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joessportster

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Why all the emphasis in grade school on speed of kindergarten and first graders getting a task done in the 15 minutes a teacher plans for ??

 

I look for Knowledge, Quality,  then Speed......................Its as if today's school system expects every student to learn at the same exact pace, as though they were spit out with an inbred ability

 

The teachers admit the student knows the work, the student gets good marks, Occasionally the student does not finish a task in the short allotted time frame, and the child gets penalized by losing recess, or notes sent home

 

I know when my class work was not finished I had to finish it at home

 

 

I am really curious if there is some method to the madness, or if this just comes from some know it all book that supposes the proper way to teach, or perhaps some sort of regulations imposed upon the teachers

 

The teachers act as though this is a major problem, I see them as Ignorant, and not knowing with practice comes speed / perfection. 

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Peoples' ability to learn (anything) and the rate at which they relate to new concepts varies widely. Public schools have never been structured academically to easily accommodate this simple fact.

 

Kids that roll through the system relatively unscathed either matched/exceeded the speed requirement, or struck gold by consistently hooking up with incredibly flexible teachers.

 

Teachers are only passing the buck at this point, and (believe me on this one) not many of them can comprehend the entire scope of the problem themselves.

 

There are both students (due to personality and/or a myriad of external factors) not compatible to learn in a formal school environment and teachers (just the same) not compatible to dispense knowledge in a rigorous manner. Doesn't imply squat that neither party can't achieve their goals via some other manner.

 

Why all the emphasis in grade school on speed of kindergarten and first graders getting a task done in the 15 minutes a teacher plans for ??
Grooming. Timing is everything. Number one complaint of both customers and employers....staying on schedule.  
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You guys have it all wrong!  The implementation of standardized testing is why teaching in this country is awful.  Teachers are no longer permitted to do their job; instead, they work on skills needed for the kids to score as high as possible on the myriad standardized tests that they must take at all levels.  There is no emphasis on whether the kids actually learn anything!  If a school receives a poor overall score on standardized tests, the state comes down on them and investigates why this happened.  There's even a movement in progress to link a teacher's salary to how their kids do on standardized tests.  So teachers in schools where the kids have no interest in learning, and often don't even show up for school, are going to be penalized accordingly.  Teachers in NJ are evaluated by their supervisors throughout the school year and their rating is, in part, dependent on how their kids do on standardized tests!  The kids can show exemplary performance in all academic areas, but if the standardized test scores are too low there's trouble.  If a teacher's rating is too low because of the standardized test scores they are required to take remedial courses to improve their "teaching" ability!!!  If a teacher's evaluation is low for three consecutive years, regardless of the cause, they can be fired (so if parents don't care enough to force their kids to attend school, it's the teacher's fault).  In addition, today's teachers are bogged down with so many student evaluations and reports that they barely have time to write lesson plans, let alone teach.  The motto in public schools is "teach for the test."  I speak from experience as my wife has been an educator for special needs kids for 38 years and currently teaches pre-school handicapped/disabled kids (age 3-5) in a public school early intervention program.  Even at that level there is so much testing and scrutiny that there's often insufficient time to actually work with the kids to improve the skills in which they are deficient.  When she began teaching the situation was much better.  Those who are perceived as "passing the buck" are, for the most part, doing so because there's nothing else that they are allowed to do!!!  Sorry to rave, but this is an issue about which I constantly hear comments.  Check out this article to get an idea about just how ludicrous our public school system has become:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/26/kindergarten-show-canceled-so-kids-can-keep-working-to-become-college-and-career-ready-really/

 

 

Maynard

 

 

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I'll resist this temptation.

SSH

Please dont resist, I am truly trying to get a handle on some of the garbage I hear from the school system

 

Heres 1 that tweaked me,  The school (this is first grade now) wants the student to go on a field trip to the local recycling center.  rain or shine student out in the elements for several hours, rain needs no explanation why one may be opposed,  Sun I have yet to find a sunblock that will last more than a couple hours especially when you figure in sweating.................not even talking about what the hell benefit is the kid getting ??  recycling is a choice that many can argue both sides of

 

When I went to school, it was the 3 R's.............................This crap today just kills me, shut down all the music and arts programs due to budget but we can still visit the dump

 

I see home schooling in my future

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The implementation of standardized testing is why teaching in this country is awful.

 

This. 1000 times, this. Schools are too much like businesses now. The higher-ups only care about the bottom line and the teachers have to fall in line if they want to work. 

 

(disclosure: the wife is a teacher at a charter school - which is a straight up business more than it is a school IMO. I have so many stories.)

