I have dyscalculia to the nth, I couldn't complete this test, I closed it after the first question. Although I wouldn't want to teach math, I'm perfectly well qualified to teach art.
The issue is that elementary school teachers in Ontario are required to teach all subjects. We don't have subject-specialized teachers such as art teachers in elementary school.
Should this test preclude me from teaching grade school in Ontario? Are we not all weaker in some areas than others? My mother, Ms. Findlay, taught elementary school in Whitby for years, she's really great at maths, but she couldn't draw a stick figure or build something out of lego if her life depended on it, heck she can't drive stick shift. Unfortunately for me, dyslexia and dyscalcila are hereditary through the father line, so much like myself, my father can't spell or add two numbers together for jack, thankfully neither of us have had to work in areas that you'd notice, but I still think we could both teach elementary school just fine.
> Should this test preclude me from teaching grade school in Ontario?
Yes. If you cannot do basic arithmetic, you should not be responsible for teaching math to children.
> Ms. Findlay, taught elementary school in Whitby for years, she's really great at maths, but she couldn't draw a stick figure or build something out of lego if her life depended on it, heck she can't drive stick shift.
I don't understand what you are talking about. Elementary school teachers are responsible for teaching math, not teaching kids how to drive stick.
I'm sorry about your condition. It honestly sounds like hell.
I can't say I know much about how the education system works, I was under the impression grade school teachers are much more focused on soft skills and things like arts and crafts than say, high school teachers who teach harder skills. My point on mum was she isn't very creative or coordinated, and I would have thought creativity is more important in the elementary years, again i don't know much about how pedagogy works so I may very well be mistaken.
It depends on what you mean by grade school, I suppose. In the US and Canada, kids attend first grade at around 6 years old. From this age, they should be learning how to read, write, and do addition. By third grade or so, they are learning multiplication. Softer skills is definitely part of school, but learning to read and write and do math is like the fundamental thing you send kids to school for.
Is geometry considered pure math? Funny you should ask, I was I thinking about that, I guess I'd just teach it via leading lines, and maybe look at the required geography prior to the class. Although I have a degree in art and I've never considered perspective in the context of geometric math, and I'm not sure it would be required to teach primary school art (or high school for that matter?)
In Scotland in the 90s, after a few years, they just put me in a class with kids with down syndrome when everyone else was in Math and tried to teach me 1:1, and then when I moved to Canada I had 2 more years of High School and they just didn't make me take math because there was no way I'd manage it and there was no point in stopping me graduating because of it so I was given special consideration as someone with sever and complex special needs.
A little off-topic, but DeviantArt has been a hugely important part of my kids' lives. It's helped make them the artists that they are. Thank you for whatever role you had in building it.
Aww, thank you for saying that. I'm really happy to hear! I was one of the original community directions when a few of us were trying to get dA off the ground. I'm pretty sure there are actually a number of the original dA staffers around HN.
