to open... ?

 

Only my own! But it's my job to worry, isn't it?   :lol:

[nansk]

My library has about 25 copies, most of them are still being stocked, so I'll borrow this soon.

 

BTW, for those who are interested, this came up in the "Similar Titles" recommendations in my library's website: Finnish Lessons - What the World Can Learn From Educational Change in Finland.

[8filltheheart]

Whoa, I am now completely curious about the book.

Are those of you calling out the lack of superior intellect, thorough specialized training and extensive experience homeschool moms? And if so, do you ever secretly (or not so secretly) worry about the fate of kids homeschooled by average moms? Or is that kettle of fish too old to open... ?

Homeschooling is no different than any other school. There are great, dedicated hard-working homeschooling moms and there are homeschoolers that do not educate their children. The outcome from homeschooling is as varied as the number of homeschooling families.

 

I do not believe the initial education level of,the homeschooling parent matters, but the willingness to commit to self-education and hard work in order to succeed does.

 

In a homeschooling environ, learning side by side your student is not the same as managing a classroom of 30 with 30 different levels of understanding and needing to meet each ones needs. That requires complete understanding of the topic being taught in order to be able to grapple with questions on the spot. In a homeschool environ, saying, I don't know, let's go research your question, is not leaving 29 other students wo a teacher.

 

I agree with Dana. I do better than most teachers in some areas, I definitely fall short in others. The difference is that I know and amdit my weaknesses and try to find ways to compensate for them vs pretending that I am a great teacher in those subjects so that I can take home a paycheck. ;). I am also not at the mercy of a bureaucracy and can ditch what isn't working and take a completely alternate route in order to actually help my students understand.

 

Alternatively, I could find the path of least resistance and say that all education is equal and toss a bunch of mediocre things at my child, not pay any attention to whether they actually do anything and expect them to teach themselves and do all the work wo supervision or grading, and 4 months later flip through a few of the workbooks and see that they have been lying about doing the work, and then post about how horrid my child is for lying.

 

Definitely a disservice to assume all things are better/worse in either direction.

[bumblesmama]

Whoa, I am now completely curious about the book.

Are those of you calling out the lack of superior intellect, thorough specialized training and extensive experience homeschool moms? And if so, do you ever secretly (or not so secretly) worry about the fate of kids homeschooled by average moms? Or is that kettle of fish too old to open... ?

Having superior intellect does't mean a person will be better at inspiring and teaching others; I sat in many professors classes that were brilliant but droll and not interactive teachers. Intellect or the letters behind someone's last name aren't the issue, it is a clear lack of real passion for life-long learning. We have all met that one ( or many) teachers who have gone into the profession for a 'stable' union job and summers off, without a true love for the field they had chosen. They are okay with just 'punching in and punching out'. And then the ever existing involvement of bureaucracy to muddle things up, compounds teacher issues, or ties the hands of those teachers that really care and are really good at what they do.

 

Many HS parents, degreed or not, have a real love and passion for life-long learning. And like anything else any parent does with their kids, they may do better simply because they love their children and have genuine vested interest to see their child succeed. We also aren't teaching 20+ children from different backgrounds, influences, different needs, etc. We have the luxury and freedom to tailor our curriculum to an individual child and learning style; responding, in real time, to any struggle or mastery with a skill set or topic. Freedom to take the time to research what we don't know or explore further in depth each child's special interest that motivates them to explore more.

 

Our ps system is broken, teachers and parents KNOW this. So as parents do we let our kids wait it out in that system and hope for the best until it is fixed? That is why I homeschool.

 

 

Everday I am VERY grateful that I am fortunate to be able to chose a different lifestyle so that I can offer my dd another option to public school. So many families simply do not have the means, or ability within a work schedule, to be able to have options outside of public school; I do get that. It doesn't make them any less caring, involved, and especially any less concerned about their child's education and future. That mobility to have choices is another broken component in life for American families, which is another heated and important topic. ;)

[TracyP]

Whoa, I am now completely curious about the book. 

