Building a dream school

This week we set out to design our dream school. It starts off hopeful and quickly turns into a list of things we would change, fix, and question. Somewhere along the way, we may or may not go on a bit of a rant about the role of parents and what actually needs to happen for kids to thrive. It’s part vision, part frustration, and very real.

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Source mentioned in the episode: 

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/focus/20260106-back-to-textbooks-denmark-rolls-back-digital-learning

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:08

What's up, Amy Dood?

SPEAKER_02 0:12

On the microphone, you got Amy and Lydia. Woo woo!

SPEAKER_00 0:17

We're back with another Thursday episode as always.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

We're back with this will be on the test. Will this be on the test? Some of a bit later.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

I mean this in this line. So make sure to grab a notebook. Because this will be on the test. What's up?

SPEAKER_02 0:41

What's up?

SPEAKER_00 0:42

We are back. We are in our childhood home in my in our childhood bedroom. Yes. I forgot for a minute that it was the three of us in this bedroom.

SPEAKER_02 0:50

It was five of us in this bedroom at one point.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

I wasn't privy to that, thank God.

SPEAKER_02 0:55

Yeah, it's a tiny room. It then became Lydia's room.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

As like a one-person bedroom, it's spacious. It's really nice.

SPEAKER_02 1:03

Five little kids, it was crammed. And if you were on the bunk bed, you always like couldn't wake up too excited because you go right back to sleep.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

Yeah. By now you should hopefully um see a picture on Instagram of what we look like recording. It's a pretty funny. I mean like this oversized blanket thing that Amy gave me, which is nice. And Amy is huddled up under a blanket on this like sheep's sheepskin is is beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

It's very comfy. Also, we are recording this over Easter weekend. So if you hear some like background noises of babies crying and stuff, shout out to our nieces and nephews who are also here. They don't care that we're recording. Like we asked them to just like not, but you know. Oh, and also I'm sick.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

So there's also that background noise.

SPEAKER_02 1:48

Yep. So you'll be hearing lots of sneezing and screaming, and this will be a fun episode.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't don't tune out now, please. Anyway, today we're talking about our dream school. Yes. As uh I'm a teacher, as you guys know by now, and Amy was a teacher up until recently.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

So we know a bit what we're talking about.

SPEAKER_02 2:08

And we both have strong opinions about this, I think.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

I think so. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

I think, yeah. Working in the profession definitely gives you an idea of what could be done differently.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

So should we get into the would you rathers?

SPEAKER_00 2:22

Let's get into it. Would you rather teach at public school, making a salary of a thousand, a hundred thousand a year? Or teach at a private school, but you only make thirty thousand a year. And implied is like that the public school the conditions are worse, so you have bigger classes and less less of a budget and everything. And at a private school you have smaller classes, a bigger budget, so there's more to work with. Your job is probably more enjoyable at a private school, but you make way less money.

SPEAKER_02 2:52

Yeah, that's way too little.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

30,000, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

I mean, like in Switzerland, that's yeah. Below like low wist range, I think. Right? Isn't it 40?

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Probably.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

Um yeah, I mean, work at a public school.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

Yeah, that's what I'm doing now anyway.

SPEAKER_02 3:15

Not like no child left behind. My motto would be like some of them might get left behind. Yeah. But I'm making bank notes.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

But honestly, don't some of them get left behind if we're being real.

SPEAKER_04 3:24

Yeah, and that way you make more money.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 3:26

So like this isn't easy.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

They can get left behind as long as I'm getting my paint.

SPEAKER_04 3:31

I feel like if there's any uh teachers in the US listening and they're like, you're kidding me? I can make this much money and work the same job I have now. Like what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Oh yeah. Yeah, it's um it has to be said that teachers in Switzerland make pretty good pay. Like, especially compared to the US, we we make a good living.

SPEAKER_02 3:52

We make a yeah, teachers make very good salaries in Switzerland, which it should be. Like that is how it should be, in my opinion. Um would you rather send your kids to a not so great public school or to a very alternative but good private school?

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Mm-hmm. Okay, well what are the implications with alternative?

SPEAKER_02 4:24

Like kind of they might like test out different theories of how education could work, but maybe not like has been proven to work.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

So kind of like um Summerhill schools where they just let the kids go and then they can decide when they want to learn to read. That alternative or a little less?

