The statement that concerned me the most is "I learned how to cheat to get the grades I needed for college. I wasn't proud, but couldn't deal with my parents' reaction to a C instead of an A on my report card." To me integrity is one of the most important character traits for a student/child to learn. This trait will build trust and develop strong relationships later in life. To me this is more important that any grades a students may receive. I would try to remind students that while yes grades are important and show what you are learning, your integrity is more important. And encourage them to not let the pressures of achieving an A force them to do things that ruin their integrity.
Of all the thoughts raised in the “School Daze” chapter, the one that frustrates me the most is the idea that memorizing answers somehow represents intelligence. Reading that section honestly got me frazzled up, because I know there are SO many great teachers doing things right! It makes me wonder where the concept is forming in students that the only way to learn is by getting a score or an answer correct. Once I stepped back, though, I had to admit that, even as someone who believes in public education and is a public school teacher, there is always room for growth. Nothing and nobody is ever going to be perfect. What bothers me most is how often schools, districts, and even entire states still cling to this mindset, especially as school boards become increasingly focused on state testing scores rather than actual student learning. Relying on memorization not only limits creativity and critical thinking, but it also sends students the message that their value lies in how well they perform on a test. One thing I can do to improve my students’ school experience is to continue emphasizing deep understanding over recall, providing and giving them with opportunities to question, explore, and apply concepts in meaningful ways. By creating a classroom where thinking matters more than test scores, I can help shift the focus back to the kind of learning that truly lasts.
Of all of the thoughts and issues brought forth in the “School Daze” chapter, which one affects/bothers/concerns you the most?
It's hard to pick just one! So, I'll pick the statement about memorizing answers shows how intelligent people are. As I look back at my own kids' education in high school it's hard not to look past this statement. Many times as they studied for quizzes and tests they memorized information to just regurgitate it on the assessment the next day. Yes, my kids got good grades because they put in the time to study/memorize the information. However, I don't think that tells me how intelligent they are. What I think it taught them is how to work hard/how to study because that has now rolled over into college and jobs. Some kids just don't have that motivation to study or memorize but they are intelligent so their grades don't reflect it. Our schools can't be blind with that - grades, ACT scores, and state testing scores don't define kids and how intelligent they are!
What is one thing you can do to improve your students’ school experiences? Over the last few years, I have been trying to do one small project with each chapter. I also try to incorporate a fun activity that gets them thinking Most of the time these projects and activities involve group work too! I also have been trying to assign more math problems where students have to find 'the mistake' that is shown and then try and fix it. I also try to assign 2-3 questions where students have to explain their answer too. I love reading all the different ways of thinking. Without this - I wouldn't know the thought process of my students.
I think the part about memorizing and cheating to get the grades in order to pass stood out the most. I remember when I was in school I would try to take mental images of my notes in order to pass my tests. If I could just picture where the subject was in my notes I could memorize it to pass the tests. I know kids cheat all the time in class just so they can get a good grade. They do not care to learn something they are not interested in. They simply want to get it over with. I know kids do not always love to learn science, and I try to enforce that it is always good to challenge your brain to learn new things and experience different types of subjects. How are they going to know if they like something or not? There are different projects that we do in class that I try to give them evaluations based on hands on activities and I think that helps take some pressure off of students who struggle to "memorize" for tests.
Of all of the thoughts and issues brought forth in the “School Daze” chapter, which one affects/bothers/concerns you the most? What is one thing you can do to improve your students’ school experiences?
"I learned how to cheat to get the grades I needed for college." This quote stood out to me because students, parents, teachers, administration, and anyone else within a school system want to see good grades. They want to see that learning is happening. Kids know they need to get good grades to pass and move on. So if a student can't memorize the material or learn the material, they have to resort to cheating in order to not fail. They haven't learned anything other than how to be sneaky. In my class, I try to incorporate activities and discussions to get students involved and more interested in the material. Of course, I have to make sure I am covering all the standards as required but I try to bring in some fun activities that allow them to be creative. My class presents some final projects instead of taking a test. They are able to choose which project they find interesting and show off their skills and knowledge. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible because there isn't enough time, but I try.