Are those of you calling out the lack of superior intellect, thorough specialized training and extensive experience homeschool moms? And if so, do you ever secretly (or not so secretly) worry about the fate of kids homeschooled by average moms? Or is that kettle of fish too old to open... ?

 

Ha! I worry about my own kids. Dana and 8 said it so well that I will just snip from them:

 

When contrasted with the dreck that is some of the worst teachers in the US, a homeschooling parent is far better. When contrasted with a gifted teacher who knows their subject, I know I fall so far short that I am doing my son a disservice. However, we do the best we can with what we have.

 

.....

 

 

Homeschooling is no different than any other school. There are great, dedicated hard-working homeschooling moms and there are homeschoolers that do not educate their children. The outcome from homeschooling is as varied as the number of homeschooling families.

 

I do not believe the initial education level of,the homeschooling parent matters, but the willingness to commit to self-education and hard work in order to succeed does.

 

.....

[craftyerin]

My library copy is in! I'm going to drag the kids with me to pick it up this afternoon. I'm excited! 

[serendipitous journey]

Whoa, I am now completely curious about the book. 

Are those of you calling out the lack of superior intellect, thorough specialized training and extensive experience homeschool moms? And if so, do you ever secretly (or not so secretly) worry about the fate of kids homeschooled by average moms? Or is that kettle of fish too old to open... ?

 

well, it does occur to me that I don't know any children being homeschooled by average moms.  All the mothers/fathers I know IRL who are homeschooling are well off the average mark.  All are more interested than average in having an education that suits their children well, for example.  And willing to make extreme lifestyle changes around that value. 

 

On the other hand, few here homeschool neurotypical children for academic excellence -- the PS schools are quite good, and there are several private options.  So most homeschoolers are trying to do something more unschooly than PS or are providing a specialized education for special needs children.  Of the 2-3 dozen homeschoolers I've met, 2 homeschool for academics. 

 

I do think these homeschooling parents show passion, work hard, and are willing to learn from their mistakes and adapt their methods.  Which goes a good way toward job performance. 

 

I don't worry about the fate of these children compared to the PS children here. 

 

I myself get demoralized about the 10-year rule: ten years hard work to become an expert in any field.  I hope to cut it short, in terms of getting really good at homeschooling, by making at least twice as many mistakes in my first five years as would be normally expected.  I am on-target for that goal ;)

 

ETA: I want to clarify that I agree with 8 about the variability in homeschoolers and am not claiming that they, like Lake Wobegon children, are all above average :D.  For a variety of reasons, the homeschoolers I've personally met are unlikely to be the Total Slacker Variety  ...

[Tress]

I myself get demoralized about the 10-year rule: ten years hard work to become an expert in any field.  I hope to cut it short, in terms of getting really good at homeschooling, by making at least twice as many mistakes in my first five years as would be normally expected.  I am on-target for that goal ;)

 

:lol: Love this!

 

[Grantmom]

My library ordered it and I just started reading it!  It's very engaging, definitely draws you in from the start.  I am eager to keep reading.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I'll have to see if our library has it. From the blurb I zeroed in on how we treat the kids who don't do well. Failure is a shame not a step on to learning. My kids that did public school didn't care if they learned only that they scored well. I hate that.

* no library in any of the closest 3 counties has it. What does that say about the local interest in education?

[ErinE]

I'm 44th in line on our library system.

[Lilaclady]

I just finished listening to it on the cd and I must say it is very interesting read. The only part that surprised me was when she said given a choice between the pressure cooker environment of South Korea and the no pressure environment of the US, she will pick the South Korea. I loved the parts about sisu- a Finnish term that almost means grit. I think it is missing in loads of American schools.

[Arcadia]

My library has about 25 copies, most of them are still being stocked, so I'll borrow this soon.

 

BTW, for those who are interested, this came up in the "Similar Titles" recommendations in my library's website: Finnish Lessons - What the World Can Learn From Educational Change in Finland.

Did you see this in your local paper? "Only Finland's best become teachers"

 

From the article,  don't know anything about Finland's cost of living but pay is low compare to California. My school district lowest teacher's pay is $39,069

"According to data compiled last year by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, starting salaries for Finnish primary school teachers average US$30,500 (S$38,300) a year. After 15 years in the service, they rise to US$40,000 a year."