SPEAKER_02 4:50

It could be like that. It could also be like uh they try that out for a few months and then do something else.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

But I know my kids gonna get a good education.

SPEAKER_02 5:03

I would say by good, like you know that teachers want to be there and are doing the best of their ability.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

I think I'd send them to the alternative private school. I think with all the students I see, most of them would thrive in an environment where they feel comfortable and loved and that's just not as possible in a public school. Yeah. Especially a shitty one. So I think I would send them to the alternative private school.

SPEAKER_02 5:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

But it depends a lot on the kid though, also.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

I think so. I think this question is difficult since we don't have kids. Yeah. Like there are kids who do just fine in public schools and would not do just fine in an alternative. Let's say a little more like free, whatever you want to do, school. I feel like there are a lot of kids who are like, uh, just tell me what to do and I will do my math homework.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Yeah. So which is also a lot of the jobs later on. So then that's the question. I sometimes wonder will they be better off later in life if they learn at a young age that some things just have to be done. Like the laundry just has to be done even though you don't enjoy doing it, you know?

SPEAKER_02 6:13

I yeah, I think it it should be a healthy mix.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

But we'll get more into that later. True.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Um, last, would you rather would you rather get the chance to change the education system or the way people think about teaching?

SPEAKER_02 6:27

I thought this was an interesting question because I definitely see flaws in the education system. I think the more I worked in it, the more flaws I saw, but the more I kind of understood why those flaws were the way they were. But also the more I worked in it, the more I heard certain comments from people about like how teaching is like so easy. Yeah. And everyone can do it, and like teachers make too much. And I was like, you've clearly never stood in front of a room of kids for more than an hour. Yeah. Because and like, even if you have, even if you've gone in for like an hour, you haven't done it day after day for months on end.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Um Yeah, and maybe if it were more looked up to, then people would take more more people would take pride in the job.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

Yeah, I think that's also like um I was reading in Denmark, they have like one of the highest teacher satisfaction um rates rates, but also in order to become a teacher, it's like as difficult as to become a doctor. So teachers are held in like the highest esteem, and it's not like anyone can do this. It's like no, you have to like you have to know your shit, which you do as a teacher. You you know all these theories and everything. So I think honestly, I would change the way teaching is looked at because I think that would have a bigger impact on the students than changing the education system.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

That's an interesting thought. Because then you would have people I don't know, I'm very torn.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

I always thought I would go to the education system, but actually I think like if you had teachers who just loved what they were doing and felt like it was appreciated by society to the level that it should be, I think teachers would be much more like, okay, I can show off now, kind of like true. Huh. And it would be a lot less like, I have to justify what I'm doing. It's like, no, people know I know what I'm doing. They know I'm educated.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

But changing the education education system would also support the teachers, also making them feel better in their work.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

So it's a win-win. I think both would be amazing. I think I would change the education system just because I'm so that's what I get frustrated frustrated with the most in my day-to-day. It's not the lack of appreciation. Yeah, I think it's I think the external lack of appreciation you can kind of work out yourself over time. But if you're stuck in a shitty system, there's not much that you can do just on your own.

SPEAKER_02 9:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

So I think that's why I would change the system.

SPEAKER_02 9:27

That makes sense to me. I think the way I looked at it was like if like in Denmark the school system is really good, and I think one of the reasons is because teaching is hell, that like a high like Yeah, it would come hand in hand, probably.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

That's true. But then this also, no, if the education system is better. I don't know, probably.

SPEAKER_02 9:49

Yeah. Both. Let's do both. Let's do both. Let's appreciate teachers and change the education system. I say so. That's it so. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:02

We have some exciting news. You can become an official ACE student for as little as $3 a month. You can support the podcast, and you get early access to our shows, which means you can listen in on Tuesday instead of Thursday.

unknown 10:14

Woo woo!

SPEAKER_00 10:16

Also, we will give you a special shout-out in the accent of your choice. And if you don't choose an accent, we'll choose one for you. You know that I was I'm a teacher, you were a teacher.

SPEAKER_02 10:31

Yeah. And I was like, woo, bye.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

I'm still in it with trenches.

SPEAKER_04 10:39

She's doing the good work.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

Being underappreciated and all that.