The issue that bothers me the most is how schools reward memorization over understanding. Regardless of the teacher, it is hard to promote understanding over memorization when all that matters is if the student has the facts memorized for the test. The challenge is getting the students to buy into learning and understanding the material.
I think the one that bothered me the most from the chapter " School Daze." " Is learning how too memorized well enough to regurgitate on demand." When students do this are they actually learning any of the material. Probably not. When I was in school I remember just trying to memorize the material for the test. If a teacher would have asked me few months the same information. I probably couldn't remember most of it. I think it's very common to this day.
I think when we try to relate it to the students life they are more likely to be more engage with the learning. If they see how it can be helpful they more likely to remember down the road. When I was in school learning about different blood types. We had a field day to the clinic and we all got to learn what our blood type was. The importance of knowing. Why someone has that blood type. I still remember this like it was yesterday.
If we can relate the information to the students or make the material more hands on. Not just reading from the text book. I think this will help decrease the amount of students who are just memorizing for the test. A lot of the students will remember what they were doing when they were learning the material.
One thing that bothers me the most in the School Daze chapter of the book is how accurate it is to what I went through in high school. I have taken many classes that I would do incredibly well in and I could tell you nothing that I have actually learn. As a student I was very good at memorizing things for a very short period of time and then after the test everything would completely go away. This is something I would like to fix in my classroom by giving students more chances to apply what they know and then they would have to utilize their knowledge. This could mean giving them experiences they remember like giving projects, having guest speakers, or traveling outside of the classroom.
The memorization doesn't bother me terrible. Memorization can be a useful tool and is a good brain exercise. And some things need to be memorized. The cheating statement is worrisome. If students are cheating just to get out of the work, that is one issue. But cheating because you don't understand the subject and content, that is a whole different story. If students are cheating for the second reason, then they are not understanding the material being taught. Improving school experiences can be linking material to outside sources, such as job fairs, guest speakers, etc...I like to use art, drawing , videos to improve school experiences.
One thought from the School Daze chapter that concerns me the most is: “I learned how to cheat to get the grades I needed for college.” I don’t want my students to feel like they have to cheat to succeed. I want them to feel like they are missing out on real experiences if they take that route. By making my lessons engaging, relevant, and focused on mastery rather than just grades, I can help students see the value in learning for understanding, not just for marks. This approach can encourage curiosity, integrity, and a genuine love of learning.
"I learned how to cheat to get the grades I needed for college." I hate that students feel like they have to cheat in order to get to college. We are not setting these kids up for success if they feel like they have to cheat to succeed in their life. College is not always for everyone and for them to be successful shouldn't just be that they got all A's. As a special education teacher, I am wanting my students to be well-rounded person who can be successful in the community.
Of all of the thoughts and issues brought forth in the “School Daze” chapter, which one affects/bothers/concerns you the most? What is one thing you can do to improve your students’ school experiences?
I had a wide range of reaction to some of the issues brought forth. The one that made me the think most in the "School Daze" chapter was the example that read, "I learned that authority figures don't have all the answers and you have to follow your instincts." When I first read it I thought this person was bashing teachers and I was somewhat offended. But when I went back to choose an issue for this post I had a more positive perspective of the remark. Even though the person may not have realized it his teacher(s) helped him develop higher level critical thinking skills. I don't view myself or other teachers as "authority figures" who know all the answers. I tell students that I make mistakes and don't know everything. I want students to see that teachers are human. We can find or figure out the answers together and make decisions based off the information we have learned. Critical thinking comes from questioning and exploring. It's ok to have different opinions and to constructive disagreements. I feel like that person doesn't recognize that his teacher(s) were actually teaching him. Surprise learning, I guess!!!