 

Oh, guess what? The geniuses in Indiana State Board of Education have now decided it would be a good idea to allow potential teachers to have ANY KIND OF BACHELOR'S DEGREE. You read that right. 

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True story. My wife received her Bachelor's Degree in English Literature in South Korea. She was (is) qualified and certified to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) in S. Korea. When we moved back to the U.S of A and my youngest started school the Georgia ISD was looking for ESL teachers. Since the bride speaks Korean, Chinese, Japanese and German she VOLUNTEERED to work at my son's school for free. This would get her involved with his school and get her out of the house. Did they take that? No.

Answer was that: if she was still living overseas or was "un-documented" they would pay for her travel, salary and per-Diem. It seems that since she was going though the naturalization process at that time she was not allowed to be associated with the school. Not only not eligible to be paid but not able to VOLUNTEER. Once she was granted U.S. citizenship the rules still applied; they could only accept people that had to cost the system money.

 

True.

Edited by USNRET
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I speak from experience as my wife has been an educator for special needs kids for 38 years and currently teaches pre-school handicapped/disabled kids (age 3-5) in a public school early intervention program.
God bless your wife.....  
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There is a name for what happens when teaching style and content are determined by top-down authority: compulsory mis-education.

 

Some teachers model slow, deep thought and careful attention to detail.  Others are high energy and model speed.  I think children should be exposed to both, and will probably incorporate aspects of both into their own intellectual styles.

 

Teachers who believe that speed is not everything should stand up to their districts, with the parents right behind them.  For this they will need some employment protection.  There's the rub.

Edited by Garyrc
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There is a name for this: compulsory mis-education.

 

Teachers who believe that speed is not everything should stand up to their districts, with the parents right behind them.  For this they will need some employment protection.  There's the rub.

Teachers Union is often quoted as aggressive in fighting for teachers..........................This was not my union experience

 

 

Our local paper printed a column stating teachers would cut out several Extra Curricular activities as they were unhappy with there pay, what struck me was they quoted Homework as Extra Curricular and they would not issue it...........................My boys sure would have liked that as they have homework 4 nights a week every week  

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  • 5 years later...
12 hours ago, hootriks said:

Kids that roll through the system relatively unscathed either matched/exceeded the speed requirement, or struck gold by consistently hooking up with incredibly flexible teachers.

 

I see we're reliving 2014!

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On 9/9/2014 at 1:12 PM, tube fanatic said:

You guys have it all wrong!  The implementation of standardized testing is why teaching in this country is awful.  Teachers are no longer permitted to do their job; instead, they work on skills needed for the kids to score as high as possible on the myriad standardized tests that they must take at all levels.  There is no emphasis on whether the kids actually learn anything!  If a school receives a poor overall score on standardized tests, the state comes down on them and investigates why this happened.  There's even a movement in progress to link a teacher's salary to how their kids do on standardized tests.  So teachers in schools where the kids have no interest in learning, and often don't even show up for school, are going to be penalized accordingly.  Teachers in NJ are evaluated by their supervisors throughout the school year and their rating is, in part, dependent on how their kids do on standardized tests!  The kids can show exemplary performance in all academic areas, but if the standardized test scores are too low there's trouble.  If a teacher's rating is too low because of the standardized test scores they are required to take remedial courses to improve their "teaching" ability!!!  If a teacher's evaluation is low for three consecutive years, regardless of the cause, they can be fired (so if parents don't care enough to force their kids to attend school, it's the teacher's fault).  In addition, today's teachers are bogged down with so many student evaluations and reports that they barely have time to write lesson plans, let alone teach.  The motto in public schools is "teach for the test."  I speak from experience as my wife has been an educator for special needs kids for 38 years and currently teaches pre-school handicapped/disabled kids (age 3-5) in a public school early intervention program.  Even at that level there is so much testing and scrutiny that there's often insufficient time to actually work with the kids to improve the skills in which they are deficient.  When she began teaching the situation was much better.  Those who are perceived as "passing the buck" are, for the most part, doing so because there's nothing else that they are allowed to do!!!  Sorry to rave, but this is an issue about which I constantly hear comments.  Check out this article to get an idea about just how ludicrous our public school system has become:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/26/kindergarten-show-canceled-so-kids-can-keep-working-to-become-college-and-career-ready-really/

 

 

Maynard

 

 

 

Maynard, you are absolutely correct!!! 

 

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30 minutes ago, Bosco-d-gama said:

Boy howdy are we ever witnessing the uncivil consequences of our failed educational systems these days.

We're seeing the first of the participation trophy generation as semi adults.

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