SPEAKER_04 10:44

I I'm still like I still support the education system. I do or work in like a software company that helps schools, hopefully.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

So I thought maybe it would be nice to start with um the parts that we do like about the school system before we start saying what we would change. So which aspects of the Swiss public schools did or do you appreciate as it is now?

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Okay. Um in Switzerland there are different levels of middle school, high school. And I don't fully agree with like the different levels, but I do think it's really cool that at the age of 15, 16, you can stop with mandatory school and go and do an apprenticeship. Yeah, that's really cool. And this is like, I mean, this is if I had a kid, I would want them to grow up here because I would want them to have the opportunity to not have to study. Especially since I feel like more and more we're realizing maybe that's not like a great path for everyone to take.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Yeah, and then you can do the apprenticeship, and then there's still so many ways that you could still study afterwards, which is really nice. You don't have to decide at 14 what you're gonna do for the rest of your life.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

Yeah, you just decide like what you think you might like what area you think you might be interested in. But then also like kids who aren't maybe benefiting that much from the education system have that out. And that's quite cool, and they can go and learn a trade. And like that's super useful.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Yeah, it's like trade school in the US, I guess, but it's I think trade school isn't very common in the US or it's a little frowned up it can be frowned upon.

SPEAKER_02 12:20

Yeah, I think it has a different connotation than like here in Switzerland. You learn a trade over three to four years, and then you are an electrician or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 12:30

And it's very common. Yeah. A lot of like especially on the countryside, a lot of people in trade school.

SPEAKER_02 12:36

More than 50%.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Yeah. So in the cities, then it's more. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:39

They go to like this um it also depends what your parents did in a lot of cases. Yeah. Yeah. But I think that's quite cool.

SPEAKER_00 12:45

Yeah, I agree. That is a very cool.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

That's like I would say that would be my biggest net positive of the Swiss education system.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

Okay. You I didn't even think about that before you said it because I teach primary. I think it's less on my mind, but that is a very big bonus actually of our school system.

SPEAKER_02 13:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

Um, I think we are really good for public schools. I think we do allow the kids to have a lot of freedom.

SPEAKER_05 13:10

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 13:11

And the teachers as well. Mm-hmm. I think in other schools or in other countries it's more strict that you have to follow the curr curriculum to a T. Yeah. And here in Switzerland, you have quite a bit of flexibility, which I think is nice for the teachers. Um I think that's a positive. I think in like the small towns, you can find schools with really small classes and you don't pay extra, but you're kind of getting the private school teeth treatment because there's such small classes. Yeah. And you just don't pay anything because it's public school. I don't know if you have that in other countries, but not that I know of. Um up until I mean until now, we'll see how things change. You know that the teachers in front of your kids they all have an education in teaching. Which I don't know if that's the case everywhere. And I think that's also nice to know as a parent, like, okay, this person studied to be a teacher.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

So I think those would be the main approach. Um Do you think our school system stands out in a positive way? Like, do you think I know when I think of cool schools, I think of the Netherlands or like the Nordic countries. Yeah. Do you think there's other countries that think, oh, Swiss Swiss schools have this and that that stands out in a positive way?

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Yeah. I think like I worked in a Swiss school abroad. So like the Swiss education system is held at a very high in very held in very high esteem, I think is how you say it. I can't speak right now. Um, which is great on a podcast. Okay. I but like I think the Matura, which is like the IV here in Switzerland, is seen as a very high-level education already. And I think if you go abroad and tell the people like you're you studied in Switzerland, it's like, well, okay, so you're like, you know your shit. Okay. So I do think the Swiss education system, it maybe doesn't have like the everybody's happy, but like people who go through the Swiss Swiss education system are like smart.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

Okay. They're well educated.

SPEAKER_02 15:27

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Okay. I didn't know.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

I would like I I would say that's the connotation I've heard abroad.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Okay. Yeah, because there also are Swiss schools abroad in many countries, so I guess that shows that there's some kind of image that people have that's positive. Otherwise you wouldn't open Swiss schools. Yeah. There's also like there's a lot of British schools abroad and German schools, German schools, I mean French schools.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

There's all kinds of schools abroad.

SPEAKER_00 15:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:53

Um But yeah, I think that that would be a positive. I don't think we're at like as positive as the northern countries where it's like no homework and they don't really do tests anymore, and they realize that there's a lot of other stuff that is putting pressure on kids. Yeah. I just read that Denmark is going back to paper-based.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

Really?

