How to save inner city schools.

[Unkotare]

Thread 'It Never Hurts to Know Someone Gives a Crap'

Dec 13, 2022

As some here may know by now, I work at a very inner city school district. This comes with many challenges for teachers (but who cares, we applied for these jobs after all) and even more challenges for the students. Challenges of greater number and manner than most here will likely be able to imagine. It is truly inspiring to see so many young people trying so hard to succeed under such trying conditions. They know the value of education, and they fight against terrible odds to attain it. Sometimes the daily frustrations of the job can make it hard to keep the important things in mind and...

• Unkotare
• Replies: 104
• Forum: Education

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Thread 'Time To Get Serious About Language Learning?'

Mar 28, 2022

Foreign language instruction in the US starts late and is not emphasized as much as many other subjects. Should we as a nation (more accurately, as many local school districts) change this emphasis? Every year, more and more jobs in the US are advertised as requiring at least bilingualism, and more of the higher paying jobs involve working and communicating with people in and from all over the world. Employment aside, there are many well-established social and cognitive benefits from learning other languages than one's first. Should we require a much higher standard of proficiency and/or...

• Unkotare
• Replies: 283
• Forum: Education

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Thread 'No One Knows Better'

Mar 28, 2022

Despite what many people seem to think (and not a few here have said), native Spanish speakers in the US do not "refuse" or are disinterested in learning English. No one knows the crucial importance of learning English than non-native English speakers in the US.

• Unkotare
• Replies: 87
• Forum: Education

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Thread 'AI'

Oct 27, 2025

The hot topic in education these days. When AI first started to be widely disseminated, a lot of teachers, schools, districts were wary of how it might be misused. These days there mountains of papers and discussions about how it can be positively adapted for educational purposes. Who knows where it will go from here.

• Unkotare
• Replies: 22
• Forum: Education

Thread 'Listen!'

Nov 18, 2023

The idea of academically productive discussion in class is always held as a laudable goal, but it can be easier said than done. Many teens are sullen, reticent, and pathologically self-conscious. Getting such kids to participate in class discussions can be tough. What I have frequently found to be effective? LISTEN. So many kids have told me that no one ever actually bothered to listen to them that when someone actually does, it turns out they have a lot to say. I reckon this applies to most people in most circumstances.

• Unkotare
• Replies: 40
• Forum: Education

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Thread 'Even Now'

Oct 30, 2025

Even in these days when almost all subject-area teachers are required to be SEI certified, a number of such teachers are finding themselves feeling overwhelmed as the number of ESL students in their classes with native-speaking students in some areas continues to grow. Best intentions aside, I sometimes hear comments like those I heard all the time from mainstream teachers 20 years ago. ...

• Unkotare
• Replies: 36
• Forum: Education

Thread 'Please and Thank You'

Dec 5, 2025

As I have mentioned before, I work in an area "people" * ahem * like a certain broke loser would be too scared to even drive through. It struck me again today just how very polite and respectful most of the students are. It's impressive.

• Unkotare
• Replies: 20
• Forum: Education

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There, that should get you started. We can go on from there once you're caught up.

 

[Unkotare]

How's it going? Having a good read?

 

[tahuyaman]

How's it going? Having a good read?

Were you educated at a Somali “Learing center?”

 

[Unkotare]

Were you educated at a Somali “Learing center?”

Nope. You?

 

[tahuyaman]

Nope. You?

Idiot.

 

[Unkotare]

Idiot.

You seem very upset.

 

[tahuyaman]

You seem very upset.

You seem very stupid

 

[Unkotare]

You seem very stupid

Did you do the reading I arranged for you?

 

[tahuyaman]

Did you do the reading I arranged for you?

You can’t arrange anything you little squeezer.

 

[Unkotare]

You can’t arrange anything you little squeezer.

Are you still reading? Take your time.

 

[tahuyaman]

Are you still reading? Take your time.

Have you ever read a book?

 

[Unkotare]

Have you ever read a book?

Many, many books. Almost certainly more than you. How many of the links have you read?

 

[tahuyaman]

Many, many books. Almost certainly more than you. How many of the links have you read?

Coloring books don’t count.

 

[Unkotare]

Coloring books don’t count.

Ok. What's your favorite book?

 

[tahuyaman]

Ok. What's your favorite book?

The Holy Bible. What’s yours? An Alice and a Jerry book?

 

[Unkotare]

The Holy Bible. What’s yours? An Alice and a Jerry book?

I was thinking about your favorite novel. What is it?

 

[tahuyaman]

I was thinking about your favorite novel. What is it?

I don’t have a favorite novel. I am partial to several authors though. Some are no longer alive. Others you’ve never heard of.

 

[Unkotare]

I don’t have a favorite novel. ...

Why not?

 

[Unkotare]

... Others you’ve never heard of.

Such as?

 

[tahuyaman]

Why not?

What a dumb question.