The statement that concerned me the most is "I learned how to cheat to get the grades I needed for college. I wasn't proud, but couldn't deal with my parents' reaction to a C instead of an A on my report card." To me integrity is one of the most important character traits for a student/child to learn. This trait will build trust and develop strong relationships later in life. To me this is more important that any grades a students may receive. I would try to remind students that while yes grades are important and show what you are learning, your integrity is more important. And encourage them to not let the pressures of achieving an A force them to do things that ruin their integrity.
ReplyDeleteOf all the thoughts raised in the “School Daze” chapter, the one that frustrates me the most is the idea that memorizing answers somehow represents intelligence. Reading that section honestly got me frazzled up, because I know there are SO many great teachers doing things right! It makes me wonder where the concept is forming in students that the only way to learn is by getting a score or an answer correct. Once I stepped back, though, I had to admit that, even as someone who believes in public education and is a public school teacher, there is always room for growth. Nothing and nobody is ever going to be perfect. What bothers me most is how often schools, districts, and even entire states still cling to this mindset, especially as school boards become increasingly focused on state testing scores rather than actual student learning. Relying on memorization not only limits creativity and critical thinking, but it also sends students the message that their value lies in how well they perform on a test. One thing I can do to improve my students’ school experience is to continue emphasizing deep understanding over recall, providing and giving them with opportunities to question, explore, and apply concepts in meaningful ways. By creating a classroom where thinking matters more than test scores, I can help shift the focus back to the kind of learning that truly lasts.
ReplyDeleteOf all of the thoughts and issues brought forth in the “School Daze” chapter, which one affects/bothers/concerns you the most?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to pick just one! So, I'll pick the statement about memorizing answers shows how intelligent people are. As I look back at my own kids' education in high school it's hard not to look past this statement. Many times as they studied for quizzes and tests they memorized information to just regurgitate it on the assessment the next day. Yes, my kids got good grades because they put in the time to study/memorize the information. However, I don't think that tells me how intelligent they are. What I think it taught them is how to work hard/how to study because that has now rolled over into college and jobs. Some kids just don't have that motivation to study or memorize but they are intelligent so their grades don't reflect it. Our schools can't be blind with that - grades, ACT scores, and state testing scores don't define kids and how intelligent they are!
What is one thing you can do to improve your students’ school experiences? Over the last few years, I have been trying to do one small project with each chapter. I also try to incorporate a fun activity that gets them thinking Most of the time these projects and activities involve group work too! I also have been trying to assign more math problems where students have to find 'the mistake' that is shown and then try and fix it. I also try to assign 2-3 questions where students have to explain their answer too. I love reading all the different ways of thinking. Without this - I wouldn't know the thought process of my students.
I think the part about memorizing and cheating to get the grades in order to pass stood out the most. I remember when I was in school I would try to take mental images of my notes in order to pass my tests. If I could just picture where the subject was in my notes I could memorize it to pass the tests. I know kids cheat all the time in class just so they can get a good grade. They do not care to learn something they are not interested in. They simply want to get it over with. I know kids do not always love to learn science, and I try to enforce that it is always good to challenge your brain to learn new things and experience different types of subjects. How are they going to know if they like something or not? There are different projects that we do in class that I try to give them evaluations based on hands on activities and I think that helps take some pressure off of students who struggle to "memorize" for tests.
ReplyDeleteOf all of the thoughts and issues brought forth in the “School Daze” chapter, which one affects/bothers/concerns you the most? What is one thing you can do to improve your students’ school experiences?
ReplyDelete"I learned how to cheat to get the grades I needed for college." This quote stood out to me because students, parents, teachers, administration, and anyone else within a school system want to see good grades. They want to see that learning is happening. Kids know they need to get good grades to pass and move on. So if a student can't memorize the material or learn the material, they have to resort to cheating in order to not fail. They haven't learned anything other than how to be sneaky.
