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It should come as no surprise to anyone who has spoken with me or read some of the other pieces that I have had the privilege of posting that education is something that I feel extremely passionate about. In fact, I would go so far as to say that education ranks right up there with my passion for writing, service to my country, and love for the Constitution of the United States and everything that it provides. Why exactly would education rank so high up there in things that I value? Simply put, education is the basic foundation for those other things that I have listed. Without a proper education, one is unable to utilize the written word. Without a proper education, one cannot properly serve in any branch of the military or law enforcement (contrary to popular belief). Lastly, and most importantly, without a proper education, one is unable to understand, abide by, and protect the Constitution of the United States; this fact seems ever more evident by the masses of ignorant young people and their radically unhinged and politically motivated leadership.
I previously wrote a piece that really maligned what has so far been my experience at a university. I could go on to elaborate even further about the shortfalls of the college education provided in this country, possibly for eternity, but I would rather take aim at a different aspect of our education system. As previously stated, young people show up ill-prepared for what they should be expected to do once they arrive at college. Why is this? Well, we can point fingers at government regulations (ie “No Child Left Behind”), or ‘teaching to tests’, or funding, and, in all honesty, any one of these could very well be accurately blamed for one negative aspect of our system or another. What about just the people teaching our kids?
We hear all the time about the professors at universities but it is very seldom that we look at the people at the elementary, middle, and high school levels – unless there happens to be a scandal involving sexual misconduct (which is an issue of a whole other kind) – but take a moment to think about these people.
I am going to speak in generalities. Young people these days have little to no discipline, no work ethic, believe that they should receive unearned benefits and or rewards, and seem to have the worst time regulating their emotions (so much so that “trigger warnings” have become common practice in many places). Who can the education system turn to in order to make drastic improvements to these circumstances? Why, the last time that I had an issue with any of these things was prior to my experience in basic training!
Noncommissioned officers, not just drill sergeants, are specially adapted to developing functional and well-adapted youth that are prepared to take on the difficulties associated with the real world. Day in and day out, NCOs across the military are constantly dealing with young men and women ranging in ages starting at 17; who is to say that these professionals could not adapt to perform the same miracles with young people only slightly younger? Counseling, personal and professional development, and teaching (training) are all tools that any NCO worth their salt has at their disposal. In addition, NCOs promote discipline in various ways, understand the need for proper levels of encouragement, and instill values into those under their charge. Are these not the exact qualities that we wish for our young people?
Everyone has heard the saying “those who cannot do teach”. The fact is that this has been the case for far too long. When you have a generation of people who cannot do anything, teaching kids who will in turn not be able to do anything, you end up with a large portion of a generation essentially crippled. We can see this right now. A generation of young adults looking for handouts, free stuff, and government assistance because they have been taught, for ages, by people who could barely do anything for themselves (or at least were so inept that they could do almost nothing of novel value). We have people going into disciplines like “gender studies” in which lies a future of absolutely nothing. Can anyone please tell me exactly what someone with a PhD in gender studies does for society besides teach other people who are going for a degree in that area? Of course you can’t because there is nothing. Perhaps work in some obscure fashion for the ACLU, maybe.
I believe that it is high time that people who can do, and can do many different things, teach those who we expect to do many different things. If we want young people to take up valuable professions, to be pushed towards doing things of value to themselves and society, they must first be provided with the structure that supports them to do so. Noncommissioned officers are often described as being the “backbone” of the military service (or at least in the Army they are). Could these professionals become the kind of “backbone” structure for the education system that we need? I believe so.
I previously wrote a piece that really maligned what has so far been my experience at a university. I could go on to elaborate even further about the shortfalls of the college education provided in this country, possibly for eternity, but I would rather take aim at a different aspect of our education system. As previously stated, young people show up ill-prepared for what they should be expected to do once they arrive at college. Why is this? Well, we can point fingers at government regulations (ie “No Child Left Behind”), or ‘teaching to tests’, or funding, and, in all honesty, any one of these could very well be accurately blamed for one negative aspect of our system or another. What about just the people teaching our kids?
We hear all the time about the professors at universities but it is very seldom that we look at the people at the elementary, middle, and high school levels – unless there happens to be a scandal involving sexual misconduct (which is an issue of a whole other kind) – but take a moment to think about these people.
I am going to speak in generalities. Young people these days have little to no discipline, no work ethic, believe that they should receive unearned benefits and or rewards, and seem to have the worst time regulating their emotions (so much so that “trigger warnings” have become common practice in many places). Who can the education system turn to in order to make drastic improvements to these circumstances? Why, the last time that I had an issue with any of these things was prior to my experience in basic training!