[nansk]

Did you see this in your local paper? "Only Finland's best become teachers"

 

Oh, it seems like Finland is constantly in the news here.

Singapore should not be Finland

Let kids play, give teachers trust

Should Students Take Their First Major Exam Only At 18?

And, after the Nokia sale, Why it’s still worth learning from Finland

 

 

 

... don't know anything about Finland's cost of living but pay is low compare to California....

But it is quite possible that, with the social security system in Finland, teachers enjoy a better standard of living on that salary.

 

Thanks for sharing the Edvantage article. :)

[gerka528]

My library doesn't have any copies, boo. Thinking about the kindle edition.

[Soror]

I've got a copy requested ILL, let's see if I actually get it....

[bumblesmama]

I requested a copy through ILL but our library bought and luckily I am the first to get it. :)

14 day loan, that just picked up yesterday. Started it this morning. Hoping to weigh in more later in the week.

[Vida Winter]

Finally finished listening to this book last night (audible). The biggest take-away for me is that America will never be in league with Finland if they don't address the problem of poorly educated teachers. The U.S. is trying to remedy its problems with common core standards, but that addresses a symptom rather than a root cause. It was also shocking to hear about the South Korean educational system - kids in school from 8 a.m. - 10 or 11 p.m., sleeping in class and "relearning" everything taught at school in the evening with private tutoring agencies. As for my own homeschool - there is definitely room for more rigor and I will be devoting more time to planning.

[OneStepAtATime]

I read quite a bit on the Finnish school system last year.  A large number of my family members, including my mother, are public school teachers (or were).  They have all been appalled at the change in our school system, forcing creative teachers to be less creative or not creative at all, follow only a scripted, narrowly structured approach, only approach topics from one viewpoint, etc..  When I read about the Finnish school system, I was amazed.  Not only do they take only the best and brightest for teachers, the whole curriculum is approached differently.  There is NO structured schooling before the age of 6, allowing young brains to make all those critical thinking skills connections we were designed to make through play, experience, and hands-on activities (NOT rote memorization at an earlier and earlier age).

 

 Also, kids are guided in learning how to think through subjects, not rote memorize data.   They aren't given answers to regurgitate.  They are given problems to solve and the tools to think through different approaches to how to reach the solutions. This means that while a Finnish child might not do well on one of our American standardized tests in 2nd or 3rd grade (data wasn't rote memorized so can't easily be regurgitated and critical thinking skills are not tested), by 6th grade they have tremendous critical thinking skills and can work through problems with great effectiveness, collect data on their own and think carefully and with great depth about their answers, whereas an American child may be able to pass a 6th grade standardized test, but many cannot actually think for themselves.  If information hasn't already been presented to them, and rote memorized, they are lost.  The Finnish system seems so much more intuitive and logical and effective.  How have we gotten so far from this type of instruction?

[shawthorne44]

Finally finished listening to this book last night (audible). The biggest take-away for me is that America will never be in league with Finland if they don't address the problem of poorly educated teachers. The U.S. is trying to remedy its problems with common core standards, but that addresses a symptom rather than a root cause. It was also shocking to hear about the South Korean educational system - kids in school from 8 a.m. - 10 or 11 p.m., sleeping in class and "relearning" everything taught at school in the evening with private tutoring agencies. As for my own homeschool - there is definitely room for more rigor and I will be devoting more time to planning.

 

As an adult, I went back to get my Masters in Engineering, and my age was about the same as most of my professors.  I remember chatting with several that had gone to that premier college in India, ITA(?)    They said their mothers wouldn't even allow them to make their own tea.  They were supposed to study, study, study.  It was a bit shocking.  

[kubiac]

One thing I find interesting about the Finnish system is that elementary teachers potentially (although not always) teach the same group for more than one year.
 
"Rintola will teach the same children next year and possibly the next five years, depending on the needs of the school."

