I am not going to teacher school.  When I initially enrolled into college, I decided that I would (in addition to my Mass Communications major) participate in the five-year Education Program that my school offers.  Before this evening, I had already decided that I did not need to go to teacher school to become a teacher, but tonight’s events solidified my decision for sure.  

Tonight in my Child Development class, our take-home test was due.  We turned it in and then the dude wanted to go over the answers blah blah blah.  Fine.  Okay, we get to question number 16 or something:

Tommy is African American and Mexican American.  Tommy decides to embrace the history and traditions of Mexican Americans.  What is Tommy identifying with?

a) culture b) (wrong answer) c) (wrong answer) d) ethnicity

Okay about 2/3 of the class said that the answer is CULTURE because, guess what, by freaking definition tradition and history are a part of culture.  Apparently the correct answer was ethnicity.

The teacher said, okay let’s have a debate.  We debated between the class for like two seconds.  Then Mr. Teacher says, “Is Mexican American a culture?”  Then I speak up because I’m frustrated at this point, and I say “No, it is not, but the HISTORY and TRADITIONS of Mexican Americans is part of their culture.”  Then Teacher says, “But is Mexican American a culture?”  Then, I’m just dumbfounded because the idiot obviously did not listen to me.  In the whole debate no one said that Mexican American was a culture, but the test question did not ask about being Mexican American it asked about this freaking dork of a Black/Mexican kid running around identifying with his Mexicano roots (history and traditions).  The answer is freaking culture. 

Why have a debate if you have to be right in the end, eh? Mr. Teacher?

Then this girl asks a question about how in medieval times kids were treated the same as adults, and it does say that little kids were treated like small adults back then, so fine.  She was arguing though, that after research and stuff, she found that they were not punished for crimes exactly the same way blah blah, they didn’t go into torture machines and stuff.  Teacher was like, “Ohhh, you’re reading wayyy too into it… blah blah blah, I’m an idiot.”  

Why should this girl be dismissed for going above and beyond for finding an answer.  She actually went outside the class textbook to find the answer to this question, and this guy was being totally dismissive of her idea.  This is why our education system is so messed up.  Sure, this is the only teaching class I have taken, but if all the teacher teachers are like this guy, then I pity the fool (Mr. T).  Kids are oppressed and forced to think in certain ways, restricted to think in these systematic processes, and its because Americas teachers are being taught the same way even in higher education.  

I’m mostly just pissed that I got my culture answer wrong, but this guy is really despicable to me.  He thinks he’s funny but he’s not, and he thinks he is a great teacher, but really he’s just another oppressor. 

This weekend has been exiting for many reasons… and when I say exciting, I mean in both good and bad ways.  Here are two reasons.

1) I found out that I am very possibly going to Amsterdam this summer

2) There is a doggie in da house.  Sarah is doing a test trial of this dog named Tink, and we got her this weekend for a potential birthday gift.  We will see how the week goes.