Noncommissioned officers, not just drill sergeants, are specially adapted to developing functional and well-adapted youth that are prepared to take on the difficulties associated with the real world. Day in and day out, NCOs across the military are constantly dealing with young men and women ranging in ages starting at 17; who is to say that these professionals could not adapt to perform the same miracles with young people only slightly younger? Counseling, personal and professional development, and teaching (training) are all tools that any NCO worth their salt has at their disposal. In addition, NCOs promote discipline in various ways, understand the need for proper levels of encouragement, and instill values into those under their charge. Are these not the exact qualities that we wish for our young people?
Everyone has heard the saying “those who cannot do teach”. The fact is that this has been the case for far too long. When you have a generation of people who cannot do anything, teaching kids who will in turn not be able to do anything, you end up with a large portion of a generation essentially crippled. We can see this right now. A generation of young adults looking for handouts, free stuff, and government assistance because they have been taught, for ages, by people who could barely do anything for themselves (or at least were so inept that they could do almost nothing of novel value). We have people going into disciplines like “gender studies” in which lies a future of absolutely nothing. Can anyone please tell me exactly what someone with a PhD in gender studies does for society besides teach other people who are going for a degree in that area? Of course you can’t because there is nothing. Perhaps work in some obscure fashion for the ACLU, maybe.
I believe that it is high time that people who can do, and can do many different things, teach those who we expect to do many different things. If we want young people to take up valuable professions, to be pushed towards doing things of value to themselves and society, they must first be provided with the structure that supports them to do so. Noncommissioned officers are often described as being the “backbone” of the military service (or at least in the Army they are). Could these professionals become the kind of “backbone” structure for the education system that we need? I believe so.
Teacher
Teaching
NCO Academy
Primary Education
Leadership
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 69
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I fully agree with you. While an Instructor at the 7th Army NCO Academy our motto was, "If the Student fails to learn, the Instructor failed to teach". It worked well for us and we were able to Graduate Hundreds of fine NCO's that I am sure brought great Credit of both their Units and the US Army.
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This is an excellent objective. Our education situation in this country is in real need of help, and who better to supply that help than efficient and proficient NCO's.
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There are many ways to become a self supporting citizen. A plumber, truck driver, etc. does not have to have a PHD to make it in this world. What he/she need is RESPONSIBILITY. All of us learned that in the military. It makes no difference what your rank is. Kids now days are not responsible for anything ( unless the parents say so). Teachers can only do so much. Discipline is NOT there job.
I had a friend tell me her dad an o-6 had become a teacher. She pitted the students. After reading some poetry he asked the class what they thought. A dude in the back said ( I think it sucks). Rather than get upset the Colonel politely ask the student to come to the front of the class and explain why!! And that is why he was a Colonel!!!
I had a friend tell me her dad an o-6 had become a teacher. She pitted the students. After reading some poetry he asked the class what they thought. A dude in the back said ( I think it sucks). Rather than get upset the Colonel politely ask the student to come to the front of the class and explain why!! And that is why he was a Colonel!!!
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After I retired I became a high school teacher. I had to "jump thru the hoops" to get a teaching license and endorsements. After planning and conducting military training for 24 years, doing the same in high school was a breeze. Except for the occasional misfit, Officers, WOs, and NCOs are experienced trainers and already good teachers.
BUT the big, big, really big, difference is your students. You don't have a room full of warriors who pay attention because they know there lives may depend on it. You have a room full of teenagers with an attitude: entitled, disrespectful, undisciplined, lazy, etc. who's whole goal is to get a B grade with as little effort as possible, or to not get by at all. (Yes, of course, there are those students who want to put forth the effort to get an A grade, but they are not the problem.) Therefor, the question is, can you adapt to your new audience?
I found that if I joked and teased with them, laughed with them, used limited sarcasm appropriately, and allowed them to tease back, I won them over and had excellent control of the class. The other thing that really helped me when a student got out of control was to remind myself that that student was acting like me when I was 15 or 16. In fact, most of my students, when they acted out, never got as bad as I was at times.
BUT the big, big, really big, difference is your students. You don't have a room full of warriors who pay attention because they know there lives may depend on it. You have a room full of teenagers with an attitude: entitled, disrespectful, undisciplined, lazy, etc. who's whole goal is to get a B grade with as little effort as possible, or to not get by at all. (Yes, of course, there are those students who want to put forth the effort to get an A grade, but they are not the problem.) Therefor, the question is, can you adapt to your new audience?
I found that if I joked and teased with them, laughed with them, used limited sarcasm appropriately, and allowed them to tease back, I won them over and had excellent control of the class. The other thing that really helped me when a student got out of control was to remind myself that that student was acting like me when I was 15 or 16. In fact, most of my students, when they acted out, never got as bad as I was at times.
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One of my DS’s hit his 20 shortly after basic training ended for me. He got out and became a kindergarten teacher. As a private, I was both shocked and horrified by that. As an NCO, and now veteran, I realized that they’re basically the same job.