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Mm-hmm. Because they release screens and stuff is like they're not great for kids. Wow, that's cool. So I don't I I didn't double check this source, so I should check that. I can try to link it. I'll I'll try to find it and link it because I thought that was fascinating.

unknown 16:31

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Okay. Now that we've said the positive. Wait, do you think there's a positive? Um that like stands out to other countries. I do think Swiss Switzerland is like a lot of people see it as very clean, green, kind of. Some people have see it as like a paradise place. Yeah. And I think that then ties in with the school. So I think it's more like the image that people have of Switzerland, and then they're like, well, Swiss schools must be amazing.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

Yeah. And I sorry, can I jump in? Yeah. I also think when people come here and they like put their kids in school, and there's like one afternoon where they go out into the forest. Yeah. And they're like, this is crazy. Like what my kid is just like in school going out into the forest. Yeah, that is actually like there are a few things where if you know a little bit or you bring your kid here, there are things where you're like, well, that's really cool.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Yeah. I think it's a little sad to s to have or yeah, that this is an argument, but I think they are so far safe. Like in the US, I would be scared to send my kid to school with all of the incidents happening in schools. And I think so far our schools, knock on wood, are very safe, and we do have I know that other countries have procedures, and we have procedures that we thankfully have not had to use.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

I know Switzerland's not the only country that ha like I think a lot of European countries don't have incidents like the US does. But I'm still very happy that that's the case here.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

What bothers you about Swiss public schools? What would you what's the first thing that you would change if you could?

SPEAKER_02 18:08

Um, there's so many things. Not so many things, but like just a lot of little things to do. I think um what would I change? Maybe the hours.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Yeah, the school hours. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

That's a good one. Um because like I don't know how it is for little kids, but teenagers need a lot of sleep. But their sleep rhythm gets pushed back. So they like teenagers often can only fall asleep at like 12 or 1. This is a biological thing. It's not like your kid is only up on TikTok. That might be part of the issue, but not just. Um and then they're supposed to sleep until like nine. Yeah. Like that's their sleep rhythm. Yeah. And instead we're waking them up at six, and then we're and then what's crazy to me is a lot of t I've heard a lot of teachers like, oh, I love teaching the first hour because the kids are quiet. And I'm like, Yeah, because they're asleep.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

I love it when nobody listens to me.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

Yeah, like they they can't function until like ten, and then they're annoying.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

Yeah. So I think they haven't slept well.

SPEAKER_02 19:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

That's an interesting one. I I um I have two top ones. Changing the hours also, but in a different way. But that might be because I teach younger kids. We've talked about this in um the teacher's launch that we would or some of us, not all of us, I guess, only have school in the morning and then have the afternoon um kind of like extracurricular.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

Yeah. Hell yeah. So they couldn't. Especially primary.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Yeah. Like they'll learn so much more about the city.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

Why do kids need to be in school for that long?

SPEAKER_00 19:48

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 19:49

Also, how cool would it be to be like in the morning you teach English and math, and in the afternoon you're teaching I don't know if it interests you.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Yeah, or like teaching horseback rights. Horseback rights printing. Yeah. I think that would be really cool.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

Sword fighting.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

The kids would benefit from it more because they wouldn't actually want to do those things.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

Yeah. And then it's not like eight hours of different subjects. I also think that's insane.

SPEAKER_00 20:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

Like, I don't know how it is in primary, but you start at in in middle school here, you start at 7 30, go until 4, every lesson is 45 minutes. You have like eight to nine different subjects a day. Like, have you have you tried to study a language for 45 minutes and then switch to math and then switch back to a different language?

SPEAKER_00 20:38

I couldn't even go back to third grade as a student, honestly. It's exhausting. So tiring.

SPEAKER_02 20:44

I it's insane.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

It makes that makes no sense.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

Also, it's like get ready to focus on this thing and stop.

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:53

And like right when you get into it, right when maybe you like get 'em, next lesson. Yeah. And now switch to French. That that boggles me.

SPEAKER_00 21:04

Yeah, that makes no sense. That's not the thing that I would change though. Oh, sorry. That's the second thing I would change. It's good to go on rants. This is what this is about. I would those are like I have two top things. It's the hours. The other top thing would be the con how do you say it? The constellation of the classes. We have like this integration system in Switzerland, which in theory, yes, but in order for that to work, the classes would have to be half the size. Yeah. So less students in a class would be my change that I would make.

