For this teacher? I’m not sure what the solution should be. But i can tell you unequivocally that if this is the most ignorant thing that she’s ever said in the classroom, then she’s probably no worse than the person who might replace her.
I don’t say this because i have a hard-on for teachers. I think teaching is an incredibly important profession, and i’ve worked with school teachers who are models of intelligence, curiosity, thoughtfulness and erudition. But i’ve also spent a considerable amount of time over the past couple of years teaching college students who are hoping to become school teachers, and it’s amazing how much these people don’t know. More troubling than that, however, is how uninterested some of them are in alleviating their ignorance.
I’m not just talking about factual questions here, but basic skills such as writing a coherent sentence; understanding how to use apostrophes; knowing the difference between “their” and “there” and “they’re”; correct use of subject/verb agreement; and a whole bunch of other things they should know before Grade 9. I’m not talking about the occasional typo here; i’m talking about students who don’t know this stuff, and who also think that it really doesn’t matter, and that i’m just an asshole for taking their writing skills into account when grading their papers.
They’re even worse when it comes to higher level skills like synthesizing an argument, using evidence to draw a conclusion, or comparing and contrasting texts in order to identify similarities and differences.
I’m generalizing, of course. Every class contains some students who do all this stuff well, and who are also curious and committed and engaged. Many of them will, i think, make fine teachers. But in other cases? It’s pretty depressing when the person who is going to be teaching 8th grade students consistently demonstrates a level of writing ability and cognitive skill that is barely above grade 8 levels.
Of course, there are economic issues at play here as well. The American taxpayers have, in many states and local jurisdictions, made clear that they want smart, qualified, professional, and committed teachers, but have also continued to chip away at education funding to the extent that students who have these qualities are less and less likely to be interested in the job. Taxpayers and legislators increasingly choose to pay peanuts, and are shocked and surprised when the system attracts a few monkeys.