tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18950196.post114233343021175454..comments2024-03-01T14:34:00.909-07:00Comments on Slapstick Politics: Jay Bennish, Post Scriptel presidentehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00496677620134815716noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18950196.post-1142354001712046662006-03-14T09:33:00.000-07:002006-03-14T09:33:00.000-07:00Thanks for that post. Like you, I felt very stron...Thanks for that post. Like you, I felt very strongly about this case (I used to teach college-level classes, too - mostly engineering and physics).<BR/><BR/>What convinced me that Bennish was not teaching the kids to think critically was when he asked what is probably the most violent country in the world. When one student answered, "We are," Bennish' reply was, "Yes, the United States!" It was an affirmation to a canned reply. <BR/><BR/>If I were teaching that class, my reaction would have been, "Why do you think so?" That would have made the student think through his answer instead of just giving an answer he thought his teacher expected. That would also have given the other students a chance to rebut him. THEN there might have been a productive class discussion.<BR/><BR/>After listening to the entire rant, my conclusion was that he was just a very bad teacher. I'm not sure how I feel about the school board giving him a pass in this. I would probably have made the case that this guy is not teaching the kids what they need to know and should not be allowed to stay. On the other hand, firing him would probably have opened all sorts of problems for teachers around the country. So maybe it was the right decision after all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com