SPEAKER_02 21:35

Yeah, I think the integrate like it's great to integrate as many people into the public school system as possible to show like we're not all that different. But if you have seven kids with special needs, or like just not even like heavy special needs, just different needs than I don't know, a kid who doesn't have any extra need care. I don't know how to say this politically correct.

SPEAKER_05 21:58

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 21:59

Like To deal with one kid with ADHD takes a lot of effort. To deal with seven, and then you also have seven kids who don't have ADHD who maybe can sit there for a long time, like that's just I mean, no one person can deal with that. And if you are kudos.

SPEAKER_00 22:18

Like, how? But even if you are dealing with it, there's definitely at least three kids that are not getting enough attention.

SPEAKER_02 22:26

And then Because how?

SPEAKER_00 22:28

Yeah. So yeah, I would definitely change the class the sizes of the classes because I think that's just not I don't know how how people expect that to work. You have 20 plus kids. The maximum size for a class in primary school is 25. That's insane. No, but then middle school it's higher.

SPEAKER_02 22:46

Yeah, it's 30, right? It depends on the level, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

That's wild.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

But also, like stand in front of 30 adults and try to get their attention. Like I mean, come on.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:57

Yeah. Also, if there are any parents listening and you're like, well, what should I do to make the teacher listen to my kid more or whatever? Like, your kid is in a room with 25 other little kids. I think you make sure that kid is very well behaved.

SPEAKER_05 23:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:14

You make sure that you appreciate the teacher and say, like, hey, I know your work is tough. We really appreciate everything you're doing. If your kid likes the teacher, make sure you say that. And not this, well, why aren't you teaching my kid more? Why aren't you there more? Like, why if I'm not sure what's going on? Why doesn't he get a golden star?

SPEAKER_00 23:32

In my free time, it's gonna be the one of the parents that I like and not the one where I'm like, you called me a bitch.

SPEAKER_04 23:37

Yeah. You said I wasn't, I don't know, doing my job because I struggle juggling 25 eight-year-olds at the same time. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

Yeah, yeah, to the parents. I think that sometimes is forgotten that there's so many kids in the classroom. Yeah. You have to, you're in charge of all of them at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 23:55

And I would say, as a parent, like, imagine, you know, that sleepover you have once a year for your kid's birthday when like 10 kids come over and you're like, oh my god, that was exhausting. They all want something from me all the time. Like that's what a teacher is dealing with. And a lot of parents do it very well and are very appreciative. And I do think there are a lot of parents that I loved working with.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 24:15

That just like I would get a call from them and I was like, ooh, yay. Um, but there were also some where I was like, okay, you need to step off.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

And I don't mind saying it, but some teachers do. So I'm saying it for the teachers who mind. Nice. Because I'm also not in that profession.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Public service. Um now to the to the core of this episode. Yes. If you could create the perfect school for either your kids, your future kids, or to imagine it like right now, for our nieces and nephews to go to, what would the school look like?

SPEAKER_02 24:52

There is a school in New Zealand that I'm very interested in where they don't have um hours, like subject hours.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 25:04

They have experts, and it's kind of an open concept. Uh-huh. And the kids have goals for each month of what they have to reach. Like you have to get here in math, here in geography, blah, blah, blah. But they can work in their own time. They can work in groups, they can work on their owns, they can work on their own, they can work with teachers.

SPEAKER_00 25:25

Okay. And it's not like teachers and experts.

SPEAKER_02 25:29

Well, that teachers are the experts. Okay. And they know, like, if I have a question about math or English, I go to this person. Okay. And then they also have like cooking classes and music classes. So it's much more hands-on, but and kind of hands-off, but not hands-off of like the kid will figure it out and be motivated through the glory of math. Um, it's more like we're gonna we're gonna give them goals, but then we're also gonna give them space. And I think that's quite a cool concept. And it gives teachers like you're not standing in front anymore. The kids come to you when they need something. Also, if you see a kid struggling, like you're still a teacher, you still go and help. Um, but I think for me, this question is quite difficult because I don't think there is a perfect school. I don't think every kid like I think this education system works for some kids.

SPEAKER_05 26:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

I don't think it's a bad education system. I think it's not the right education system for all of the different types of people. That was a long-winded answer.

