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The 5 worst stock photos for education

education-photos

Nothing says ‘here’s an education photo’ like tacky outfits and meaningless representations!

As education editors, especially as ones who don’t have a large field team to snap perfectly-timed, high-res photos to go along with our stories, it’s up to us and our powers of keyword searching to find an appropriate photo that accurately conveys the topic of our story.

Going through third-party stock photos, the often-times “OMG! You guys have to see this” reaction we get during our tedious scavenger hunts never gets any less incredulous, as we see, time and again, horribly inaccurate, offensive, and just plain weird photos of what are supposed to be today’s classrooms, technology, students and teachers.

We know Mondays usually aren’t the best days of the week, and to help put a smile on your face, as they often do on ours, we wanted to share with you the 5 worst stock photos for education we love to hate. It’s not news, but we hope it will provide some much-needed joy for a Monday Fun-day!

Know of any ridiculous education photos out there? Are there stereotypes in education you see visually portrayed in the media? Let us know! Email me at mstansbury@eschoolnews.com [1], leave your comments in the section below, or find me on Twitter @eSN_Meris [2].

[In no particular order…because, well, they’re all horrible]

(Next page: Photos 1-5)

1. The teacher as…something I wasn’t allowed to watch when I was younger?

If there’s one thing that’s more offensive than my grandmother asking me when I’m going to stop all this “career” nonsense and get married already, it’s constantly portraying teachers as glorified, um, models (we’re trying to be nice). Should we be happy she’s at least not wearing a cheerleading uniform while attempting to fix a projector? Sigh.

2. Everything in life is now on your keyboard.

I kid you not, I once found a key for “ham sandwich” as I was doing a search for “school lunches.” Am I using the wrong keyboards? Is there really a key I can press for “youth” and BAM I’m instantly 18 again? If so, someone please send me the link to purchase one. I’ll see you all again in 12 years when I’m 30 again.

3. Classrooms in stock photos are leftovers from the 1980s.

Some classrooms still look like this, and that’s a shame. However, I was hard-pressed, even as a child, to see a large green chalkboard in the front of my room. Can the classroom at least have a whiteboard? Maybe one piece of technology? When I search for “classroom,” I really don’t need to see wood-burning stoves and books dated 1880. One computer on one desk would be fabulous.

4. People who use technology are Tom Cruise from “Minority Report.”

If classrooms look like remnants from the horse-and-buggy era, why are technology-users living in the year 2150? Is this some kind of technology that tells you when a student is about to cheat before they do? Where’s the robot that’s supposed to be doing activities for you…wait….wait. Is this even a person, or a robot made to look like a person? No one needs to keep seeing these images when they search for “teaching, technology.”

5. Creative students live in alternate universes.

Being a creative person myself, I happen to like this photo, and multiple others like it that also feature today’s 21st-century students as balloon-loving, endless-pier-using, daydreamers who often reside in dreamscapes. Can’t I just get a student who’s using Photoshop? I’m still waiting for the one where creative students are doing homework on the moon.

Oh wait. Found it.