Comment by thinkingtoilet
3 days ago
Studying the subject academically in any real capacity. Also, in the US, every teaching degree requires time in a classroom as a student teacher with an experienced teacher as your mentor.
3 days ago
Studying the subject academically in any real capacity. Also, in the US, every teaching degree requires time in a classroom as a student teacher with an experienced teacher as your mentor.
What do you mean by "in any real capacity"? I have read many books and academic papers about education. And I have experimented with some of the things I've learned. Does that count?
Among current K-12 teachers in the United States, what would you estimate is the median number of academic/research papers related to education or adjacent fields that they have read in the past 24 months?
A teaching degree is neither necessary not sufficient for effective teaching. There are thousands of ineffective teachers with US teaching degrees. There are thousands of effective teachers without teaching degrees.
This is what I'm talking about. This attitude of I read a paper or two so I know what it's like in a classroom with multiple kids at different ages that have different needs. Or I know what it's like in a classroom with 20 kids. Yes there are bad teachers, but you present the argument like "there are bad teachers therefore all homeschooling teachers are better" which is absurd.
"There are thousands of effective teachers without teaching degrees."
I doubt it. And there are countless thousands more that are terrible and whose kids are very behind.
"This attitude of I read a paper or two so I know what it's like in a classroom with multiple kids at different ages that have different needs."
How is this different from "I went to teachers' college so I know how to teach"?
I have one child. If I were to homeschool my child, I would not need to know "what it's like in a classroom with 20 kids".
I'd imagine there are approximately zero homeschoolers who are managing a classroom of 20 kids.
The skills, knowledge and behaviors required to obtain and keep a job as a public school teacher are not the same as those required to homeschool your own kids.