Politicians like Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin (who never finished college), Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and Gov. Rick Scott of Florida, and myriad members of the House and Senate who were at best B students in high school and in many cases worse, are saying the key to educational “reform” is ending tenure and seniority so that older teachers can be trashed in mid-career to be replaced by supposedly high-performing young replacements.The snippet above is from the wonderful blog/news site, This Can't Be Happening. It got me to thinking about the idea of experienced professionals and workers in other professions.
What they’re not saying is that this is really not about performance, or teaching kids, it’s about money. Older teachers are more expensive, because they’ve earned raises over the years. Younger teachers are paid introductory-level poverty wages, and that will help these politicians who are cutting taxes at the federal and state level survive the wrath of citizens who suddenly find that they have to finance their and their neighbors’ kids’ education with local property taxes...
~ from In Praise of Older, More Experienced Teachers by Dave Lindorff ~
Let's say your doctor tells you that something is seriously wrong with your heart. After a number of tests and consultations, you receive a recommendation to have open heart surgery. Which surgeon would you most likely choose to perform the operation: a young buck fresh out of med school who had never performed open heart surgery OR a long-time surgeon with 20 years experience?
Let's say you've been arrested for a murder you did not commit. The state has developed a lot of circumstantial evidence and has a witness who says he saw you commit the crime. Because of its heinous nature, the prosecutor is asking for the death penalty. Which attorney would you most likely choose to represent you: the young lawyer whose only experience is in wills and probate OR a long-time attorney with many years of experience who specializes in murder defense?
Let's say you are a major league manager of a baseball team. It's the biggest game of the season. If you win tonight, your team goes to the play-offs. If you lose tonight, your season is over. Which pitcher would you most likely choose to pitch the last inning of a game in which you are trying to protect a one run lead: The rookie who was just called up from the minor leagues yesterday OR the relief pitcher who has saved every important game to this point in your season?
In life, experience is a great teacher. This is not to suggest that everyone learns from experience as well as others. But experience offers a kind of education that a person can't come by in any other way. It doesn't matter how bright or innovative any one person may be. Experience tends to accentuate the abilities you already possess. It deepens your understanding.
In my opinion, we need to reward experience, not discard it.
Presuming, hoping, that "experience" produces wisdom, which is really what you're looking for. Some young inexperienced people are wise; some old experienced folks are just plain stupid.
ReplyDeleteI once was treated for a broken arm by a great old Marcus Welby-doctorwho had healing in his hands...when it came to bonesetting. But he had performed a hysterectomy on a young woman who was sharing my hospital room because she was "run down."
Some young inexperienced people are wise; some old experienced folks are just plain stupid.
ReplyDeleteNo arguments from me for the basic tenor of this statement. That said, in the norm, we tend to come by wisdom THROUGH experience. For most of us, it doesn't spring up from nowhere.
On the contrary, it DOES spring up from nowhere. That is, from quiet reflection, a still mind and clarity of vision. And clarity of vision means no clutter. I'm with baroness, experience is a big help and of course is very very important in many instances. But, if it just clutters one's vision, it is useless. The foundation of wisdom is as Lao Tzu said (via Steven Mitchell):
ReplyDeleteIn pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.
But who is more apt to see the value of "quiet reflection?" The experienced person!
ReplyDeleteWhatever your age, think how you have changed from your youth to now. As we experience life, we learn from our successes and failures.
For a lot of people, we go charging off when we're young; experiences teaches us to consider the consequences when we're older. That doesn't mean we might now still go charging off somewhere, but we are often far more realistic about the possibilities and potential outcomes.
Not so oddly, I was thinking of Brandon, and the not lately so vocal or visible Iktomi, when I made that observation. These younger folks give me a great deal of hope for the future.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe the idea is that experience is not a matter of "volume" but quality. I once knew a radio newscaster who had been in his job for 25 years..I said, "Wow, that's a lot of experience." "No," he said (somewhat wisely, I think), "I've just had one year of experience 25 times." He was a drunk.
True, there is definitely interplay there, back and forth. I didn't mean to come out so one sided in my comment, but such is the nature of discussion.
ReplyDeleteBrandon,
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It is an interplay.
Some people have tons of experience that begets little wisdom. Some people lack experience, yet have abundant wisdom.
That said, the process of aging provides the OPPORTUNITY of gaining wisdom and most of us gain a measure of it...whether we like it or not. :-)