In my class, I try to incorporate activities and discussions to get students involved and more interested in the material. Of course, I have to make sure I am covering all the standards as required but I try to bring in some fun activities that allow them to be creative. My class presents some final projects instead of taking a test. They are able to choose which project they find interesting and show off their skills and knowledge. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible because there isn't enough time, but I try.
The issue that bothers me the most is how schools reward memorization over understanding. Regardless of the teacher, it is hard to promote understanding over memorization when all that matters is if the student has the facts memorized for the test. The challenge is getting the students to buy into learning and understanding the material.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI think the one that bothered me the most from the chapter " School Daze." " Is learning how too memorized well enough to regurgitate on demand."
When students do this are they actually learning any of the material. Probably not. When I was in school I remember just trying to memorize
the material for the test. If a teacher would have asked me few months the same information. I probably couldn't remember most of it. I think it's very common to this day.
I think when we try to relate it to the students life they are more likely to be more engage with the learning. If they see how it can be helpful they more likely to remember down the road. When I was in school learning about different blood types. We had a field day to the clinic and we all got to learn what our blood type was. The importance of knowing. Why someone has that blood type. I still remember this like it was yesterday.
If we can relate the information to the students or make the material more hands on. Not just reading from the text book. I think this will help decrease the amount of students who are just memorizing for the test. A lot of the students will remember what they were doing when they were learning the material.
One thing that bothers me the most in the School Daze chapter of the book is how accurate it is to what I went through in high school. I have taken many classes that I would do incredibly well in and I could tell you nothing that I have actually learn. As a student I was very good at memorizing things for a very short period of time and then after the test everything would completely go away. This is something I would like to fix in my classroom by giving students more chances to apply what they know and then they would have to utilize their knowledge. This could mean giving them experiences they remember like giving projects, having guest speakers, or traveling outside of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThe memorization doesn't bother me terrible. Memorization can be a useful tool and is a good brain exercise. And some things need to be memorized. The cheating statement is worrisome. If students are cheating just to get out of the work, that is one issue. But cheating because you don't understand the subject and content, that is a whole different story. If students are cheating for the second reason, then they are not understanding the material being taught. Improving school experiences can be linking material to outside sources, such as job fairs, guest speakers, etc...I like to use art, drawing , videos to improve school experiences.
ReplyDeleteOne thought from the School Daze chapter that concerns me the most is: “I learned how to cheat to get the grades I needed for college.” I don’t want my students to feel like they have to cheat to succeed. I want them to feel like they are missing out on real experiences if they take that route. By making my lessons engaging, relevant, and focused on mastery rather than just grades, I can help students see the value in learning for understanding, not just for marks. This approach can encourage curiosity, integrity, and a genuine love of learning.
ReplyDelete"I learned how to cheat to get the grades I needed for college." I hate that students feel like they have to cheat in order to get to college. We are not setting these kids up for success if they feel like they have to cheat to succeed in their life. College is not always for everyone and for them to be successful shouldn't just be that they got all A's. As a special education teacher, I am wanting my students to be well-rounded person who can be successful in the community.
ReplyDeleteOf all of the thoughts and issues brought forth in the “School Daze” chapter, which one affects/bothers/concerns you the most? What is one thing you can do to improve your students’ school experiences?
ReplyDeleteI had a wide range of reaction to some of the issues brought forth. The one that made me the think most in the "School Daze" chapter was the example that read, "I learned that authority figures don't have all the answers and you have to follow your instincts." When I first read it I thought this person was bashing teachers and I was somewhat offended. But when I went back to choose an issue for this post I had a more positive perspective of the remark. Even though the person may not have realized it his teacher(s) helped him develop higher level critical thinking skills. I don't view myself or other teachers as "authority figures" who know all the answers. I tell students that I make mistakes and don't know everything. I want students to see that teachers are human. We can find or figure out the answers together and make decisions based off the information we have learned. Critical thinking comes from questioning and exploring. It's ok to have different opinions and to constructive disagreements. I feel like that person doesn't recognize that his teacher(s) were actually teaching him. Surprise learning, I guess!!!