Teachers need to speak correctly.

[crkirby]

This is my stance on the whole situation of teachers and speaking, as an educator.  If you must speak, speak correctly.  I know everyone makes spelling and grammatical errors, it happens.  However, if you are going into the profession of shaping young minds, and you cannot pronounce words correctly, or leave out important consonants or vowels in a word....you should not be in that classroom trying to teach a young child how to speak or learn the material.

Do you honestly think a child will learn correctly from a teacher who cannot say words correctly?  No, they will think that pronunciation is acceptable and will begin to mimic their speech patterns.  This will go on, and wouldn't you, we will then end up with more students who come out of the school system sounding like idiots.  I want to hand these educators an English book and scream at them to learn it.

Now, I am not talking about accents or speech impediments here.  No.  What I am talking about are people pronouncing words such as "and" as "nd"  or "begining" as "begin'n".  I've even begin to hear some teacher's start to use TEXT TALK.  These types of gross verbal assaults on the English language are just atrocious to me.  Students need to be taught by someone who is projecting theirselves as an intelligent person, someone who can show them how to appropriately speak...and they are not.  They are doing these children a grave injustice. 

Now, as a parent, if I met my childs teacher and they spoke with such blatent disregard for the English language, I would request my child be transferred out of that classroom immediately.  I do not want my children thinking it is acceptable to walk around sounding like an idiot, by removing sounds, replacing them, or using random acronyms for sentences.  If my child want to text talk, get their phone.  Do not let my child think it is fine to talk like that in the real world though.

Ok.  Rant over.

[BeanIrene1]

Aug. 20, 2009 at 11:24 AM

Having some issues with people around you?? I agree.

While I am not a teacher legally (as I homeschool and am teacher that way) English is VERY important to me. It was the subject I excelled in the most in school. It is where one of my passions lies (writing).

So I hear you. And completely agree.

[crkirby]

Aug. 20, 2009 at 1:11 PM

Oh no, the teachers I work with are WONDERFUL. (we actually had a meeting on this exact thing this morning, haahaha)....BUT, I am in a cohort with other student teachers and they come in and speak like...well...uneducated idiots...to their peers, professors, and the students!!! 

Makes me so mad.....

(Original Poster)