| Biographical Non-Fiction posted May 22, 2016 |
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High School is no longer High School
High School
by jusylee72
I remember high school. It was fun.
As a teacher, I know how different it is now.
My School: 1960's
On Fridays each class would end five minutes early so that we could have a pep rally. The entire student body met in the gym at the end of the day. Cheer leaders were admired. Football players gave their speeches to the whole school. Dance team performed. Funny skits happened. We believed in our teams.
The games would happen at our schools. If it was a home game you could walk to it.
There were no AP Classes. College was for later.
We discovered what we excelled at academically. We did not have our life plan sketched out for us.
We had crushes on our school mates. Girls had good or bad reputations. Boys were boys and they were punished when they went too far.
I didn't question much. I did what was encouraged. Go to college. It wasn't an expectation. It was something I wanted.
Now , our little robots, are expected to pass a test. In Texas, the Starr Test starts in third grade.
How old are they in Third Grade?
Eight Years old.
Let that sink in a minute.
Eight.
They should be outside playing, running, laughing, pretending and making make believe families on the play ground. Now, testing determines their life at eight.
This is a quote from an article in the newspaper in New York.
" An annual year-end kindergarten show has been canceled at a New York school because the kids have to keep working so they will be "college and career" ready."
They are five years old. They can barely pick out matching outfits to wear, much less decide which college is right for them.
Ross Perot started, "No Pass, No Play." The intent was valid. It was meant for athletes who were basically given a free ride. It was expanded to every aspect of school. Singing, playing in the band, acting in a play, marching in ROTC, going to a cooking competition. Every student has to be good at every subject.
All students are suppose to be the same. They need to learn to read at a certain age. Write at a certain age. They are suppose be at the exact same place in development, emotionally, academically and physically.
This hurt education. Teachers have to teach to the test. They spend approximately 43 days a year testing instead of teaching.
All of my children started to read at different times - Mandy ,3 years old, Matthew, 7 years old, Nik, 9 years old. All three are successful human beings. Nik who ended up reading late ended up graduating with honors. He just wasn't ready to read in first grade. Now he reads thousand page novels. Recently, he read, "Crown of Thorns." Well over 1200 pages.
We have a calculus teacher at our school who is well loved by all the students. So many of my students say he is a genius and makes learning math easy. If you don't understand it one way, he will try another.
I ate lunch with this man several years ago. It was one of the first years they put bench mark testing in the schools. He wanted to quit teaching. When I asked why, knowing how the students admired him, he said this. " I always waited until I was sure the students understood the material. Less is more. Learn something well before you move on. Now if the students need a little longer to grab the concept I have to move to the next lesson because we will have a test on it the next week. They need to understand one math idea before going on to the next. I have been told I have to move on whether they understand it or not."
Our students are stressed. They have three to four hours worth of homework a night. Parents of first graders are having to keep their children in from playing to see that their homework is finished first. Doctors are treating more and more elementary students for stress disorders.
Let's face reality. All students do not belong in college. Some need to be our mechanics, our plumbers, our air conditioner and heater experts. They make a wonderful living. From the day they start school they are told unless they go to college they are losers.
My car mechanic son at the age of 25 is making the same amount I am after 30 years of teaching. My daughter loved school and is now a lawyer. My oldest son did not finish college and is ranked 8th in the world as a fighter in the UFC.
All different, All wonderful.
The way the world is suppose to be.
Quit putting our children in a learning box. Enjoy how different they are. Let's go back to enjoying school.
Get rid of standardized testing.
Listen Please, I need you to know. writing prompt entry
I remember high school. It was fun.
As a teacher, I know how different it is now.
My School: 1960's
On Fridays each class would end five minutes early so that we could have a pep rally. The entire student body met in the gym at the end of the day. Cheer leaders were admired. Football players gave their speeches to the whole school. Dance team performed. Funny skits happened. We believed in our teams.
The games would happen at our schools. If it was a home game you could walk to it.
There were no AP Classes. College was for later.
We discovered what we excelled at academically. We did not have our life plan sketched out for us.
We had crushes on our school mates. Girls had good or bad reputations. Boys were boys and they were punished when they went too far.
I didn't question much. I did what was encouraged. Go to college. It wasn't an expectation. It was something I wanted.
Now , our little robots, are expected to pass a test. In Texas, the Starr Test starts in third grade.
How old are they in Third Grade?
Eight Years old.
Let that sink in a minute.
Eight.
They should be outside playing, running, laughing, pretending and making make believe families on the play ground. Now, testing determines their life at eight.
This is a quote from an article in the newspaper in New York.
" An annual year-end kindergarten show has been canceled at a New York school because the kids have to keep working so they will be "college and career" ready."
They are five years old. They can barely pick out matching outfits to wear, much less decide which college is right for them.
Ross Perot started, "No Pass, No Play." The intent was valid. It was meant for athletes who were basically given a free ride. It was expanded to every aspect of school. Singing, playing in the band, acting in a play, marching in ROTC, going to a cooking competition. Every student has to be good at every subject.
All students are suppose to be the same. They need to learn to read at a certain age. Write at a certain age. They are suppose be at the exact same place in development, emotionally, academically and physically.
This hurt education. Teachers have to teach to the test. They spend approximately 43 days a year testing instead of teaching.
