A Hoosier teacher wonders why Indiana bothered to set new standards requiring all potential teachers to major in their field of study and minor in education:
I'm mystified as to why this is necessary. I teach high school in Indianapolis
and it has been years since I was called upon to teach anything but basic skills. Any college graduate with a passing grade in freshman English can easily teach the rudimentary skills required for mastery in an English class. It has been a long time since I've had to call on my extensive knowledge of literature or composition in order to teach a lesson. In fact, I rarely have to think or plan at all, since the district sends me lessons and prepared scripts that I am required to use. I could teach "Mary Had a Little Lamb'' as long as it hit one or more of the Indiana standards.
No literature or special composition skills, just the rudimentary basics all laod out in a must-follow lesson plan. How sad, and how scary to think that might be more common than many of us would like to believe.
