Response here
I liked this topic a lot.

I wrote a very long response here. It is a little off-topic, as I only wrote of how I plan to teach in a few years. I would like to get around to answering this question in full sometime. There is A LOT to work with here.

My response is up here. It got a little rambling - this is an enormous topic!

Maybe it's late, or it's just me being goofy, but did I really just read something about the alleged condition of my hymen? LMAO.

Yeah... I know the topic is huge. I have a tendency to do that - propose papers that could be my doctoral thesis when really they're worth 25% of one course, or propose something that is approved only if it spans two courses. I believe I lack focus. Or just have a big one. Good to see responses to it however.
And yes, I think that is refering to the condition of the hymen. Hmmm...

Bizarro hymen advert duly deleted. What the fuck was that?

In other news, I've attempted a comment on the first portion of the question on my blog - la. I haven't gotten to the second bit because I'm having trouble wrapping my wearied brain around it.

It is a great topic because it is difficult and impossible to answer in full. I thought I was taking the easy route just addressing how I would teach English to the uppergrades, and didn't even get around to talking about what I would expect from the students beyond basic respect in the classroom.
What I should have said is if anyone doesn't get the complications of education, they should watch a few episodes of Boston Public. While most schools aren't quite that dramatic, there really is always something going on that must be addressed, and these events can have a profound effect on students (and sometimes staff).

For instance, a colleague (1st time ever using that word not sarcastically) of mine told us in the lounge one day that a 17 yr old female student confided in her that she was dating a 26 yr old man. Students tell teachers really personal, troubling things. The question was should she get involved, and how. There is a lot beyond academic education that occurs in the schools, and I'm not sure anyone can be prepared to deal with it.

Wonderful and hard topic, I must say. I went to Montessori as a wee child and loved it, I think independant learning works extremely well for a lot of people. Covert leaning, by teaching to others or by "playing" (like in Herland!). I also realize that people can be smart in very different ways, I can analyze literature but I can't take apart a car and I would want to encourage people to develop in a way that suits them rather than just fitting into a mold of normality. That way, hopefully, mechanics will be as respected as doctors and education will be more specifically catered to people not the other way around. Hope I didn't condense things too much!

mine's up here with apologies to the future educators in the audience.

I may touch on this topic in my blog at some point (I have in the past), but the biggest thing I'd change about our current system is the dependence on standardized testing and intelligence tests. I think they pigeonhole students and I know, from personal experience, that a test you take in 2nd grade can affect you in high school. It is an udderly ridiculous way to evaluate children.