Even though I just quit teaching at the University I'm not actually done teaching. I used to think university is different (and it probably is in some places), that students would have their inner drive to study and I would make an effective course to go through. Turned out what really motivates them is actually testing and grading constantly. I'm not even saying that that's the only way they do any work (which is true), but that they actually demand this, because otherwise they don't do anything.

I figure if school and uni are pretty much the same in terms of grading and student motivation then I may as well go to where I have more influence on the personalities of people.

I didn't do well in school in terms of friends, grades or connecting with people in general (including my family). And while growing up after school I learnt a lot about why this happened. I'm certain I could make a difference for the better by teaching in a school.

Now. There are very specific problems in school. And I've thought of some unorthodox solutions, so here they are:

Everyone gets a 3 (D) right off the bat.

Teachers used to tell us stuff like "You may not know it now, but you're really studying for your own good and not for the grades". I still say f-u to that, going on 30. Did I have a choice about going to school? No. Did I have a choice in what I study? No. Were the subjects actually useful in real life? Considering I've either forgotten or not even learnt 80% out of the 12 years I'd say wasting 9 years out of my life is a result I can be upset about.

If everyone get's the passing grade right off the bat then the people who don't want to study (would somehow cheat their way to pass anyway) can do what they like and not disturb those who actually want to learn. So when I tell them (like every teacher has) that "you don't really need to be here" then now it's actually true. Grades can go down though, so they better be careful when disturbing class.

What else?

I will openly admit to doing drugs and then tell them about the dangers.

Just theory doesn't stick. Stories do.

I will openly admit that they (with the help of Google) are just as smart as I am.

Can't really evade this now can we. In today's time teachers have a problem with phones and students being smart. Well, let's encourage finding stuff out by themselves.

Cheating is not a bad thing. If kids cheat, then the teacher hasn't worked hard enough to create the proper assessment.

Hands up if you don't Google like all the time? Yeah I didn't think so. What's the use of training kids by the 19th century standards?

Okay, that's it for today. This is probably a subject I'll be writing more about.