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Restoring rigor in high schools
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Anonymous
Yes, it's an actual class. https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-seminar |
Anonymous
DP here. We can’t afford boarding school or even non-religious private school. It’s not about being a “better” parent. My kids have straight A’s in rigorous classes. So far the oldest has 4’s and 5’s on her AP tests. But each year I’d say they have 1-2 very good teachers, 1-2 serviceable teachers and 1-2 teachers where you wonder how in the h&ll this person is allowed to teach anyone anything. Waiting for the class schedule in August feels like Russian roulette. |
Anonymous
So we aren’t having a serious discussion. Got it. I just did the math. I’ve taught over 2,600 students. 3 schools. 2 counties. You are a parent of 2 former students. I have more experience and a wider view than you. We can agree on that, correct? And I haven’t berated children. You know this, so it is pointless to pretend that I’ve said anything rude on this thread. I made one comment that claims, overall, students’ abilities in the classroom have declined over 20 years. And that’s true. I could point out assignments, work samples, etc. to quantifiably prove it. This doesn’t insult you, your children, or even my current students. It’s an insight made by somebody with a clear, sustained view of the problem: me. Now we can ignore this problem, or we can address it. I’ve been addressing it. I’m on curricula committees, I present directly to my county’s board, etc. Oh, and… I have multiple degrees and none are in Education. Nevertheless, I don’t appreciate your insult about Ed degrees. I work with many honest, hard-working, intelligent people with Ed degrees. You will not insult them to me without getting called out for it. Personal attacks are childish and useless. Bring adult behavior to adult conversations. |
Anonymous
I mean I went to private school. Then college and eventually grad school. I feel like this has always been true? I think the issue with public school is that teachers have so many students. So even good teachers are overwhelmed. |
Anonymous
Not PP. So I’m curious. As a parent of kids in public schools, how can I help my kids be prepared? They are in higher level classes. We have always read. I’ve tried to teach them different executive function skills and study methods. |
Anonymous
You’re just describing public education… |
Anonymous
Hi PP, It sounds like you’re already doing a lot! Reading at home is wonderful. Not only does it develop an appreciation for literature and an understanding of language, but it also helps foster that delayed reaction that seems to challenge many students. With stories, you have to commit to the task of reading and you have to patiently wait for resolution. That alone is huge in an environment that encourages short attention spans (social media, etc). And executive function skills can really make/break a high school experience, and I say this as the parent of a special needs child who finds this a challenge. The fact you’re working on this at home, hopefully coupled with some strategies employed by the school, is also great. I suspect you’re already addressing this, as well: overcoming challenges. I sit with students often (5-6 times a week, at least) and I have to encourage them over a roadblock: a failed assignment, a concept they don’t understand. I really think one of the biggest challenges we face right now is resilience. It’s okay to hit a road block. It happens to all of us. What matters most is how we react. Do we shut down, or do we accept the challenge and put in the extra effort? And also: do students know how to find their resources? Do they go to tutoring or ask for extra help when they start to fall behind, or do they wait until the problem is larger? We spend time in my class reflecting: where do we stand with the current material? That piece helps catch problems early. Thank you for the great question. I actually started thinking I should check in on my own kid tonight and one of her recent roadblocks. Thanks! |
Anonymous
In college and grad school you have a lot more say over your classes and professors. In HS, if you get the mean, crappy English teacher, the guidance counselors have no sympathy even though they know this teacher is universally despised. |
Anonymous
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High school is terrible now because adults always put their needs over kids.
1. Schools are horribly run by people who can’t manage employees, budgets or organizations. This often creates a toxic environment for teachers. Teaching is not attracting candidates qualified to teach. More money often just creates more failed initiatives, a windfall for contractors, or positions that contribute nothing to student learning. 2. Class sizes and administrative demands along with no consequences have led to teachers no longer providing feedback, grading in a timely manner, or doing a quality job. It’s all about how to cut corners. 3. Technology has been implemented to benefit the adults not the kids. It’s used to reduce grading, enable larger class sizes where most of the class does nothing. 4. Colleges have become predatory businesses chasing selectivity and rank. They have fueled the mental health crisis with opaque high stakes admissions. They have become unaffordable. They motivate students who otherwise wouldn’t cheat to cheat, normalizing it. 5. Best teaching practices are never enforced pushing more kids on 504 plans. It’s shocking how many accommodations are actually just best practices that better teaching or teacher management would solve. |
Anonymous
Excellent post. |
Anonymous
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People who complain about lack of rigor, often not always, are bemoaning that their kid isn’t differentiated enough to colleges. It’s not a high school’s purpose to differentiate enough to appease college admissions.
You do not want top scores to be impossible to achieve or rare. This guarantees they will be arbitrary and biased in qualitative courses with teachers selecting a few favorites. For quantitative courses deflationary curves are toxic to students. They motivate cheating and sabotage. The purpose of a high school is to develop mastery of the course material, push learning, and develop skills. Students have a right to know what is expected to earn a top score and they should have equal access to materials to obtain it if they desire. This doesn’t mean it should be easy, far from it. It should require work but it should always be achievable. |
Anonymous
DP. But it didn’t used to be like this. I was a public school kid. We had excellent teachers and they actually taught. I feel like teachers have lost both the ability to actually teach and the breadth of subject knowledge they used to have. My world history teacher in high school would lecture the whole class and get into character when talking about Alexander the Great and different major figures. He was so animated and knowledgeable- never did slides or read from notes (so you actually had to take your own). Same with my APUSH class, different teacher, equally great. My teens’ experiences have been nothing like that- even in their AP classes |
Anonymous
I think blue book exams should be restored. Too much cheating going on today. |
Anonymous
| Return to Blue Book exams in the classroom. |
Anonymous
Teachers are often instructed NOT to lecture now. The way many teachers are evaluated would actually mark a teacher down for being the “sage on the stage.” We are now supposed to be the “guide on the side.” I grew up in your era. My teachers lectured and I diligently took notes. I was engaged because it was clear they knew the content and they made it clear to me. But now, teachers are given scripted lessons often written by companies far removed from the classroom. Admin observes to make sure students are actively engaged, which is often defined as participation in a group activity. That’s why you get gallery walks, cooperative projects, etc. If you “merely” lecture, you’re marked down. We would benefit a lot from letting teachers teach again. |