Would high school education benefit from university professors teaching for a year?
Definitely not. University professors often lack formal training in education—it’s assumed their deep knowledge is enough. Maybe a few with proven teaching skills, but generally, there’s no reason to think they’d be better than high school teachers.
@bernarddeacon
Absolutely agree. There’s a common misconception that knowing a lot about a subject makes someone a good teacher. That’s not true. Researching and teaching are completely different. I earned a PhD and now teach at a community college. Only one class in my PhD was about teaching methods, which is rare. Real improvement in high school education involves many factors like better funding and support for teachers, more focus on teaching methods, and overall systemic changes.
@franklyn
I worked at a marine research station and was the only one with a background in education. There’s a general dislike for teaching in academia.
SophyGenesis said:
@franklyn
I worked at a marine research station and was the only one with a background in education. There’s a general dislike for teaching in academia.
That’s pretty evident.
@franklyn
Improving high school education involves layers more complex than just better teacher training. I work in an urban district that’s supposedly failing despite having everything supposedly needed. The real issue is community and family engagement. Schools have the tools; they need families and communities to step up too.
@bernarddeacon
Teaching willing adults in college who are there by choice is a whole different ballgame compared to teaching high school students who might not want to be there.
Hard pass on that idea. The skills needed for college teaching versus high school are worlds apart. College is about guiding self-driven learners in specialized areas, while high school is about broader educational development and requires a different understanding of learning.
SophyGenesis said:
@FaithJones
Even in college settings, many professors struggle…
Disagree there. The issue is often a misunderstanding of what college teaching involves—it’s more about guiding independent learning rather than delivering content directly, which is why those skills don’t translate well to a high school environment.
@FaithJones
I’ve seen it firsthand as a student and now as an educator. The old ways of teaching in universities just don’t cut it anymore. It’s time for a change, especially when today’s challenges are so complex.
@SophyGenesis
While collaboration and critical thinking are essential, the college setting is designed to focus on independent study outside the classroom. That’s a critical difference from high school.
As a university professor, I can say that the main issues in high school education are not about teaching but about administrative policies and curriculum constraints. Professors are trained for a different audience and wouldn’t be effective in a high school setting.
Making university professors teach high school would likely worsen the situation. High school teachers have specialized training in educational methods that professors typically lack.
There’s nothing wrong with the teachers we have. If you’re not learning in school, maybe the problem isn’t the teachers.
No way. Some professors are good at teaching, others are more focused on research. They’re not interchangeable.
As a former high school teacher turned professor, I believe faculty could benefit from more training in educational strategies. However, forcing them to teach high school isn’t the answer.
No way.
Professors aren’t high school teachers. Their roles and skills are different.