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WHAT AN EXCELLENT NARRATIVE on why NCOs make great educators! There are too many teachers and professors, who have the academic degrees required for a specific course or subject matter, but many don't have the discipline and drive that an NCO or Officer who is either in the military or a veteran from the military... In my view, there are too many in the advanced collegiate education environment who have never been in the military, and who get more out of simply lecturing and being an individual who is caught up in his or her own power grab, so-to-speak and young people are easily driven to follow, not necessarily lead. I think this is especially true in the Liberal Arts field where those teaching are off in their own myopic world and want their students to subscribe to their way of worldly understanding... I don't believe that this holds true for the sciences, however...I may be off base a bit, but I don't think too far.
I especially liked your paragraph, which leads off with "Those who cannot do, Teach". I went to a Liberal Arts college right out of high school and after a semester, I found it difficult just to attend classes... Some of what was taught, I thought I probably would never use... Half-way through the 2nd semester... I pulled the plug on that educational path, took the tests for all the military branches, scored reasonably equal across the board and ultimately joined the USAF! I have always thought more technically than liberal arts and so the career path I undertook to become an airborne navigation systems repairman was challenging, had purpose and kept me in the forefront of technology. The military regimen taught me the strength of discipline, drive, purpose, camaraderie, and much, much more.
During my enlistment, I married, and decided to leave the USAF and raise a family... I entered Northeastern University to commence my first academic degree, all the while escalating the ladder of success. After achieving an Associate Degree in Electronic Engineering Technology, I adjusted my educational plan and migrated over to a more managerial curriculum for Baccalaureate degree as my position and responsibilities continued to move up that ladder of success. My family had grown from just my wife and I, to a family of seven. My military training gave me the drive, knowledge, perseverance and leadership qualities to complete my college education...
After a great career with high technology companies like Raytheon, GTE Sylvania, Motorola and others, I can honestly tell you that it was my military training by United States Air Force NCOs and Officers, who most guided my education direction and allowed me to succeed... One cannot generally find that in our colleges and university today, at least in my opinion... I am retired now, but still active, Volunteering as a Commander of DAV Chapter #90, Norwood, MA, and as a credentialed research assistant within the Veterans Administration's Research area on the Million Veteran Program at the Boston Veterans Healthcare System at the West Roxbury VA Hospital. I do other things as well, but I owe it all to my USAF career.
I especially liked your paragraph, which leads off with "Those who cannot do, Teach". I went to a Liberal Arts college right out of high school and after a semester, I found it difficult just to attend classes... Some of what was taught, I thought I probably would never use... Half-way through the 2nd semester... I pulled the plug on that educational path, took the tests for all the military branches, scored reasonably equal across the board and ultimately joined the USAF! I have always thought more technically than liberal arts and so the career path I undertook to become an airborne navigation systems repairman was challenging, had purpose and kept me in the forefront of technology. The military regimen taught me the strength of discipline, drive, purpose, camaraderie, and much, much more.
During my enlistment, I married, and decided to leave the USAF and raise a family... I entered Northeastern University to commence my first academic degree, all the while escalating the ladder of success. After achieving an Associate Degree in Electronic Engineering Technology, I adjusted my educational plan and migrated over to a more managerial curriculum for Baccalaureate degree as my position and responsibilities continued to move up that ladder of success. My family had grown from just my wife and I, to a family of seven. My military training gave me the drive, knowledge, perseverance and leadership qualities to complete my college education...
After a great career with high technology companies like Raytheon, GTE Sylvania, Motorola and others, I can honestly tell you that it was my military training by United States Air Force NCOs and Officers, who most guided my education direction and allowed me to succeed... One cannot generally find that in our colleges and university today, at least in my opinion... I am retired now, but still active, Volunteering as a Commander of DAV Chapter #90, Norwood, MA, and as a credentialed research assistant within the Veterans Administration's Research area on the Million Veteran Program at the Boston Veterans Healthcare System at the West Roxbury VA Hospital. I do other things as well, but I owe it all to my USAF career.
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MAJ Matthew Arnold
So, I taught at one high school where about 10 out of 70 teachers were veterans. Later, I taught at an alternative high school where 2 out of 6 teachers were veterans, but due to the nature of our school, we had a large staff, and about 50% of the staff were veterans. Veterans know how to handle gang-banger teenagers and make good teachers and staff.
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Bravo! Well written and addresses a great deal of what exactly is wrong with today's primary and secondary education. When I instructed at the undergrad level or substituted at the high school level I was repeatedly told that I couldn't grade to actual standard, "every student must feel they can proceed!" This is a severe indictment of our education system today!
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I find that it is Difficult here in Texas to even get in to teach. Most Districts Require a minimum of a Masters Degree. I only have a Bachelors so I am currently pursuing my Masters in History Education.
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