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Last full week of school.... and motivation has dropping to disgusting levels. Since any form of grading and discipline ended last week, and the students know it, there is a great opportunity for real character to show through. In some cases, it's wonderful to watch. In others.... depressing as hell.
My partner and I got sucked into a two hour meeting yesterday afternoon, and it was deeply troubling. 'They' would like to us make the class easier for the slower students, while not dropping standardized test scores or the amount of curriculum we cover. "Okay...... how would you like us to do that?" Well...... well...... well.......
Me: "How about we keep the tests under fifty questions, all true/false and multiple choice, read them the test a day in advance, and give them all the answers to write in their notes... after telling them they are the test answers..... would that be easy enough?"
Them: "That would be ridiculously easy... there's no reason to go that far".
Me: "Well... we tried exactly that a few times this year, and it did NOT improve the test scores of the students you are concerned about. Easier testing is not the answer. How about.... we try not putting students in the class who shouldn't be there and say they don't want to be there?"
It did not go well after that. They want rainbow unicorns, and I am fresh out.
I went down this years class list of students with them, picking out each student who scored under 70% for the year. In every single case they said "He's a bad example of what we are trying to work out here". I mean.... every single case.... so there are NO students on the list who would respond to what they do/don't want us to do... but we are supposed to do 'something' anyway.
This is troubling.
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6 comments:
You could point out that you are achieving the product with the students worthy of effort, that you have examined those that failed and they are not why the school and courses are built and funded. Nevermind, the powers that be have lost sight of the real goal of having the school, the fact that you will come back next term and work hard on the next class is a success, maybe they (the leadership?) should go to a school that graduates everyone equally - one without a standard, one of those on-line just register and receive the diploma or Doctorate. Heard there is money in that. Or, you could sigh, and wonder if there is a better place for you and your talents - should never stop looking.
It appears more and more that public education doesn't work. My family, wife, sister, mother were all teachers. My father was president of the school board (some 50 years ago) and I've taught in company schools. The situation you describe is exactly why my wife and I are helping send our grandkids to a private school. My daughter and her hubby both went to a private school and we're glad of it.
Private schools aren't necessarily better, but on the average, their results outperform those of public schools by a wide margin.
I'm a firm believer that federal education regulation, funding and management must be eliminated.
It's interesting that I have similar issues at a different end of the spectrum. Our pharmacy students have an average SAT score of 1200. These kids are outstanding test takers. Regardless, we still have progression issues. What do you do with the bottom 1-3% of the bell-shaped curve? Do you offer remediation? Do you kick them out? One of my colleagues teaches a freshman course for students who are "underprepared". It's interesting that his focus is not on knowledge, but rather on skills and most importantly, attitude. He helps the kids identify their own potential, and how to succeed in a competitive world.
The kids you describe do need something, but it's certainly not easier tests.
Oh, I think private schools ARE better than public ones, for two reasons.
1. the parents value education enough to come up with the scratch to pay for it and
2. the school can take the slobniks who degrade the environment for those around them and toss them out.
Fail em... If they don't deserve to pass. An option- Ask these do gooders if they want "those" kids working on their brakes...
Struggle and work can't be strained out of life even if it strained out of school. What's the point of school if it is cheapened? Knowledge is life.
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