My students are dumb...just completely and utterly dumb

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College prof. here. It doesn't get any better. My students can't write or think. They are surprised when they get a redlined paper back with a reflecting grade. I expect cohesive thoughts presented in an orderly fashion that makes a point. Most of my students cannot do this.

Since I teach college I do not allow them to submit for regrades. It's hard to understand their point when you're scratching your head trying to read and reread a paper.

As for thinking, forget critical thinking. My students expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter and then expect me to follow up with them. They fail to read the syllabus and somehow think that a deadline is merely a suggestion not an actual due date. Every semester a number of students are surprised that a paper is due or that a quiz is coming up. I know the dates are out there because many students know these events are coming. And the ones that ask how they were supposed to know a quiz was coming make me shake my head.

Of course during evaluations I am the worst professor they've ever had. I don't make exceptions and I grade too harshly.

What class do you teach? Is it a writing class? English? History? Humanities?

College prof, I'm curious: what does a typical day in your class look like?

Economics

Depends on which class I'm teaching. Intro macro is different than say macro theory or a seminar on banking policy. For my intro classes, I assume that the students have read the pre assigned chapters as indicated in the syllabus. I'll briefly review the key points that the students really need to comprehend. Then I'll show students how whatever concept we're studying is being applied today, I try and make the dry as relevant as possible so that students will care about the material. If there is a quantitative component that week, I might review problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, what are you doing to reach them and inspire them?

What are the parents doing to inspire their kids?

What are administrators doing to support teachers who really WANT to instruct kids. What we're doing now is simply pseudo teaching. Grades mean nothing. There's no discipline policy that protects teachers and kids who WANT to learn. Administrators cave to central office.

It's the same everywhere. Education is a joke.

My own kids know not to enter this field. In fact, they know we won't pay for college if they head into education.

So, PP, you're part of the problem - always blaming teachers for societal ills. You can't teach kids who are emotionally blocked. You can't teach kids who are hungry. (And, no, a cinnamon bun as part of a free breakfast isn't going to solve the problem.) And you can't teach kids who aren't there half the time. and my favorite? "reaching the kid" who wears an ankle bracelet for some sexual offense

I'm sure you want your daughter seated next to him, eh?

This job is a joke.

Do yourself and everyone else a favor and quit your current job immediately. Do not take another public-contact job, ever.

[Anonymous]

The ability to spell and the ability to read and comprehend are two totally different things. My ex-husband has a genius IQ, is dyslexic, still spells on a second grade level, but his reading and comprehension were on a college level in early elementary. In my opinion, YOU are the dumb one in the classes that you are teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, what are you doing to reach them and inspire them?

What are the parents doing to inspire their kids?

What are administrators doing to support teachers who really WANT to instruct kids. What we're doing now is simply pseudo teaching. Grades mean nothing. There's no discipline policy that protects teachers and kids who WANT to learn. Administrators cave to central office.

It's the same everywhere. Education is a joke.

My own kids know not to enter this field. In fact, they know we won't pay for college if they head into education.

So, PP, you're part of the problem - always blaming teachers for societal ills. You can't teach kids who are emotionally blocked. You can't teach kids who are hungry. (And, no, a cinnamon bun as part of a free breakfast isn't going to solve the problem.) And you can't teach kids who aren't there half the time. and my favorite? "reaching the kid" who wears an ankle bracelet for some sexual offense

I'm sure you want your daughter seated next to him, eh?

This job is a joke.

+1

I think most teachers feel this way to some degree. There is only so much teachers can do without parental involvement and administrative support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, what are you doing to reach them and inspire them?

What are the parents doing to inspire their kids?

What are administrators doing to support teachers who really WANT to instruct kids. What we're doing now is simply pseudo teaching. Grades mean nothing. There's no discipline policy that protects teachers and kids who WANT to learn. Administrators cave to central office.

It's the same everywhere. Education is a joke.

My own kids know not to enter this field. In fact, they know we won't pay for college if they head into education.

So, PP, you're part of the problem - always blaming teachers for societal ills. You can't teach kids who are emotionally blocked. You can't teach kids who are hungry. (And, no, a cinnamon bun as part of a free breakfast isn't going to solve the problem.) And you can't teach kids who aren't there half the time. and my favorite? "reaching the kid" who wears an ankle bracelet for some sexual offense

I'm sure you want your daughter seated next to him, eh?

This job is a joke.

Do yourself and everyone else a favor and quit your current job immediately. Do not take another public-contact job, ever.

DP here -

PP, spend a day in your kid's classroom. If you experience the demands on teachers and the disrespect they often have to endure. Kids know they can get away with so.much.shit. without any consequence. It's very difficult to do your job (teach) when you're dealing with fights in the classroom, disrespectful students, etc. Yes, teachers need to earn their students respect but when the county frowns on discipline, it's impossible to manage a classroom full of kids who don't care about themselves and don't care about others.

