Actually, those who can’t teach, are still teaching…they just don’t get noticed in the morass of budget cuts, too large classes, not being able to correct their students and students running amuck shooting up everybody!!! Let’s not even get into what they have to teach, unless you want to talk about history being reduced to how evil our founding fathers were, how 2-plus-two-equals-5, and I-don’t-know-what they do in English. (But it’s obviously not teaching how to construct a paragraph with grammatical sentences, correctly spelled words and a coherent thought on a subject.)
I’ve always resented that asseveration! How about: Those whose nobility doesn’t depend on the size of their paycheck teach? I “Did” for 15 years before teaching teens how to “do.” My peers in the industry are making 2.5 times what I got paid!
Having read all comments and replies to this point, I have a few observations:1. A number of opinions are asserted as statements of fact with no supporting evidence, not even anecdotal.2. The few attempts to give evidence vaguely refer to experiential, biased anecdotes.3. Much effort was made to assert the supposed truth of a catchy old saw, ‘Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.’ Again, no actual, empirical support is offered. 3a. This aphorism is used out of context. It originates in Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw’s play, ‘Man and Superman.’ Shaw, however, was referring to revolutionaries, not teachers. It applies to a very restricted set of advice-givers who, being unable to face violent action themselves, feel they can tell others how to do it. This is not the blanket dictum people seem to believe it to be.3b. This aphorism is demonstrably false. Who among us learned to read or do arithmetic from a teacher unable to do either? Who would take golf lessons from a teacher who could not hit a ball?4. The general flavor of comments above reflects an underlying acceptance of deliberate anti-public school propaganda. 4a. Loss of faith in American public schooling began with Sputnik, when American politicians flogged the supposed failure of American schools to teach science. In truth, American public schooling had very little to do with the issue. Both countries’s space programs depended upon Nazi scientists impressed to service after WWII. 4b. The two countries’ space programs were largely equal due to Stalin’s agents in the US space and nuclear programs. USSR’s early success reflected their pursuit of showy, short-term successes while the US focused upon safety longer-term goals. 4c. Still, ‘improvement reforms’ were rushed into schools.4d. Never constrained by actual facts, politicians of both parties have continued to undermine public confidence in public education to this day. Their meddling has coincided with falling student achievement.
starfighter441 almost 6 years ago
Actually those who cannot do either, administrate…
Mr Nobody almost 6 years ago
Woody Allen said that those who can’t do, teach, and those who can’t teach, teach gym.
Milessio almost 6 years ago
Those who can’t do, teach, and those who can’t teach, write text books?
wcorvi almost 6 years ago
Those who can’t teach, teach teachers.
LadyPeterW almost 6 years ago
Actually, those who can’t teach, are still teaching…they just don’t get noticed in the morass of budget cuts, too large classes, not being able to correct their students and students running amuck shooting up everybody!!! Let’s not even get into what they have to teach, unless you want to talk about history being reduced to how evil our founding fathers were, how 2-plus-two-equals-5, and I-don’t-know-what they do in English. (But it’s obviously not teaching how to construct a paragraph with grammatical sentences, correctly spelled words and a coherent thought on a subject.)
Brian G Premium Member almost 6 years ago
Actually I thought it was a statement about dancers or maybe some sports, in that “Those who can no longer do then teach”
WCraft Premium Member almost 6 years ago
I’ve always resented that asseveration! How about: Those whose nobility doesn’t depend on the size of their paycheck teach? I “Did” for 15 years before teaching teens how to “do.” My peers in the industry are making 2.5 times what I got paid!
comicboyz almost 6 years ago
As we say in medicine; “See One, Do One, Teach One”
chuckbowen1 almost 6 years ago
Having read all comments and replies to this point, I have a few observations:1. A number of opinions are asserted as statements of fact with no supporting evidence, not even anecdotal.2. The few attempts to give evidence vaguely refer to experiential, biased anecdotes.3. Much effort was made to assert the supposed truth of a catchy old saw, ‘Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.’ Again, no actual, empirical support is offered. 3a. This aphorism is used out of context. It originates in Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw’s play, ‘Man and Superman.’ Shaw, however, was referring to revolutionaries, not teachers. It applies to a very restricted set of advice-givers who, being unable to face violent action themselves, feel they can tell others how to do it. This is not the blanket dictum people seem to believe it to be.3b. This aphorism is demonstrably false. Who among us learned to read or do arithmetic from a teacher unable to do either? Who would take golf lessons from a teacher who could not hit a ball?4. The general flavor of comments above reflects an underlying acceptance of deliberate anti-public school propaganda. 4a. Loss of faith in American public schooling began with Sputnik, when American politicians flogged the supposed failure of American schools to teach science. In truth, American public schooling had very little to do with the issue. Both countries’s space programs depended upon Nazi scientists impressed to service after WWII. 4b. The two countries’ space programs were largely equal due to Stalin’s agents in the US space and nuclear programs. USSR’s early success reflected their pursuit of showy, short-term successes while the US focused upon safety longer-term goals. 4c. Still, ‘improvement reforms’ were rushed into schools.4d. Never constrained by actual facts, politicians of both parties have continued to undermine public confidence in public education to this day. Their meddling has coincided with falling student achievement.