Today's question is ... What do I think about the current education system..
Well you all know my history in public schools... (earlier posts)...
And you all know that my sister is homeschooling my Niece and Nephew...
These are a few of MY opinions...
1. Screaming rooms should be for prisoners or mental facilities(and I say Mental facilities because I hope in some cases these "rooms" do work).
2. NO ONE has the right to touch someone Else's child. It was on the news that a babysitter bit a child for biting her first. Ask our ancestors how many of them have done that... She was arrested. The next day on the news a teacher beat a child.... She was put on leave awaiting investigation.... A leave that us taxpayers are paying for....
3. Do we really know what is being taught? As a teacher, you teach your beliefs, as a writer you write your beliefs. You may be very good at trying to be impartial, but what if you have a bad day? Should Catholics be able to teach history/science (we catholics believe in Adam and Eve.... not evolution)... just 1 example...
4. Standardized tests..... hmmmm.... Teachers spend all year teaching to the test. I took the test in 6th grade and was 1 question away from being scored as gifted. My mom asked to see the test to see how I could improve. They refused her, she went to the state and won. This just verifies for me that the test is a joke, or else why would they hide it? As for teaching to the test... What are our children learning? If they can memorize that 1+1=2 and get the question right, then the teachers are happy. What happens when that student goes to the grocery store to get a job and has no idea how to give change because 1+2=3 was NOT on the test. They are teaching answers, rather then processes. I would rather future generations know processes... after all what did students do before standardized tests? And I believe that we had a lot more inventions back then...
My mom at www.3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com has more info on homeschooling and such on her blog!
I also have issues with standardized testing and the way they affect how children are being taught.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently student teaching at a school and am seeing the opposite. Teachers are working together to come up with ways to improve student learning. Instead of teacher led (or direct instruction) they are making students more accountable for their learning. Students giving the right answer is not enough, they ask students to explain their thinking and why they did what they did. I have been teaching full time for the last two weeks (I've been there since the beginning of the school year- August 1st) and I have not seen anything that comes anywhere close to teaching to the test. This school gives me hope for the future. I only hope more schools catch on.
ReplyDeleteI was going to comment on my wife's student teaching, but she beat me to it!
ReplyDeleteI wish more schools would teach like the school she's at. Math scores increased 13% while on their method.
As a homeschool mother I can not agree more with your reasoning. Students should feel safe at school, specially from teachers. Parents should have the final say in their childrens education. It is unthinkable to me that your mother was not simply given your test to help you with.
ReplyDeleteChildren need help with critical thinking and learning to learn in the ways that work best for them. In the information age memorization is not needed but knowing how to get to the information and how to use it is key!