[Anonymous]

The County may frown on discipline, but not all parents do. Ask the parent what to do and you might get a different answer.

[Anonymous]

Why have so many people turned this back against op? What is that about? Can't you take what op says? Often when people can't deal with it, they lash out. Dcum seems to prove that point on this thread

Op, hang in there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why have so many people turned this back against op? What is that about? Can't you take what op says? Often when people can't deal with it, they lash out. Dcum seems to prove that point on this thread

Op, hang in there.

Most people have a negative reaction to authority figures who use their authority to bully and belittle children.

[Anonymous]

My kids are in mcps. My second grader has grammar homework every week, and my older one did too (it's usually sentences that they have to correct).
And they do learn a lot of "substance,". The 5th and 6th grace social studies curriculum covers American history pretty comprehensively. And the earlier years now use a lot of non-fiction in the reading classes as a way of getting more "content" into the curriculum--for example, the second graders are reading biographies of famous Americans then presenting to the class.
The problem is that there is just a LOT to teach nowadays. And if kids aren't exposed to stuff outside school through reading, visiting museums/local historical sites/national and state parks, and watching educational programming, they are just going to have gaps in their knowledge. For instance, I'm not sure that the American history curriculum would explicitly mention mount Vernon, since it's mostly just Washington's retirement home....but kids whose parents have the means and desire to do weekend outings would know about it and would have visited it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And they do learn a lot of "substance,". The 5th and 6th grace social studies curriculum covers American history pretty comprehensively. And the earlier years now use a lot of non-fiction in the reading classes as a way of getting more "content" into the curriculum--for example, the second graders are reading biographies of famous Americans then presenting to the class.

American history is the one thing taught in MD elementary schools. Topics they don't teach (that I remember from my childhood in a different state) include:

- prehistoric anything -- dinosaurs, "cavemen"
- Ancient Greece, (Greek myths),
- Ancient Rome,
- Ancient Egypt (the pyramids, process of mummification)
- The middle ages, (knights, serfs and feudal system)
- The Renaissance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work as a teacher in a Southern Maryland High School and I have to say 80% to 90% of the children are dumber than dirt. They lack the intellectual capacity to even spell simple words like "though" or "their". I'm not trying to talk against them but I wish they weren't so damn dumb. All they care about is Facebook, Twitter and other stupid stuff.

In a lot of poorer areas, cousins marry cousins and neighbors marry neighbors and so the stupidity carries on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Surprise! People are not all equally brilliant blank slates, only to be affected by SES, quality of teaching, impact of community, blah blah blah. Some of them really are dumb as bricks.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprise! People are not all equally brilliant blank slates, only to be affected by SES, quality of teaching, impact of community, blah blah blah. Some of them really are dumb as bricks.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!!!!

You are familiar with the way a bell curve looks, yes? Its really hard to believe that all of the OP's students are on the lower 1/4. She just doesnt like them and bitching on the interent about it is really unprofessional. But hey, I guess it makes you feel smart to call children 'dumb as bricks'. Proves you are so much better, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprise! People are not all equally brilliant blank slates, only to be affected by SES, quality of teaching, impact of community, blah blah blah. Some of them really are dumb as bricks.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!!!!

You are familiar with the way a bell curve looks, yes? Its really hard to believe that all of the OP's students are on the lower 1/4. She just doesnt like them and bitching on the interent about it is really unprofessional. But hey, I guess it makes you feel smart to call children 'dumb as bricks'. Proves you are so much better, right?

You have no idea what you are talking about. You make too many assumptions. You have no idea what population Op is working with. I have a relative who teaches in a small school district in another state and says the kids are stupid and their parents are stupid. This cycle will continue if the people in her district keep marrying each other. The stupidity will go on ad infinitum. The fact is there are towns of stupid people and they have stupid children. It is sad but true. I don't know if OP teaches families like these, but if she does, she is merely stating a truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprise! People are not all equally brilliant blank slates, only to be affected by SES, quality of teaching, impact of community, blah blah blah. Some of them really are dumb as bricks.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!!!!

You are familiar with the way a bell curve looks, yes? Its really hard to believe that all of the OP's students are on the lower 1/4. She just doesnt like them and bitching on the interent about it is really unprofessional. But hey, I guess it makes you feel smart to call children 'dumb as bricks'. Proves you are so much better, right?

You have no idea what you are talking about. You make too many assumptions. You have no idea what population Op is working with. I have a relative who teaches in a small school district in another state and says the kids are stupid and their parents are stupid. This cycle will continue if the people in her district keep marrying each other. The stupidity will go on ad infinitum. The fact is there are towns of stupid people and they have stupid children. It is sad but true. I don't know if OP teaches families like these, but if she does, she is merely stating a truth.

Good luck with that prejudice.