Teachers should teach
1959; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 36; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/01619565909536870
ISSN1532-7930
Autores Tópico(s)Child and Adolescent Health
ResumoTime was when teachers were teachers. They specialized in subject matter. Their major concern was with that segment of the child's life which was spent in school. Their purpose was to expose each group of children to a particular body of material so that when a child graduated it would signify that he had been taught in certain prescribed areas. There were generally accepted standards that applied to all graduates. There were minimum essentials to be grasped before a child could be promoted from one grade to another. But the sphere of influence encompassed by the school has widened. Demands on a teacher's versatility have increased. Parents have been deemed incapable or negligent in the instruction and guidance of their children in non-academic matters. The community and the church are thought, by many, to have fallen short in meeting their responsibilities. The teacher is expected to teach subject matter and to discipline her pupils, but in addition she is supposed to act as counselor, guide, substitute parent and amateur psychologist. Of course, she also has clerical duties, functions in adult education and is a catch-all for a variety of community activities. With the added number of classes on the one-hand and the increased extra-curricular duties on the other, can we be surprised that the basic tools are neglected and that teachers seem to be less well versed in subject matter than previously? Ours is a psychology-oriented era devoted to probing and venting. We glibly toss about the terminology of the psychiatrist. No longer do we respect surfaces and boundaries. We generalize instead of specialize. Teachers look for the cause behind the cause of Johnny's failure. And this is all well and good, up to a point. But too many go beyond their own understanding in trying to analyze or in making recommendations to parents. Teachers meddle in the lives and affairs of children delving into matters which are actually none of their business. The
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