Wynni wrote:
I believe I have a right to say that children have given up on school, have given up on learning in a school setting, when the majority of my students have outright said so.
I also think the problem goes deeper than that, when I ask my students to paraphrase their vocabulary (to accurately assess comprehension) and I get "deer in the headlights" expressions.
Heaven help me if I ask my students to answer a paraphrased question on the test (same question from the study guide, different phrasing).
"That's not fair! YOu didn't teach us that!" :cry:
Yes, these are actual happenings from the two years I worked previously in the public education system.
I gave up learning near to anything in a school setting but maths(and i have to go ask on lunch math teachers about "why does this do that?" and "why is that?" because it is often "Just do it like this because it's like this" in classes or just look up on the internet about it, which is what happens a lot of the time), i memorize stuff in a subject, do a test and forget it in the following 6-12 months, if i want to learn on a subject that catches my attention at school, i will simply research it myself on the internet or at a library as school(and/or bad/unmotivated teachers) often tears apart everything i have an interest into like reading, history and computers.
Deer in the headlights LOL, often i am the only student participating in class(it's less boring than just waiting and not participating only makes the teacher speaking part longer since no one answers), most have that expression in their face when the teacher asks a question. And i know, these happens a lot. I agree, the problem is probably deep in the schools curriculum as it pretty much limits teachers on what to do and how to do it.
@Ryusen: I didn't say you called me an idiot, i was referring to not completing high school. That is true, succeeding at life is harder without high school completion and/or without a college degree, but people that drop-out of high-school can for example, take the GED or the similar. High school is not the only way to succeed at life.
EDIT:
Tuna wrote:
If I remember correctly, the first 8 or so years of school were actually very educational and useful...and then came HS. I will not lie and say that I learned nothing there, but I think many of you, especially Kit there, will acknowledge that, more or less, HS was a joke. It did seem like we were simply rushed through those four years, exercising the most rote learning, and taking primarily multiple-choice quizzes. The entire experience seemed to focus more on learning how to get by than on actual education. I'm guessing that this point is what Kit is driving at, really...
What's to be done? Well, it would take a top-to-bottom overhaul, and I think we all know what the odds are on that happening. The best a student can do is to not hurt themselves by "fighting the system" too much, thus ruining their grades, and, as a result, ruining their chances of getting into a good college...and the best a teacher can do is to make their class a little haven from the rest of the ineffectual system, and try to teach the kids something that will be of use to them, to get their minds in gear, while somehow meeting the standardized testing requirements.
I do not envy either of these groups the least bit - they are both going to have four very difficult years together.
Best advice:
- For HS students: Keep your head down, do what you must for now, and keep your eyes on the prize - college. That is where your true education will continue, and where you will find your future.
- For HS teachers: Do the best you can in a bad situation, and try to keep the kids with potential engaged. The others will be pushed through the system by the system, no matter what you do. McDonalds will always need someone at the griddle.
[/soapbox]
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OMG i like this post! For specification, i felt school became a joke for me after the 6th grade, when i gained interest into learning things i liked but seeing school was just crushing most of it(made it boring, but i was still interested...At least, out of school), i just gave up about it and started to read books myself(that was before i got the internet and i used to read A LOT).
Fighting the system is something that can be done without ruining your grades, but you have to pick the right battles, not the wrong ones. And for more specification; breaking stuff and insulting/hurting people is in no way fighting the system, it's just being dumb and stupid, pranks are also retarded as they just force more the defiant teen stereotype.
And i will not wait for college to learn things ;)
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