SPEAKER_00 26:38

That's good though. I didn't know about the school in New Zealand. Yeah, it's fascinating. I don't have a school as an example, but I think something where like the agency of the kids is more at the center. And I think a problem if they have these subjects and it's told to them all the time what they have to do, then they kind of just get used to going into this passive role in life and they're like, okay, somebody's gonna tell me what I have to do at any given time, so I don't need to think for myself. Yeah. Now I don't think that kids should decide everything. They're still kids and they need somebody guiding them. But like the agency like this school. Yeah. They set their goals, it's their responsibility to reach the goals, but you're here to support them. Yeah. I think something like that would be good for many kids, but then you'd have to like their the classes would have to be smaller, and there would you need so many resources that this would work.

SPEAKER_02 27:36

Yeah, we would have to put more money in education. Yeah. Which is kind of weird that we not like that that's the the future. Yeah. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

They're cutting costs everywhere though.

SPEAKER_02 27:48

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

But and here we have a good like a lot of different countries.

SPEAKER_02 27:54

I also think that you should make it more of a privilege to go to school.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:59

And less of a you have to be here.

SPEAKER_00 28:01

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 28:03

Um I also thought it would be cool to do like a a traffic light uh protocol with parents where you have green light. You are allowed to contact teachers, you are allowed to like go and have talks, blah blah blah. Until you hit the yellow light. And the yellow light can be like, why are you doing this? Why if you like question in a rude way, you get yellow light, which is hey, totally fine. You can get off the yellow light if you go back to like a nice way of communicating. And red light is you're not allowed to talk to the teacher anymore.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

I don't know why this isn't a thing.

SPEAKER_02 28:48

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

There's they're not often, but it only takes one parent every few years that is an absolute pain in the ass. Yeah. And it can just it can make teachers not want to teach anymore. Yeah. Very good teachers want to quit their job because there's one parent that is being an asshole. Yeah. And I I feel the same way. I feel like then you should be able to say, you are not allowed to contact a teacher. You can contact the principal. Yes. And they can forward they can then like summarize your message and give it onto the teacher in a respectful way.

SPEAKER_02 29:22

But I also think the principal can say, like, hey, if you're being too disrespectful, you will be asked to leave with your child. Yeah. Like this privilege will be taken away because this person, because I also think for me, it's kind of like if a school hires you, they're hiring you. They believe that you are a good teacher. And it kind of sometimes the principals, like, I also I've never been a principal, I don't know what the job is, but I like you gotta kind of be like gung-ho for your teachers. And I had in Mexico uh, he wasn't a principal, but like I got a rude email from parents and he sent it to me, and I was like, I will not be talked to this way. Like this they went through the wrong channels, this is absolutely not okay. And he wrote them that like he was like, nope, this is not like this was disrespectful. You don't talk to my teachers this way, and I was like, hell yeah. That's what that's how it should be. And then they never contacted me, like they didn't go through the correct channels, like it worked. Like they didn't they realized they didn't actually have an argument. Yeah, but they were kind of just they wanted to see what would happen, I guess, which is fine, but then like the consequences is like no, sorry, you don't you don't get this privilege anymore.

SPEAKER_00 30:32

It's flipped, it's flipped too much that it's we're working for the parents. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:37

Which we're not. No, no, I get in private schools maybe a little bit, yeah. But even in private schools, it should be like, look, you want your kid to go here, show the behavior you want your kid to have. Like this, this doesn't work. We have very good teachers. You pay a lot for these teachers, and it's not gonna be like you can bribe them, you can tell them what to do.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

Yeah. I think that's something that's changed in a negative way in society over the years. Like I remember when we went to school, mom wouldn't have called the teacher on a Sunday.

unknown 31:10

No.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

Also in the evening at 8 p.m. Guys, get a life. Oh my god, don't call your teacher.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

If we would have like had an issue, she would have been like, okay, we're waiting until Monday and then I'll see what's up. Yeah. But the amount of like times I've gotten a message at Sunday at on a Sunday at 10 p.m. Yeah. I mean, eh? Yeah. No, I don't Now I turn it off and then I only get it on Mondays, but still, I it's little things like this where I'm like, guys, what's going on? I think we've derailed a bit anyway.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

We have derailed a little bit. But I do think it is more of a it's a problem of we're trying to cater to the wrong thing. Yeah. And like I don't think we need to be mean to parents. I don't think parents often are coming in and trying to be mean. I think they're insecure about something.

