The Labor Shortage Myth

[hookyIU1990]

I've taught calculus concepts to middle-school students. This was a remedial class for 8th graders who had failed the same class twice already, and instead of teaching the procedural steps I stepped back and started having them derive those steps from first principles. It was painful at first, but a good chunk of that class went on to pass the class and get caught back up despite the first quarter of the year making very little progress on the stated curriculum goals.

I've seen success starting even earlier than that teaching the basics of complicated math concepts that will come later, you can start talking about rates of change with toddlers. Deep subject matter expertise is really important and like this conversation points out it's often lacking especially at younger grades. Any reasonably competent person can learn to teach 3rd grade math, but to see what's coming and how to inculcate the kinds of logical thinking and problem solving that will make later grades easier is hard. We don't prepare our elementary teachers to do that, and it has lasting effects.

On a related tangent, I think the most important thing schools should focus on is learning how to learn. As a few folks pointed out above, we're going to make the same mistake as the last generations did if what we learn from the current reality is that kids need to learn the mechanics of coding. That profession is changing rapidly, any specific skills learned now won't be useful 10+ years from now, but very clearly computers are going to be even more central to a lot of jobs for current school kids so understanding them and understanding how to continue learning outside a structured school environment are what will really pay off.

Our building trades teacher in HS taught trig to all the "burnouts". You can't figure the roof and stairs in a house without trig.

 

[Accuro]

you're more than welcome to go live in Pakistan, and never come back.

and go for the full Paki experience, you know, like those workers you love, no living in a compound.

that said, i remember when US factories had shifts working 24 hrs a day, and when support was available 24 hrs a day.

that was before you lobbyists took over both parties, and the media and US govt started working only for Wall St and big money again,

like the good ole days of child labor, 72 hr work weeks, and no worker protections, who's return you long and work so hard for all day every day..

White privilege.