Followed a link out of my Referers section of my blog to find a link and some comments posted on the somewhat controversial website, RateYourTeacher.com on my recent post about Social Networking In The Media. The forum post there highlighted a minor paragraph of mine late in the post that linked to the Advertiser article and interestingly thought that the tone of both the article and my blog was one of anger. I can't speak for the journalist responsible for the newspaper article but that observation could not be more wrong. I'm not a fan of RMT because I just don't think it's important or contributing anything meaningful to the school community. It is, as Stu artfully pointed out, the cyberspace version of graffiti on the school toilet walls complete with bad spelling and barely moderated observations.
It reminds me all too much of the Year 4 student I taught 15 years ago in Port Augusta who was dobbed in by his classmates for drawing on the toilet wall. I escorted him to view the offending phrase, "Schloo sux!"
He took one look at me and said with a deadpan face, "It couldn't have been me - I don't know how to spell school."
If I was to take this website seriously, then a couple of things would have to change - (a) if this is truly a service to the community, then lose the ads. That would remove the accusation that is just a front for advertising, preying on disgruntled students and parents. (b) Innovative websites deserve innovative structure - surely RMT would be more credible if it wasn't using a tired old forum based formula.
I would just finish with the point that the vast majority of teachers actually take negative criticism very personally. Comments that insinuate incompetence, insensitivity and callousness cut deep to the heart, whether they come via an angry parent at a face to face meeting, a vindictive letter to the principal or an anonymous post on a website. I personally have lost sleep, mulled in my mind over and over again where I might have gone wrong or speculated the reasons why someone seems to have it in for me whenever I've experienced the above. I acknowledge that I've had times in my life when the emotions are running high, that I'd love to tell someone "what I really think" in no uncertain terms. I also acknowledge that the power structures within most schools and classrooms don't allow for students to point out the shortcomings of and disregard from their teacher/s that they might encounter. So while I don't bear any hate or anger towards RMT, I just don't see the point of its existence.
Alexander Hayes
Love it !
Schloo sux…..kinda reminds me of the kid who filled the toilet with toilet paper , sat on the cistern and lit the paper up to watch it explode the bowl. He only ended up in the……..
As for the journalist if they want to see some reports of a steaming mess over at the Aussie EDNA then we’ve only got to see what Leigh’s been speaking about lately at his new creation over at http://learnonline.wordpress.com
Keeps us sane Graham.
Without our blogs imagine how many kids would grow up thinking we were stodgy old farts with nothing to say except , ” Good morning everybody ” in some yankee beat-off parade yard audio collective.
🙂
kwhobbes
Guess I haven’t been teaching long enough as I can remember the whole point of writing on the wall! But I agree, this type of stuff has no real place except that it provides more for more bashing of a group that really gets enough anyway. Like you, I’ve suffered from the slings of “what did I do/say” and the angst of waiting for a meeting to be over. Like all professions, there are teachers who should probably have chosen another career. But, like all other professions, those are few and far between and the majority of those who are educators are not doing it for the money! It is a calling and, for me, that is why such things are meritless.
Thanks for reminding me that we all go through the alligator swamp sometime 😉
Kelly