Are elementary teachers aware that they're brainwashing children?

It is my experience with elementary school teachers that they tend to brainwash us with utter nonsense.

Do teachers knowingly brainwash us with a nationalistic view of history?

Is that their intent? Is this done consciously?

Frank, I have a teaching credential in early childhood and adult education. I'ts not the teachers per se, it's the system that teaches teachers what and how to teach. If you don't follow the party line, teach from the required texts and suck up to the administration; then you don't work.

After I saw this during my student teaching I knew that I had just wasted a year becoming a teacher. After I graduated I got job offers to teach but I told them to stick it up their *** and I joined a union and shagged parts in a warehouse for about the same money.

I feel sorry for teachers because they have to sell their soul just to work.

One of my good friend's fiance teaches 2nd grade and she had to take the qualification exam for History twice. Some people just aren't that good at certain subjects.

reply to post by whaaa


FYI: My perspective is that of an assistant principal.

School districts require and expect teachers to adhere to a district curriculum that directly reflects state teaching standards and concepts. Since No Child Left Behind requires school districts to assess all students and work toward 100% proficiency in math and reading by 2013, there isn't much time to mess around teaching anything that is non-curricular.

NCLB law also requires school districts to use research-based interventions, so students are not over-identified as being eligible for special education.

The subjectivity of teaching is certainly gone. I will not agree that "teachers must sell their souls to teach," but will assert that teachers must give up their preconceived notions of what "teaching is," since accountability and data-driven expectations have never been higher.

Lastly, my faculty and staff don't need to suck up to me since new administrators actually operate/manage/decision-make in a collaborative fashion. Sucking up does nothing for me.

Want to convince of me how good/talented/effective you are? Show me the data and evidence.

[edit on 3-3-2009 by MOFreemason]

Originally posted by MOFreemason
Lastly, my faculty and staff don't need to suck up to me since new administrators actually operate/manage/decision-make in a collaborative fashion. Sucking up does nothing for me.

Want to convince of me how good/talented/effective you are? Show me the data and evidence.

Right....

The Peter Principal works in A school system more effectively than in a corporate setting. I wouldn't expect an assistant principal to say anything different than what you just said. You are a pawn in the System almost as much as the teachers.

Perhaps if you play your cards right you can be on the Board of Education and not even have to associate with teachers, parents or students. Good luck.

I thought about that today, because people were drawing on the dry-erase board today, and I was too.

My teacher yelled at me, "NO ART!"

I was like...blank. Is that just too open of a medium for her to control?

Geeeeez.

(but of course I'm in high school) haha

[edit on 3-3-2009 by helloblaine]

reply to post by whaaa


That was rather rude of you and certainly not appreciated at all.

I provided a foreward regarding my comment by indicating my opinion is written from the perspective of an asst. principal.

At my school, we are divided into teams (not departments) and teacher-led committees. Our professional development sessions are teacher-initiated and provide choice. We are a smaller building within a larger district, which has really proven advantageous. We can all come together, develop a common culture.

I'm proud of our efforts.

[edit on 3-3-2009 by MOFreemason]

Originally posted by MOFreemason
reply to post by whaaa

 

That was rather rude of you and certainly not appreciated at all.

I provided a foreward regarding my comment by indicating my opinion is written from the perspective of an asst. principal.

Look man, this isn't the rarefied air of some academic frat house or student union bldg. This is a forum where ideas can be expressed with candor and honesty not usually found in the un cyber world where you have to pussyfoot around the issues.

I make no apologies for my ideas that school systems are part of societies problems and the people that work in that milieu are guilty by association.

I still maintain that the American system of education is more for molding the individual into conformance rather than promoting creativity. And that is why America is changing for the worse and becoming a nation of sheep.

