VooDoo Economics and the Legacy of Ben Stein

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning I wake my daughter up an hour earlier than normal to get her ready. I drop her off at my sister’s in the NE Heights and drive a littler faster than normal to be on time for my 8AM math class. My teacher arrives on time and is friendly, approachable, and has a great sense of humor. Yes, she does wear slippers and always has chalk all over her butt, but that does not bother me. What does bother me is that when I am at home doing my homework (excuse me, trying to do my homework) I am lost and confused. I repeatedly ask myself, “Did we even talk about this?” I heard other students saying the same thing last week and have realized that she is just a poor teacher. I put a lot of effort, time, and money into my education. I take it very seriously and I wish that more teachers would do the same.

Most of us are familiar with the saying, “Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach”. This statement is misleading because it implies that no skill is required to teach and it is just a fallback for those who are unsuccessful in practical applications of their degrees. This may apply to some teachers, but certainly not all of them. That could be the distinction between being a crappy teacher and a great one, the desire to actually instruct. I have been in school a long time (no I am not telling you how long) and found that teaching is an art and a skill.

I have had some amazing teachers and with their guidance and skill I have learned a great deal. I have had some teachers that made 45 minutes of class time an eternity. It reminds me of the classic scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” regarding Voodoo economics. If you are not familiar with what I am talking about, watch the video from the link and I feel confident you will understand my point. For example, my English 101 teacher would sing Amazing Grace whenever we didn’t know the answer to her questions and she wouldn’t stop until she heard the right answer. This situation made for some extremely long mornings. The only thing I was certain of was that she loved the McGriddle sandwich but everything else was fuzzy. Teaching requires more than spouting facts, sentence structure, and your personal life. Being a good teacher means that you care whether your students understand, how they learn, and what they will actually retain when finals are over. Most importantly, it should never, ever, ever include non-stop loops of Amazing Grace.

I understand that for most teachers their job is monotonous and that most students mentally checkout before class even begins. I do not care, even if a teacher has taught a class 52 times, it is the first time I have taken the class and I am eager to learn. I would have more empathy for bad teachers if there were not such outstanding teachers that have been teaching just as long. If I were to rewrite the famous maxim regarding teachers it would go something like this. “Those who are privileged enough to be able to apply their degrees in a job they love, more power to them. Those who have to find another source of income should only teach because they want to.”