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html#ixzz2h0HLH7cr 
 
That would seem, to me, to improve emotional attachment as well as encouraging the teacher to take full responsibility for the children's learning. She csn't blame the first grade teacher if she gets second graders who can't read, etc.

[Mergath]

There is NO structured schooling before the age of 6, allowing young brains to make all those critical thinking skills connections we were designed to make through play, experience, and hands-on activities (NOT rote memorization at an earlier and earlier age).

 

According to this, 46% of Finnish three-year-olds are enrolled in some kind of educational program.  It doesn't specify whether the programs are play-based or not, but the popular idea that European kids run around playing in ditches or whatever until they're six or seven is a myth, if you look at the data.  From what I've read, most people over there put their kids in preschool just like most people here do.

[MistyMountain]

According to this, 46% of Finnish three-year-olds are enrolled in some kind of educational program. It doesn't specify whether the programs are play-based or not, but the popular idea that European kids run around playing in ditches or whatever until they're six or seven is a myth, if you look at the data. From what I've read, most people over there put their kids in preschool just like most people here do.

I heard somewhere that 1/3 of Finish Kids are already reading when they start school and another 1/3 have excellent prereading skills. The language is also a lot easier to learn then English. Singapore is very much into early learning. It is funny how the very different approaches of the two countries have really good results.

[8filltheheart]

I just picked up my copy from the library.  :)

[8filltheheart]

I just picked up my copy from the library.  :)

[TracyP]

I heard somewhere that 1/3 of Finish Kids are already reading when they start school and another 1/3 have excellent prereading skills. The language is also a lot easier to learn then English. Singapore is very much into early learning. It is funny how the very different approaches of the two countries have really good results.

 

Is the idea that Finnish is much easier than English something that is discussed in the book? Finnish is one of the most difficult languages to learn. Of course, so is English. It could be true, but I guess it comes as a surprise to me.

[FairClaire]

My library didn't have the book so I bought it off of Amazon.  I agree that many teachers are not well trained for their jobs.  I started college as an Education Major, but I couldn't stand the lack of challenge.  All of the classes were focused on classroom management, special needs, technology in the classroom, etc.  I wasn't required to show any mastery in the skills I would actually teach to students. After being bored for 3 semesters I changed my major.

 

 

[Korrale]

Finish has less letter sounds and less exceptions, which apparently makes it an easier learn to learn to read. I don't speak or read Finnish so I don't know if it is true or not.

[Korrale]

Oh and about 46% of Finnish children are in a preschool program which is higher than the US but about 10% and higher than Australia by over 30%.

[Korrale]

.

[8filltheheart]

 

I couldn't access any .gov sites, but this research states that pre- school enrollment in the US is 49.3. (Specially addressing pre-school, not day care.)

http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=19570

[TracyP]

Here is what pre-school in Finland looks like:

 

http://beeinfinland.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/visit-to-a-finnish-preschool/

 

http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2008/how-finland-educates-youngest-children-9029

 

It looks like they are play based but with an eye toward school readiness. From the first link:

 

It has all sounded like fun and games til now, and in a way, it is meant to. But there is a method behind this. Parents and teachers meet to make a personalised plan for the child. This plan is “a tool for the day care personnel and the parents to create common goals and agreements on how to support the individual growth, learning and well-being of each child both at home and in daycareâ€. Here, they discuss everything about the child and they look at areas they would like to work on so that the child will be ready for school: co-ordination, feeding, reading readiness, interpersonal skills, expression emotions, tolerance, being able to wait your turn, artistic expression.

 

 

 

[Korrale]

Formal preschool enrollment in the US is around 36% according to newer sources.

[Korrale]

Formal preschool enrollment in the US is around 36% according to newer sources.

[shawthorne44]

But, you can't compare the 36% number to Finland's.  You would have to include the play-based U.S. preschools, since Finland's is play-based. 

[Korrale]

According to the studies above those numbers are for children enrolled in an academic formal preschool. Not daycare.

[Korrale]

This site has newer comparable data and in 2011 50% of US 3 year olds were In a formal preschool program and 78% of US 4 year olds. Where as is it 49% for Finish 3 year olds and 57% for Finish 4 year olds.