All of my children started to read at different times - Mandy ,3 years old, Matthew, 7 years old, Nik, 9 years old. All three are successful human beings. Nik who ended up reading late ended up graduating with honors. He just wasn't ready to read in first grade. Now he reads thousand page novels. Recently, he read, "Crown of Thorns." Well over 1200 pages.
We have a calculus teacher at our school who is well loved by all the students. So many of my students say he is a genius and makes learning math easy. If you don't understand it one way, he will try another.
I ate lunch with this man several years ago. It was one of the first years they put bench mark testing in the schools. He wanted to quit teaching. When I asked why, knowing how the students admired him, he said this. " I always waited until I was sure the students understood the material. Less is more. Learn something well before you move on. Now if the students need a little longer to grab the concept I have to move to the next lesson because we will have a test on it the next week. They need to understand one math idea before going on to the next. I have been told I have to move on whether they understand it or not."
Our students are stressed. They have three to four hours worth of homework a night. Parents of first graders are having to keep their children in from playing to see that their homework is finished first. Doctors are treating more and more elementary students for stress disorders.
Let's face reality. All students do not belong in college. Some need to be our mechanics, our plumbers, our air conditioner and heater experts. They make a wonderful living. From the day they start school they are told unless they go to college they are losers.
My car mechanic son at the age of 25 is making the same amount I am after 30 years of teaching. My daughter loved school and is now a lawyer. My oldest son did not finish college and is ranked 8th in the world as a fighter in the UFC.
All different, All wonderful.
The way the world is suppose to be.
Quit putting our children in a learning box. Enjoy how different they are. Let's go back to enjoying school.
Get rid of standardized testing.
As a teacher, I know how different it is now.
My School: 1960's
On Fridays each class would end five minutes early so that we could have a pep rally. The entire student body met in the gym at the end of the day. Cheer leaders were admired. Football players gave their speeches to the whole school. Dance team performed. Funny skits happened. We believed in our teams.
The games would happen at our schools. If it was a home game you could walk to it.
There were no AP Classes. College was for later.
We discovered what we excelled at academically. We did not have our life plan sketched out for us.
We had crushes on our school mates. Girls had good or bad reputations. Boys were boys and they were punished when they went too far.
I didn't question much. I did what was encouraged. Go to college. It wasn't an expectation. It was something I wanted.
Now , our little robots, are expected to pass a test. In Texas, the Starr Test starts in third grade.
How old are they in Third Grade?
Eight Years old.
Let that sink in a minute.
Eight.
They should be outside playing, running, laughing, pretending and making make believe families on the play ground. Now, testing determines their life at eight.
This is a quote from an article in the newspaper in New York.
" An annual year-end kindergarten show has been canceled at a New York school because the kids have to keep working so they will be "college and career" ready."
They are five years old. They can barely pick out matching outfits to wear, much less decide which college is right for them.
Ross Perot started, "No Pass, No Play." The intent was valid. It was meant for athletes who were basically given a free ride. It was expanded to every aspect of school. Singing, playing in the band, acting in a play, marching in ROTC, going to a cooking competition. Every student has to be good at every subject.
All students are suppose to be the same. They need to learn to read at a certain age. Write at a certain age. They are suppose be at the exact same place in development, emotionally, academically and physically.
This hurt education. Teachers have to teach to the test. They spend approximately 43 days a year testing instead of teaching.
All of my children started to read at different times - Mandy ,3 years old, Matthew, 7 years old, Nik, 9 years old. All three are successful human beings. Nik who ended up reading late ended up graduating with honors. He just wasn't ready to read in first grade. Now he reads thousand page novels. Recently, he read, "Crown of Thorns." Well over 1200 pages.
We have a calculus teacher at our school who is well loved by all the students. So many of my students say he is a genius and makes learning math easy. If you don't understand it one way, he will try another.
I ate lunch with this man several years ago. It was one of the first years they put bench mark testing in the schools. He wanted to quit teaching. When I asked why, knowing how the students admired him, he said this. " I always waited until I was sure the students understood the material. Less is more. Learn something well before you move on. Now if the students need a little longer to grab the concept I have to move to the next lesson because we will have a test on it the next week. They need to understand one math idea before going on to the next. I have been told I have to move on whether they understand it or not."
Our students are stressed. They have three to four hours worth of homework a night. Parents of first graders are having to keep their children in from playing to see that their homework is finished first. Doctors are treating more and more elementary students for stress disorders.
Let's face reality. All students do not belong in college. Some need to be our mechanics, our plumbers, our air conditioner and heater experts. They make a wonderful living. From the day they start school they are told unless they go to college they are losers.
My car mechanic son at the age of 25 is making the same amount I am after 30 years of teaching. My daughter loved school and is now a lawyer. My oldest son did not finish college and is ranked 8th in the world as a fighter in the UFC.
All different, All wonderful.
The way the world is suppose to be.
Quit putting our children in a learning box. Enjoy how different they are. Let's go back to enjoying school.
Get rid of standardized testing.
|
Writing Prompt When did you write on this site simply to write? When did you have something so important to say that you didn't look for a contest to write it? You simply wanted to write, share, open the door to your soul. Just write something you need us to know. |
 Recognized |
Standardize testing is the single factor that is ruining education. 8 year olds are told they will not pass to the next grade if they do not pass the test. Doctors are treating more and more elementary students for stress disorders.
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