KabNET
  • Home
  • People
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Coronavirus
  • Video
115K Likes
73K Subscribers
KabNET
KabNET
  • Home
  • People
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Coronavirus
  • Video

Money Should Not Be an Incentive for Better Teaching

  • September 7, 2022
  • No comments
  • 2 minute read
  • Michael Laitman
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

I recently wrote about the teachers’ crisis in Israel and how I think it should be resolved.

I am pleased that the teachers’ union has reached an agreement with the Ministry of Finance and that the teachers will receive a significant raise, which was one of my proposals. However, there is another point in the agreement that I believe does not contribute to good teaching, but rather creates a distortion in the system: the teachers will receive financial bonuses for excellence in teaching. That is, the teachers’ performance will be graded and they will receive extra money if their grades are good.

I wholly agree that quality teaching must be encouraged, that teachers must strive to be the best they can be, and that good teachers should be appreciated. I also agree that teachers’ performance should be graded. Where I see the problem is in the type of reward that they receive in return for good performance.

“Financial rewards would make them think about the money while teaching, instead of focusing on the education they are giving to their students; it would turn them into “sales persons” who think about the bonuses they get in return for more sales, rather than about the customers, namely the students. If teachers adjust their teaching so that it earns them bonuses rather than thinking about the needs of their students, it will not produce good teachers and certainly not good teaching.”

Financial rewards would make them think about the money while teaching, instead of focusing on the education they are giving to their students; it would turn them into “sales persons” who think about the bonuses they get in return for more sales, rather than about the customers, namely the students. If teachers adjust their teaching so that it earns them bonuses rather than thinking about the needs of their students, it will not produce good teachers and certainly not good teaching.

Another point we should consider is who should participate in grading the teachers. Under the new agreement, the school principals will decide who is a good teacher. In my opinion, the students, too, should have their voices heard on that. First of all, they are, after all, the ones who spend the most time with the teacher. They are the ones who feel firsthand if the teacher’s teaching is clear, if the homework is appropriate and reasonable, if the grades they give are fair, and if the teacher is patient or not, etc. Therefore, they know better than anyone how well this teacher performs.

Another reason why I believe that students should be involved in evaluating their teachers is that it will be an effective educational tool. It will make students think about teaching, about the role of the teacher, about the teacher’s work, and about themselves as students. They will be able to discuss these issues with each other, develop interpersonal communication, and enrich each other with different perspectives. Being able to view the other side’s perspective is one of the key elements in emotional maturation, and putting themselves in the teacher’s shoes is a great way to help students achieve that.

Share on:
WhatsApp
Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Michael Laitman

Michael Laitman has a PhD in Philosophy and Kabbalah and an MS in Medical Bio-Cybernetics. He began his career as a promising young scientist, but his life took a sharp turn in 1974 when he immigrated to Israel. In Israel, Dr. Laitman worked for the Israeli Air Force for several years before becoming self-employed. In 1976, Laitman began his Kabbalah studies, and in 1979 he found Rav Baruch Shalom Halevi Ashlag (the RABASH), the first-born son and successor of Rav Yehuda Leib Halevi Ashlag, known as “Baal HaSulam” for his Sulam (Ladder) commentary on The Book of Zohar. Prof. Laitman was RABASH’s prime disciple until his teacher’s passing in 1991. After his demise, Laitman continued to write books and teach what he had learned from RABASH, passing on the methodology of Baal HaSulam. Dr. Laitman is the author of over 40 books, which have been translated into dozens of languages. He is a sought-after speaker and has written for or been interviewed by The New York Times, The Jerusalem Post, Huffington Post, Corriere della Sera, the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, The Globe, RAI TV and Bloomberg TV, among others.

Previous Article

To Increase Tax Collection, Japan Encourages Alcohol Consumption

  • September 6, 2022
  • Michael Laitman
View Post
Next Article

9/11 – a Wasted Opportunity for Unity

  • September 11, 2022
  • Michael Laitman
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Environment
  • People

How Do I Prevent a Nuclear War?

  • Michael Laitman
  • March 26, 2023
View Post
  • People
  • Society

What Is the Future of Humanity?

  • Michael Laitman
  • March 23, 2023
View Post
  • People
  • Society

Is the World Really Controlled by Just a Few Families?

  • Michael Laitman
  • March 21, 2023
View Post
  • People
  • Society

What Story Is Read on Purim? Why?

  • Michael Laitman
  • March 6, 2023
View Post
  • People
  • Society

What Is Wrong With Our Society Today?

  • Michael Laitman
  • March 1, 2023
View Post
  • People
  • Society

What Is the Meaning of Purim in the Bible?

  • Michael Laitman
  • February 28, 2023
View Post
  • People
  • Society

How to Unite a Nation that Is Not a Nation

  • Michael Laitman
  • February 17, 2023
View Post
  • Environment
  • People

What Can We Learn From Elephants?

  • Michael Laitman
  • February 16, 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER
KabNET
  • Society
  • Environment
  • People

Input your search keywords and press Enter.