SPEAKER_00 31:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:00

And I think it would be more reassuring to say, like, hey, we only hire teachers we know are good. Yeah. So you can't question them like this because you're gonna make them leave. And we need the good ones to stay. Yeah. And it's not we underst like, yes, we understand, but also it's not you're the customer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:21

The parents aren't the customer.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

No. They are like I on the other side, I do really love when parents are gung-ho for their kids. Yeah. Because you have to be. Because again, yeah, teachers have 25 kids. Yeah. You need to be gung-ho for your kid. But that also means that if they get a bad grade, you ask your kid what went wrong, and not the teacher what went wrong. Like, if your kid gets a bad grade and the class average is above what your kid has, it's maybe not the teacher's fault.

SPEAKER_00 32:53

Okay, sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, he's not being bullied by the teacher.

SPEAKER_03 32:55

But you know, although there were some kids who would just like ha ha fail you, because that's the kind of person can you imagine? Sorry. Um gotta cut so much of this episode.

SPEAKER_00 33:07

I think it would be cool if um, speaking of like the perfect school, if parents were more involved in the kids' school. I think some of the some of the parents it would do good if they would teach a lesson. And I think this also we I don't don't do well enough as a teacher, maybe, but I mean most parents are an expert on something. Yeah. And if they had to come and present something once a year or help with like, I don't know, school events, I think that would help a lot for them to understand the school and also us to understand the parents better.

SPEAKER_02 33:39

Yeah. And like even if it's something like at a sports event, you're responsible for making sure all the kids are fed.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:49

Like that's five parents, go for it.

SPEAKER_00 33:52

Yeah. It's a problem that like schools are seen as daycare from for a lot of teachers. I uh parents. It's like, okay, I'll send I'll send my kid, and then I know which I understand you want to go to work and you want to have your own life. Yeah. But I think if they were involved more with the school and we were involved through that also more with them, that would make it more is symbiotic the word.

SPEAKER_02 34:14

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:16

Yeah. I think at the end of the day, like the ideal school is just kind of showing that I think and maybe this is just the core of the issue for me, is sometimes it feels like parents don't think the teachers are gung ho for their kids. And I think a lot of teachers like wouldn't be in the profession if they didn't love helping kids. Yeah. And if they didn't think that like this was a good profession. Yeah. And so somehow communicating that with everyone, like everybody's trying to do the best for this child.

SPEAKER_00 34:49

Yeah, just assume the best or more good.

SPEAKER_02 34:52

Yeah, just assume you're assume the teacher that your kid is in the classroom with is doing like is looking out for your kid.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:02

At the same time, if it's a shitty teacher, like it's a shitty teacher. That also exists.

SPEAKER_00 35:06

If not, you're free to change schools. If not, ask to change the schools. Some of the teach like some parents have complained about teachers in such a way where I was like, then don't send your kid to this school. If you feel this way about this teacher, ask. It's not impossible to change schools. No, and that is your baby. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:24

Like that's why. Be gung-ho for your kid. Think the teacher's doing the best. But also, like if he's not, then if you have a bad feeling, you are responsible for your kid.

SPEAKER_00 35:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:34

You're not responsible for how the teacher is acting in their classroom.

SPEAKER_00 35:38

And you're not gonna change the way the teacher is t teaching by complaining.

SPEAKER_02 35:42

Let's be honest. I don't think I've ever changed positively after someone's complained about my teaching.

SPEAKER_00 35:48

I think if you have a really bad feeling about a teacher, you're honestly unless it's like so bad you feel like this person person shouldn't be teaching, then talk to the principal. Yeah. And don't gossip with the other parents. Like go straight to the principal. Um, and if after that nothing will be done, then change schools. Yeah. Project your kid.

SPEAKER_03 36:09

We've gotten super off topic.

SPEAKER_00 36:10

We have. Um, this was a fun episode though. This was uh funny stories on topic. Um I had one, but then I forgot.

