Klarinet Archive - Posting 001099.txt from 1997/10

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: what I have to teach
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 09:01:28 -0500

Amy, no one would fault you for having an opinion, or for the fact that
you have a good education going. However, as a high school student, you
must be prepared to realize that you haven't been out teaching and dealing
with the kinds of things that were described and for which your posting
addresses.

Your beliefs are valuable, but they are not based upon enough experience
to make a truly qualified statement about education in general. Parents
are an enormous factor in teaching music......but the sad reality is that
many parents do not get involved. Teaching must occur regardless.

Roger Garrett

On Sun, 26 Oct 1997 AmyLynnR@-----.com wrote:

> Well,
> I don't think my education has been "screwed up"! I also don't think it's
> fair to label certain students "dumb". In fact I think our school systems
> have done an absolutely spectacular job of alienating the dumbest kids. Not
> only that, but society as a whole has somehow made it impossible to be smart,
> I've tested as being in the top 3rd percentile nationwide, but do you wanna
> know who knows that?? My mom and my closer friends. It's embarassing to
> have your teacher recognize you as intellegent, especially if you're female.
> And, are you a phonix, oh excuse me, fonix advocate, because that is in a
> word a pathetic way to teach the English language. We can't teach the
> leaders of the future with yesterday's techniques. What's more, the best way
> to learn something is by teaching another person. I've learned some of the
> neatest things from teaching beggining clarinetists. What's more, my mother
> taught me to read with several new(at the time) innovative teaching
> techniques that she obtained from her friends and my reading level has always
> been well above that of my fellow students. How can everyone always blame
> the schools?? When something goes well, do the schools get credit?? No, but
> they sure get yelled at when something goes wrong. I would argue that it is
> the responsibility of the parents to ensure the education of the student. If
> I am not satisfied in science class, I watch this lovely thing called the
> Discovery Channel. Children need to learn to learn on their own. Also,
> politicians are not the brightest students, rather, they are the best liers,
> hey, if ya wanna be musical, liars.
> ~=~=~=AMY=~=~=~
> P.S.Don't hate my guts, that's just what I think.
>