Young Teachers

[Smithers]

I miss PLATO - a forum where you could 'dump' without fear or favour.

Since retrogressing and moving to Queensland I've found myself in an office with lots of young science/maths teachers. By and large they are a pain in the arse. They are loud, they have an opinion on everything and most of them don't read the newspaper let alone professional literature or non fiction.

A few of them have made it their personal mission to disagree with me on everything and in the process they've become apologists for Education Queensland and the school...older staff witness our altercations and remain silent even though they quietly agree with me afterwards.

As a battle scared and realistically cynical chalkie maybe I should have been a bit more tactful and tried harder to entertain their inane and thoughtless comments...discuss mindless commercial TV and rejoyce in some stupid new email attachment - hell - they even have opinions on our industrial situation when they don't attend union meetings, can't name the union president and blindly follow our Union's 'How to vote card' for the AEU elections.

I was young once but I was never that dumb.

Kind Regards
Smithers

[Russell]

I'm a young(ish) teacher and I don't have an opinion on what you've said, except that it's wrong.

:-)

[Fiona]

Yes, Smithers, PLATO was the halcyon days of Education in the professional dialogue and political cut and thrust it offered. I do miss it. I felt I was learning new things about education every day. Hell, I even miss Yvonne (: The Union site is good but it is very 'union'. PLATO was far wider in its subject material and had a very wide contributor list. I enjoyed the range of responses and the wisdom and humour that most brought to the forum. I also miss the nom de plumes and the personas that evolved. I wonder if Paul has finished his Harley yet and if SET has won his first game of tennis. How's old Boxer? I miss his witty insights. How is Primary POV going and all the rest of the gang? I hope everyone is travelling well.

[Patrick F. Whalen]

Smithers, do me a favour. Contact me at ppfw3@aol. I want to ask you about Queensland education and emplyment. My daughter and son-in-law are moving theer in December and I'm toying with the idea of moving there to help mind my grandkids.

[Secondary Teacher]

Smithers - Marko has hinted on the Union Forum maybe it is time to bring back Plato.  I certainly hope he does. I agree with Fiona's comments.  The Union forum is a very cold place to visit - the President did not leave a message on the Union forum, so she didn't consider the union forum an important means of communicating with members. What I liked about Plato, was that anyone could post a message on the forum - and the fact that both private and public education was involved, along with parents, students, academics and interstate and worldwide contributors gave this Plato forum such credence.

[Michael Findlay]

If PLATO was resurrected I wonder how long it would take before it returned to its former glory.

[Russell]

ten minutes?

[Smithers]

Exciting news indeed...I've been anticipating this ever since the Union vote.

PLATO is very necessary now that our 'legitimate' voice has gone down the gurgler.

Bring it on I say...

Smithers