SPEAKER_02 36:27

Um I mean, I don't really have one on topic, but I had one of like where like a parent teacher conference went better than I was expecting. Okay. Because a parent came in kind of like it felt kind of like guns are raising, like she or guns are raised, like she was upset. And I didn't like I I couldn't grasp why it was also in Spanish and she was speaking English, which was very helpful. But it turned out that she had asked the sports teachers if her kid could miss a sports event to go to a national sports event that he had qualified for. And she was like, at some point she was crying and she's like, It's just, it's I'm so proud of him. I'm so impressed with him, and like I don't know how to help him.

SPEAKER_05 37:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:17

And I was like, I'm so confused. What do you mean? He's like he's going to the national event, right? And she's like, No, they said he couldn't.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

And I was like, That's stupid. What? And she was like, That's good that she stood up for, but she did through the right channels.

SPEAKER_02 37:30

I was his main teacher, and I was like, Oh, he's going to the sports event. And she was like, What? And I was like, Hell yeah, that's so impressive.

SPEAKER_04 37:37

Are you kidding me? And then like I went and talked to the sports teachers, and I was like, You're not changing his grade.

SPEAKER_02 37:44

This is not happening. I'm checking his grade at the end of the semester. He's going to this national national sports event. Are you kidding me? Our school sports event is not as important. And then she found me, I think it was at this event, I had to go and like be there for the other kids, and she was there. Like, he even he came back early because his sport his the national event ended early, and he still made it to this event. Because they just I don't know, she was nervous about it. But she came and showed me pictures of him in the event, and like throughout the rest of the schooling, our relationship was great because she realized I was like, You're used to behind the Yeah, I was like, no, this is like but then also if I said something like, Hey, your kid is not doing enough, if there was the trust in the relationship of like this person is like also wanting the best for my child, and I think that was just one of the relationships where I was like, I see you're doing a lot for your kid, you see I am trying with your kid too. That was just nice. She's a cool lady.

SPEAKER_03 38:42

Um, in the meantime, I remembered what was mine wasn't funny, it was just a story.

SPEAKER_00 38:47

My interview for the current job that I have, yeah, my now boss um he asked, What would your perfect school look like?

SPEAKER_04 38:56

Dangerous thing to ask a teacher, as you can tell.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

Yeah, and that that answer, like that question I think I answered pretty well. Yeah. But then the next question was, do you like to party? I was so confused. It was him, so my now boss, and the teacher that teaches the same grade as me. And I just looked at the two of them and I was panicking. I was like, um, I mean, sometimes sure. I mean, I'll go out, but like I'm not a crazy partier. I you know, like I'll have a drink or two, but I won't go crazy. And honestly, I have no idea what to do with this question. And and I don't know. I got the job and then I started the job. And I found out that the heart of the question was on Fridays, they go for beers.

SPEAKER_01 39:45

And he was wondering if I would come every now and again, because that's part of the like team spirit.

SPEAKER_04 39:51

Bro, that is not how you ask.

SPEAKER_01 39:53

No, his question was, do you like to party?

SPEAKER_04 39:56

That's how you ask if you want to sell someone cocaine.

SPEAKER_01 39:59

I was expecting him to pull out a drug or something at any minute. It's like what is going on?

SPEAKER_04 40:04

What would your ideal school be like? And what would you teach in chemistry?

SPEAKER_01 40:11

I've told them by now that that question really threw me out. It's like, yeah, I noticed.

SPEAKER_04 40:17

Yeah. Oops, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 40:19

Yeah. So my school is, you know, where you can party on the side.

SPEAKER_02 40:24

Yeah. I feel like we didn't fully answer the ideal schools, but we did complain about things that could be improved upon.

SPEAKER_00 40:31

I think. I think we did a decent job with some segues.

SPEAKER_02 40:34

Yeah. As always. I've never been on a segue.

SPEAKER_00 40:38

Are those the I wish we had video just for that moment.

SPEAKER_04 40:45

Both Lydia and I leaned forward because that's all we know about Segways as you lean on them. Um anyway.

SPEAKER_00 40:52

It's the thing that you did. Yeah. Um, Job. Yep. Is always on a segway. Exactly. They they didn't really. I've never been on a segue either. No. They look kind of stupid.

SPEAKER_02 41:06

They do. But also kind of fun. Like I still kind of want to try it one day, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 41:11

Well, if you try Segway, just don't be an asshole.

SPEAKER_02 41:14

Yeah. And if you build uh Dream School, don't be an asshole. Don't be an asshole.

SPEAKER_03 41:22

Don't be a dick.

unknown 41:23

Bye-bye.