Are schools killing critical thinking?

He hit me up...

So true... my teacher used to sing songs about JFK—and I guess I followed her lead since I wrote some stuff too—ended up winning a trip to Hawaii out of it.
But they aren't even in high school anymore—and the ones I was talking about most? Yeah, definitely not.
So... that sociology guy—if you can give me five solid reasons why—I’m pretty sure he was straight-up an anarchist.
Math guy here—strictly about that grind and discipline—but purely for the athletic side of things, not because I’m some corporate drone.
Look, regarding personality psychology—the fact that I think you guys are just a bunch of lowlife criminals showing up to my lectures just to mess with me... honestly, that says way more about me than it does about you. Total anarchist move, I guess. I stand by it.

You think I’m out here singing for whoever writes the check? — please.
Nah...
Maybe it’s just because the pay sucks—and honestly, maybe that lowballing is actually their biggest selling point?

Should I just follow the system's rules—and stop taking everything so damn seriously?
Man... if I'm the worst teacher they've got, then they have absolutely no clue what kind of mess they’re actually creating.
You think I'm being a total wuss about this—?

Man, what makes a person... honestly—I just go by gut feeling.
... shouldn't it be...?
Damn... you gotta be sharper—you're making me look like I'm actually right here.
Ever had people try to mold you into their version of a "real person"—like grandpas or even your own old man? They think they can just reshape you without any actual foundation—as if they have some divine right to decide what makes a person whole. Total delusion.

.. so .. in my social studies textbook .. they go over rights and duties .. and it says ..
.. voting is a civic duty ..
.. I tell my kids .. grab a Sharpie .. cross it out .. because these people are full of it ..
(.. same thing with the grammar definition .. saying an object is just the word receiving the action .. or that bit in science class claiming north is always up and south is down on a map ..
.. if the system wants everyone to be mindless .. then by fixing their lies .. am I sabotaging the whole machine ..?)

.. damn .. should they even be paying me?

School is just a mirror of society. And let's be real—in our society, it’s totally normal to dump all responsibility, including upbringing, onto someone else. School shouldn't be responsible for raising kids, at least not the bulk of it. Parents should have laid that foundation before they even stepped foot on campus. Everything else just keeps forming until you die. I agree we need a different approach—more self-awareness, more logic—but you can't do that without actual staff (and the best ones are leaving the profession) or the right environment, both physically and financially.

.. what I'm getting at here .. it's just plain and simple .. you see where I'm coming from .. ?
.. unlike you .. I honestly feel like I'm completely worthless .. do you follow me on that .. ?

.. yeah ..

Brandon Brooks11 said:School is just a mirror of society. And let's be real—in our society, it’s totally normal to dump all responsibility, including upbringing, onto someone else. School shouldn't be responsible for raising kids, at least not the bulk of it. Parents should have laid that foundation before they even stepped foot on campus. Everything else just keeps forming until you die. I agree we need a different approach—more self-awareness, more logic—but you can't do that without actual staff (and the best ones are leaving the profession) or the right environment, both physically and financially.

The reality is simple. No sane college graduate is going to hunt for a job where they have to spend every single day battling thirty disrespectful kids because their parents failed to teach them basic manners, all for a measly $1333 monthly salary.

Richard Allen said:The reality is simple. No sane college graduate is going to hunt for a job where they have to spend every single day battling thirty disrespectful kids because their parents failed to teach them basic manners, all for a measly $1333 monthly salary.

Respect isn't given—you earn it.

Richard Allen said:The reality is simple. No sane college graduate is going to hunt for a job where they have to spend every single day battling thirty disrespectful kids because their parents failed to teach them basic manners, all for a measly $1333 monthly salary.

Like that isn't happening in other industries too. 🙂

Joshua Hernandez9 said:Respect isn't given—you earn it.

Yeah, sure. But here’s the catch: you get paid the exact same amount whether you’re grinding your soul out or just sitting there with your feet up reading the paper.

Brandon Brooks11 said:Yeah, sure. But here’s the catch: you get paid the exact same amount whether you’re grinding your soul out or just sitting there with your feet up reading the paper.

Why is getting paid the same even a problem?

Isn't the actual issue that the results aren't equal?

.. because you’re only looking at equal pay .. while someone else needs to see those unequal results ..

