I can hear the purists already, and there might be some validity to their commentary: this cheapens teaching, turning it into joke and giving people the belief that anyone can teach.
Turns out that Tony Danza is going to be co-teaching a 10th grade English class near Philadelphia. The district will be paid $3500 for each of 13 episodes, and will have rights to object to specific footage.
Hard to believe he's almost 60....
4 comments:
Ok, why not?? If he were a porn star or something like that, I'd have a problem with it. But I think having celebrities interested in public education certainly can't be a bad thing if the end result is that children are excited about learning and going to school.
(Do you think this means I'm not a purist? Hm.)
If anyone could teach, anyone would. But that's not what happens. Teaching, like any other job, requires a certain set of skills that Danza may or may not have. He's not *really* teaching, he's co-teaching with someone else--and the class *will* be different, what with cameras and all. It's not realistic, and I'm sure the impression that will be given will be of concern to many.
I'm sure that I could read up on a few things and co-fly a commercial jet with my pilot friend, but I don't think anyone would take me seriously and I doubt there are many passengers who would be completely pleased that I was in the cockpit.
Darren, I'm not sure everyone *would* teach. Like piloting, there would be distinctive advantages and disadvantages to the career. :]
How many related "how to teach" lessons did you get in your education classes? I knew ed. majors in college, and they would study silly things such as, if desks are grouped together, that is called a "cluster" arrangement. It is good for group work, but the disadvantage may be that it encourages talking during instruction time.
A lot of money on something most of us intuitively know! We just don't always know the educationalese for it.
I'm thinking in this wise: I would like the math instructors to know how to do the math. English instructors must be fluent, English as first language speakers who can write crisply and concisely. No Hemingway types.
And what good is the certification if the French teacher is asked to coach volleyball?
Danza has been a professional actor. If he is teaching about plays, so much the better.
But we shall see, as you wrote.
I would say that if Mr. Danza did NOT graduate from a "teacher's college" then he's probably over-qualified to teach!
chicopanther
Post a Comment