Ah, the joys of high school! Ha. Just when I thought it couldn't get anymore "interesting," I started my second term, and began Economics. Not only that, but the class is taught by one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Z.
Back when I was a freshman, Mr. Z was considered to be one of those English stumbling blocks. I was warned of him well before I was ever warned of Teter. I ended up in his honors class, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mr. Z taught (and still does teach) in a way which encouraged his students to voice their own opinions. He refused to give students answers, instead making them figure it out for themselves. He basically threw out all conventional English instruction, and instead focused on politics. To say the least, the class was fun, interesting, and a valuable way for us to assert ourselves.
The next year I had Mr. Z as a teacher in a standard English class, and nearly a third of the class failed. They couldn't grasp the fact that he wasn't like other teachers. They had always been taught to give the teacher whatever answer they thought he wanted to hear, but with Mr. Z, the correct answer was the one which the student truly thought was right and could support.
This year is Economics, and with that I'd like to start my new blog project, Econ Notes, about the class and about how the subject is being taught in one public high school. I expect to not always agree with what I'm being taught, but with Mr. Z, I know that that there will at least be an interesting twist.
- The Memorandum -
This is part of a memorandum that Mr. Z sent out on January 10th, our first day back to school.
Greetings... I believe that my function and obligation as your teacher goes substantially beyond the obvious and/or what may be considered the usual or ordinary. Yes, you will indeed be learning economics and analyzing economic questions and problems...but you will learn much, much more! I will teach you to ask questions and to question preconceived notions. I will teach you to problem-solve and to get into the minds of the people responsible for making economic policy decisions in America and abroad. I will teach you to analyze the economic options available to each of you and make the choices that will benefit you the most. But most importantly, I will teach you to think!
With that in mind, let us see where this class takes me!
* Keep in mind that the notes that I take in this class are what Mr. Z says, and not neccesarily what I think of as being right.