.. and you—either you or whoever you are—you either view the system as bad luck .. just a stroke of misfortune .. and you adapt to it .. or you think you can somehow change the entire establishment into one that actually values results .. and then you go back to school .. try to achieve things there .. and wait around for fair wages and merit badges ..
.. the administration changes during elections .. that's just how it works .. so you decide for yourself ..

.. the only logical way for workers to get ahead is to stop working .. and it doesn't have to be anything extreme .. honestly, it's something smart people have been doing for ages ..

Joshua Hernandez9 said:Respect isn't given—you earn it.

That’s true, but there are two sides to this coin. Kids these days seem to have every right in the book and get away with just about anything, while teachers are left completely vulnerable. I can't speak for every district, but where I am, the situation is a disaster. I'm not saying kids should be mistreated, but frankly, most of them lack basic manners because they aren't taught them at home, leaving teachers powerless. Personally, I find zero fulfillment in my profession; my current field offers more creative freedom, far less stress, and—not to mention—a much better paycheck. Teaching salaries are abysmal. Most of my colleagues are actively looking for any exit strategy just to avoid being in a classroom.

Sean Cruz, I’m guessing you’re over in Mexico or Canada? It’s the same story here—kids today only care about their rights, while they couldn't care less about their responsibilities.

As for pay, whether people like it or not, salary is just carrot-and-stick. If someone gets paid more, they have a better incentive to actually work harder and deliver results, IMHO.

Joshua Hernandez9 said:Why is getting paid the same even a problem?

Isn't the actual issue that the results aren't equal?

In my view, they are one and the same.
I remember a gym teacher back in elementary school. That guy NEVER actually showed up for class. Instead, he would just sit in his office ordering fast food and surfing the web on the school's dime (a total flat rate). He only bothered to show up during the final hour when it was time to turn in grades. His daughter worked at the school too, and she ended up covering all the classes he was supposed to be teaching. But the most tragic part was this: when the students took an anonymous survey, he was voted the best teacher in the entire school. Meanwhile, the absolute worst teacher—who truly was incompetent because he didn't do his job and was even worse because he didn't care about doing it right—had a nervous breakdown shortly after and went on indefinite medical leave. That was four years ago, and I heard he just recently retired.
Then you have incredible teachers who will show up on a Saturday just to put in extra hours for those $1333 credits.
On the flip side, you have teachers who, the moment their salary gets cut by 5%, decide to shave five minutes off every single class period. 😂 😂 😂 (Not that I'm complaining xD)
Believe me, people like that exist. They taught me, and some of them are still teaching today. 😁

Brandon Brooks11 said:Sean Cruz, I’m guessing you’re over in Mexico or Canada? It’s the same story here—kids today only care about their rights, while they couldn't care less about their responsibilities.

As for pay, whether people like it or not, salary is just carrot-and-stick. If someone gets paid more, they have a better incentive to actually work harder and deliver results, IMHO.

I live in Canada. On top of everything else mentioned, the issue here is that even if you land a job in your field, it’s usually in some remote corner of the state where you have to commute at least an hour or two—unless, of course, you’re politically connected or have deep pockets to pull strings. In Boston, if you want to work for any government institution, whether it's a ministry or a school, your hiring often depends entirely on political affiliation and background.
I actually found myself in a situation where I enrolled my child in one school, only to end up fighting tooth and nail to transfer them to another. It all started when I happened to meet an English teacher. She’s slightly older than me and happens to be married to a local politician. After talking to her for just two minutes, her way of speaking made it crystal clear that something was off. It turned out she should have been part of my generation, yet I never once saw her on campus during college. I checked with several students and professors, and everyone confirmed my suspicions—nobody had ever heard of her or even knew who she was. 😁 That gives you an idea of how qualified some of these teachers are. Not to mention, back at my old high school—which used to be considered one of the best in Boston—an English teacher would tell the kids that if reading the whole book is too much, they should at least try to get through the first part of Anna Karenina. 😁

I don't even know where to start with this one—it’s just pure chaos. Honestly, it's like watching a slow-motion train wreck on the I-95. kaže:
You’re only looking at the paycheck—but someone else is going to have to deal with the actual results.

So you’re either just rolling with the system—treating the status quo like some unavoidable stroke of bad luck and just bending to it—or what? You actually think you can flip the government overnight into something that actually rewards hard work? Like you'll just head back to school, grind for those credentials, and sit around waiting for a decent paycheck and a corporate badge to finally make it worth your while.

