28. "A Conversation with a Bad Teacher"

This article is about Hana Maruyama interviewing John Owens, a former teacher and author of Confessions of a Bad Teacher about his book and experiences teaching high-school in the New York City School District. He uses his sarcasm to talk about how his former administrator called him a "bad teacher" because he went against what he was directed to do and tended to disagree with what they thought. The article consists of Maruyama and Owens going back and forth answering questions like why Owens became a teacher, why he quit, and why he wrote his book. In this interview he admits that the one year he was a teacher it was the hardest job he's ever had. He states that other teachers were not really encouraging, but more pressuring on getting the students to pass. He believes schools can improve by not worrying so much on getting the best test scores and more focusing on the student's self.
I really enjoyed reading this article. Some schools are just worried about getting the highest state scores rather than really getting to know their students and making school a fun and enjoyable place to learn. With administrations like this it does not only put pressures on the teachers but on the students as well. John Owens book hopefully influences a lot of administrations to change their ways and focus more on the child than on state scores. Yes teachers should want their students to pass, but students will be more willing to learn and come to school if their teachers want to be there as well and lessons aren't just drilled into their heads.