[edit on 3-3-2009 by whaaa]

I think that we have a dangerous system in place that is the unseen force in most of our lives. i believe that enemy rogues have basicly setup the "institution" in this country as part of a brainwashing tactic know as "displacement/replacement" Where a person takes one out of a normal environment and makes an artificial reality the norm. Say for instance stockholms syndrome would be a close example, where one feels welcomed by his/her captors. And it makes sense that 1st grade is where the life long trauma or benefits are drawn from, so the brainwashers are probably in place as teachers, principles or social workers. And are likely tied to a collective that weighs all the data somehow and tries to inflict there will on an unwitting citizen unaware of such tom foolery. I for one had an interesting and somewhat revealing childhood in that manner, where the past hardships allowed me a center view of people, I got to a mind that was able to quickly predict good or evil in a glance, ok sometimes two, because i had so many bullies after me for absolute nonsense, yes kids can be stupid and harsh, but I think they were at least a few bad seeds, influenced by a relative or lloved one that brainwashed them into bullying, and me, the one who had a great life up until about age 5 or 6, seeing from a naive state, but now fully realising just how evil these people are, I always recommend home schooling, and never indoctrinating but rather meerly stand and be the door opener to enlighten them later. The pledge, the prayers, the public school controversies that mound up, give the press something to talk about, and give the school admins a reason to buy more things with more tax money..things that are useless by the way in the end about 40-50% of the time because as a product now of the system being so backwards controlled on purpose by these rogue americans. YOu have thugs, rappers, rockers, cool kids, lame kids, nerds, geeks, and all this stuff you expect to see with naive parents brainwashed by religion and patrioticly indoctrinated by liars aka socialist control freaks in the end. And they scold their kids with that thinking, rifts form, the kid freaks out, then conforms, then freaks out. Then in the end how will he/she end up, joining the army????...??? or how about a test lab rat because of planted illness by a doctor? Or what about just a random illegal immigrant bringing in a disease unmonitored by the "authorities" Any one of these is a very real probablity and we as real americans need to be more insistant and forceful with those who think they are societies perfect gift and your policy is god, you are nothing go away.

WARNING WARNING..NON LIBERTARIAN MIND DETECTED HALT HALT HALT

thats my machine for the future to stop non americans from coming here and ruining us.



[edit on 3-3-2009 by mastermind77]

[edit on 3-3-2009 by mastermind77]

reply to post by whaaa


I would suggest you spend your time in these forums posting evidence to back your assertions then.

Your responses addressed me, as a person (pawn). No evidence. No justification.

Now, let's redirect this conversation to remain on task. Although, I strongly suggest if this thread is to stay alive, you quickly come up with some hard evidence that would suggest "elementary teachers are brainwashing our kids."

reply to post by mastermind77


For many of the resons you cited, I am a firm advocate of charter public schools as an alternative choice for parents. I am very troubled by the fact that parents only have three options: public schools; private schools; homeschooling.

I would like to see communities offer more options to their taxpaying families and stakeholders.

Teachers teach from state approved text books. Especially with No Child Left Behind, a teacher must teach only the approved curriculum or standards. A teacher may not add to or take away from the curriculum. If it's not on the state test, a teacher may not teach it or allow it in the classroom.

While this might be deemed an improvement by some, it also means that student thinking must be likewise narrowed. While this gives some parents reassurance that "liberal" viewpoints will not be taught, neither might "conservative" values be discussed. Objective facts (which can be tested) are to be taught.
Critical thinking might make students reason and question, thus, critical thinking is not of value in the curriculum. The ability to evaluate is likewise deemed subversive.

For the above reasons, a "nationalistic" view of history is, I'm afraid, the only one found acceptable to be included in a current history textbook approved by a state.
It is said that history is written by the victors, and I might include empire builders. While it is important for a nation's citizens to learn their own history, we do not need jingoistic lessons, especially at a time when the world has shrunk to a size people can comprehend.
Love of one's country should neither blind one to its faults nor disallow an appreciation of other nations. If a nation feels so insecure that they must shelter their youth with half-truths, then they shall never be truly secure or powerful or free.

Teachers are Sheeple too

Originally posted by MOFreemason

Now, let's redirect this conversation to remain on task. Although, I strongly suggest if this thread is to stay alive, you quickly come up with some hard evidence that would suggest "elementary teachers are brainwashing our kids."

Well, Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt, former senior Policy Advisor in the US dept. of Education agrees with me.

wiki.answers.com...'s_public_schools_are_purposely_'brainwashing'_and_'dumbing_down'_students

So who to believe... An assistant Principal or A senior Policy Advisor in the US dept. of Education