The regime is like... just bad luck.
Look... you don't even have to go all in on conforming—it’s not like you need to change everything about yourself just to fit the mold.
There are certain points you just have to hit...
Keeping track of parent-teacher meeting logs... logging every single hour... drafting formal conclusions from faculty meetings... honestly, it’s all just mindless busywork.
Look, you just gotta lay it out for them—tell them straight up.

All this flag-waving stuff is just stupid—honestly, the national anthem is total garbage.
Look—you gotta teach 'em... if they don't know, you show 'em. Simple as that.
Look—it doesn't say you can't just let them reach their own stupid conclusions along the way—and then, you know, happily nod along if they actually stumble into one.
And then they show up... damn—it's like they finally learned how to think in the meantime.
Look, you just gotta teach them that the regime is nothing more than a stroke of bad luck—it’s a fluke—so you might as well just learn how to play the game and adapt.
Look... there are definitely key points—necessary adjustments we gotta make—
...and even if you figure out which ones they are... don't go overboard with the tweaks.

Hoping for a bigger paycheck...?
Look... yeah... but the whole thing is such a circus that elections aren't even fixing anything at this point—it’s just noise.
So, some politicians once cut a backroom deal to kick someone out—totally bypassed the voters, too. Some coalitions just fell apart or whatever—who knows.
So this guy gets appointed as the new Secretary of Education... total moron. Listening to him on the news is wild—honestly, you don't know whether to cry or just laugh at the sheer stupidity of it all.
He was laughing at their little speeches—but he’s crying now that fate finally pulled the rug out from under them.

I mean... seriously... this is just straight-up insane.
Things were actually decent back when that idiot was running the show—honestly.
The pay is insane—like, everything you actually want—but then you realize they’re asking for stuff that sounds totally doable on paper, yet nobody has a clue how to actually pull it off.
So this guy's explaining how people basically start performing religious rites right in front of their TVs... like, seriously?
Zero logic here—but hey, everything seems to be working just fine.

I don't even know where to start with this one—just total nonsense. kaže:
The regime shifts after the election... damn—well, you tell me.

So... if the whole system is basically running on zero logic—then what’s even the point in showing up to vote? Just a thought.

I'm just here to lay it out—it’s pretty simple if you actually look at the facts instead of just reacting. kaže:
The only logical move for workers is to stop working—and honestly, it’s not even that radical... it's just what smart people have been doing for ages.

.. yeah .. still haven't learned my lesson yet ..
(.. and I don't mean teaching for life .. more like heading out to the mountains once .. just to herd sheep .. (.. actually, I'll just be some mountain girl .. and the sheep will be my camouflage .. 😁 )

@ druid:

What’s even the point of this inspection from overseas—at least when it comes to the school system?

Does Europe actually have a decent education system?
(In Europe, generally speaking?)

What would an inspection like that even accomplish?

Richard Allen said:In my view, they are one and the same.
I remember a gym teacher back in elementary school. That guy NEVER actually showed up for class. Instead, he would just sit in his office ordering fast food and surfing the web on the school's dime (a total flat rate). He only bothered to show up during the final hour when it was time to turn in grades. His daughter worked at the school too, and she ended up covering all the classes he was supposed to be teaching. But the most tragic part was this: when the students took an anonymous survey, he was voted the best teacher in the entire school. Meanwhile, the absolute worst teacher—who truly was incompetent because he didn't do his job and was even worse because he didn't care about doing it right—had a nervous breakdown shortly after and went on indefinite medical leave. That was four years ago, and I heard he just recently retired.
Then you have incredible teachers who will show up on a Saturday just to put in extra hours for those $1333 credits.
On the flip side, you have teachers who, the moment their salary gets cut by 5%, decide to shave five minutes off every single class period. 😂 😂 😂 (Not that I'm complaining xD)
Believe me, people like that exist. They taught me, and some of them are still teaching today. 😁

This is a perfect example proving that teaching is actually a calling driven by internal passion and innate talent. In our language, what we mostly call a profession today used to actually be titled as such.
Just look at how this profession embarrasses itself on game shows in front of millions of viewers; in last week's quiz, a millionaire contestant couldn't even identify Ivan Gundulić, and unfortunately, there are far too many examples like that.