State of English Education (3)

Question: What are some educators’ assessment of English education today?

Answer/Some Snippets from the U.S. “If teaching is a difficult act, teaching about teaching is more complex still….” P. 300.

 Quote: “So much change in teacher education is often in response to external demands and state mandates, requiring teacher educators to be flexible and creative enough to manage these external pressures without sacrificing quality teacher preparation.” P. 303.

Quote: “Let me be clear, though: I am not opposed to the evaluation of teachers (or students, for that matter). Like any professional, a teacher should be held to certain standards and able to demonstrate proficiency with those standards. But, to paraphrase Shaun, those in charge of education in the United States seem to have little trust in teachers’ ability to do their jobs well and continue to develop hoops for teachers to jump through to prove they are doing what they should be doing.” P. 304-305.

Comment: The state of English education in Australia, England and the U.S. is pretty depressing. RayS.

Title: “The ‘Wonders’ of Teaching English and Preparing Teachers of English in the United States.” G Marshall, L Reid, and M Shoffner. English Education (April 2012), 300-311.