 

http://www.oecd.org/edu/educationataglance2013-countrynotesandkeyfacttables.htm

[Papillon Mom]

This was a really interesting book. The statistics about poverty, immigration and diversity were by far the most shocking and myth busting. Her map of the states that showed the country each educational system was equivalent to was fascinating. I wish there had been more day to day curriculum talk but it was still a great read.

[ebunny]

As an adult, I went back to get my Masters in Engineering, and my age was about the same as most of my professors.  I remember chatting with several that had gone to that premier college in India, ITA(?)    They said their mothers wouldn't even allow them to make their own tea.  They were supposed to study, study, study.  It was a bit shocking.  

 

FYI- It won't be very shocking if you understand the socio-economic culture in education In India.

There's a reason why the moms insist on all that studying. There's just too many young people vying for a limited number of seats in a premier engineering/medical/professional college. Factor these in:

India has a skewed under20-senior population.

Imagine the selection criteria of an Ivy League college in the U.S.

Every premier professional college (engineering/medical/law) has selection criteria similar to the Ivy Leagues. And there are very few such colleges in comparison to the youth population.

Competition is very very intense.

 

Finally, most Indians do believe that Education is the only way to achieve upward social and economic mobility.

[Donna]

I read it and thought it very interesting. I was a bit shocked by some of the statistics and interested to hear about the education systems in other countries. 

[8filltheheart]

I'm only on pg 95, but I wanted to post a few thoughts before I forgot them. The section comparing US teachers to Finnish has really struck a nerve with me......in a very aggravated way. Back in the 80s, there was a huge uproar when they wanted to change the National Teacher's Exam. The outcry was that it would discriminate against minorities. I thought the test was the most inconsequential test I had ever taken and to this day I cannot imagine a high school graduate not passing it. It is scary to me that people not passing it should be the educators of future generations..Amazingly, I just did a google search and found an article from 1987 about it. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/27/us/many-teachers-fail-state-certification-tests.html

Note that in the article it states that depending on the state, you only had to answer 35-53 questions out of 104 correctly to pass. The quote in the book where she states that the concern was more for the impact on teacher than on the students being taught was a direct hit. (I can't locate the exact quote, but it summed up so much of what is wrong in American culture/education.......feelings over logic and real outcomes)

 

The second issue that struck me was on pg 86-87 where it described her student teaching experience. "It was hard but exhilarating. She learned she needed to get better at motivating her students at the start of each lesson, before she did anything else......she collaborated with her fellow student teachers to design lessons that integrated material from all their subjects." I made the decision to never teach in ps nor to ever send my kids to ps during my student teaching. I was reprimanded for attempting cross-curriculum projects and activities and was told I had to stick with ditto sheet education bc that was how all of the classrooms in the school functioned.

[JumpyTheFrog]

I'm also reading this book right now. We need to make it much harder to become an elementary teacher in this country, but I don't think it will happen because it won't be seen as politically correct. If you ever look at GRE scores by intended grad shool program, education majors are at the bottom (and those are the ones who go on to get a grad degree!). It's pathetic, especially with the math phobia these teachers pass on to their kids.

[JumpyTheFrog]

http://www.nmu.edu/sites/DrupalPhilosophy/files/UserFiles/Files/Pre-Drupal/SiteSections/Resources/GRE_Scores_by_Intended_Major.pdf

 

Social work, special ed, early childhood education, and home ec have the lowest GRE scores. In my state, "early childhood education" is a major for daycare workers. So apparently elementary teachers that take the GRE aren't educated much better than daycare workers earning minimum wage. No wonder people graduate from high school with poor skills.

[Tiramisu]

I love this quote from the article.  It goes back to the American mindset that you are either "smart" or not.  You should not have to work hard at school, if you do you either you have a learning issue or the work is too hard.  I've entirely changed my *mindset* in that regard (thanks to the book Mindset and several others).  The kids know(in a good way mind you) that if they just breeze through their work then they are not being challenged enough and I will look for work that is at the appropriate level.  

 

Hopefully I can find this book ILL!  Thanks for posting!

 

I'm very curious intrigued about the quote from the article because it doesn't coincide with my experience at all. In our school district, parents have to fight tooth and nail for for evaluations for learning disabilities, not because it's a way out at all, but to give kids the tools to succeed. Our school system uses inclusive classes and the kids are expected to do the same work and it's hard even though they have support for them. And the schools still have to include the scores of children with disabilities in their overall scores which are tied to funding. An IEP is not an easy way out for parents or the schools.

 

Having lived in Japan for ten years and worked in its educational system at different levels, I can attest that they also have the mindset that you are either "smart" or not. The smart kids go to certain schools and the other kids go to their schools. Kids certainly fall through the cracks, without the help of the kinds of services we have here. Lots of kids suffer from anxiety and are medicated for it or develop illness and other nervous habits. I also studied with students from other Asian countries and from the stories they shared--like not going to sleep in your bed but working until you fell asleep at your desk from middle school on--I would not want to emulate their system.

 

I have to read the book, but I don't think you can make light of the effect of the differences in society among the three countries. In Japan, most people were middle class, all shared the same language and values, there were few drug or crime problems, and had all their essentials assured.  For kids who didn't fit into the typical mold, life was brutal.

[JumpyTheFrog]

 

"Nationwide, the United States produced nearly two and a half times the numbers of teachers it needed each year. The surplus was particularly extreme for elementary school teachers. The United States was not exceptional in this regard. The combination of low standards and high supply plagued education systems around the world, dumbing down the entire teaching profession." Ripley, Amanda (2013-08-13). The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way (p. 88). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition. 

 

 

Mr. Hoppy's cousin and her mom live in a state where all teachers have to join the union to get jobs. The cousin is dual certified (special-ed and elementary ed) and her mom is certified in one or both. They are both looking for jobs and having a tough time because there are 400 applicants per position in their area. I think competition for jobs is far lower in my state. I'm hoping that the extreme competition for jobs leads to only the very best teachers being hired, but I have my doubts. It's ridiculous that most hiring managers never require applicants to do some teaching demonstrations.

 

I really think that making several changes would make a big difference:

 

-Eliminate "education" as a college major. Students should major in what they'll be teaching. Have elementary math taught by people who majored in math, not people that barely passed algebra.

 

-After college graduation, future teachers begin a teaching apprenticeship. Student teaching isn't enough practice. Have future teachers start out by serving as teaching assistants for a year, beginning to teach lessons by the end of the year. Then other teachers can share what they can improve (as outlined in the book "Perfect Practice") We need a culture of teachers sharing what works, they way they supposedly do in Asia.

 

-Have students stay with the same teachers for multiple years of elementary school.

 

From the blurb I zeroed in on how we treat the kids who don't do well. Failure is a shame not a step on to learning. 

 

I thought it was interesting how many students in Finland receive special ed services. However, it seems that they are usually temporary (until the student is caught up) and doesn't seem to have the stigma that it does in the US. I also noticed that top grades were rarely handed out. Maybe that helps students remember there is always room for improvement.

 

 

This was a really interesting book. The statistics about poverty, immigration and diversity were by far the most shocking and myth busting. Her map of the states that showed the country each educational system was equivalent to was fascinating. I wish there had been more day to day curriculum talk but it was still a great read.

 

I thought the book ended too soon. I kept waiting for more specifics about what exactly students learn. It seemed especially vague about the details of Polish schools. In any case, I thought it clearly showed that poverty and immigration are hurdles that can be overcome, as long as people stop using them as excuses. The one teacher (Polish, I think) specifically said he tries not to find out about students' backgrounds because then he will be tempted to go too easy on those from poor or dysfunctional families.

[Wheres Toto]

 

-Eliminate "education" as a college major. Students should major in what they'll be teaching. Have elementary math taught by people who majored in math, not people that barely passed algebra.

 

 

Don't most elementary school have just one teacher for all subjects for a group of students, except "specials" like gym, art and music?  What would they major in since they teach Reading and Math and Writing and Science and Social Studies and.....