Anonymous
Post 07/20/2023 12:30     Subject: Health B is pointless
I’d be all for either making it useful content especially since it’s a Honor’s level course or giving making a Study Hall. I’d really support a class that actually good study habits, and executive functioning skills.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2023 11:29     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid started Health B today. They said they've been learning the same stuff since 6th grade. Even doing the same assignments.

What a waste. Either make it really meaningful (not sure how...it would have to be done in-person to be meaningful so they can do stuff like really learn CPR/put a condom on a banana/stuff like that) or just drop it. Replace it with a finance class or driver's ed. Or even a free period so the kids could have a study hall (having time in their schedules for a study hall would do so much more to help their stress than a class talking about ways to reduce stress)


I hate to break it to you, but most kids don't use study hall to study unless the school/teachers force them. Otherwise, it becomes a free period where they goof off with friends or spend that time on their phone consuming content or playing on social media.


It's not necessarily a bad thing for teenagers to have the ability to have that kind of break. Us adults with office jobs don't necessarily work for 8 hours straight.

When I was in high school, I was often finishing my math homework due in the next period during study hall. Helps to have that time during the day when afterschool is filled with extra-curriculars.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2023 11:18     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:My kid started Health B today. They said they've been learning the same stuff since 6th grade. Even doing the same assignments.

What a waste. Either make it really meaningful (not sure how...it would have to be done in-person to be meaningful so they can do stuff like really learn CPR/put a condom on a banana/stuff like that) or just drop it. Replace it with a finance class or driver's ed. Or even a free period so the kids could have a study hall (having time in their schedules for a study hall would do so much more to help their stress than a class talking about ways to reduce stress)


I hate to break it to you, but most kids don't use study hall to study unless the school/teachers force them. Otherwise, it becomes a free period where they goof off with friends or spend that time on their phone consuming content or playing on social media.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2023 08:48     Subject: Health B is pointless
My kid started Health B today. They said they've been learning the same stuff since 6th grade. Even doing the same assignments.

What a waste. Either make it really meaningful (not sure how...it would have to be done in-person to be meaningful so they can do stuff like really learn CPR/put a condom on a banana/stuff like that) or just drop it. Replace it with a finance class or driver's ed. Or even a free period so the kids could have a study hall (having time in their schedules for a study hall would do so much more to help their stress than a class talking about ways to reduce stress)
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2023 07:57     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Well it would be great if the health classes actually educated the kids about things like vaping nicotine, substance abuse, and personal safety. At least the kids would be able to make informed decisions when they making stupid choices.


Health A did cover those things.


+1
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2023 07:51     Subject: Health B is pointless
Is there a campaign to get the state Board of Ed to remove the second semester requirement? If nothing else, they could replace it with financial literacy, which the kids could actually use.
Anonymous
Post 07/20/2023 07:07     Subject: Health B is pointless
They get so much of this stuff in middle school already that they are bored by the repetition of it in high school. I teach next to a health class and kids are just on their phones most of the time from what I can see.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2023 22:15     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:It's also the same stuff they did in MS but with slightly more details. Health A was a joke. It was all self-taught, the classes online always got out early and very little teacher interaction. It went into more detail than MS but no new materials.


Agree. Both Health classes are a waste of time.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2023 21:54     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:Well it would be great if the health classes actually educated the kids about things like vaping nicotine, substance abuse, and personal safety. At least the kids would be able to make informed decisions when they making stupid choices.


My kid just finished health A and it did exactly that.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2023 20:54     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Daughter just finished up the summer session of Health B at WJ, and learned absolutely nothing new. According to her, some assignments are near identical to the ones from Health A, and the content being taught is nearly exactly the same. Was hopeful she might learn something new, but honestly not surprised. Teacher was disappointed as well in the lack of new content in the curriculum. Waste of everyone's time to have a whole extra semester required that teaches absolutely nothing new.


Completely agree! Nothing new. I don't know why Maryland is requiring it... addition mental health content? additional content on opioids? It needs to go away.


My understanding is it was supposed to be a way of reinforcing and going in more detail on content at a point when it is most relevant for kids during HS and teenage years. But if they were going to require it one would think they would have considered how best to explore the topics in detail with kids.

I wonder if it’s better during the actual school year.


My son took it this past year and Health B was a disaster. They don't have enough meaningful curriculum to fill the semester so they just do random life skills stuff, like teaching them about credit and personal finance, which is nice, but not what the extra semester was bolted on for.

MCPS needs to invest some meaningful resources into building out Health B's curriculum. I don't know why the state didn't spell this out more specifically with the mandate.


Wasn’t the state supposed to be providing the curriculum? Why they don’t change this from Health to Wellness I don’t understand. As a Wellness class they could understandable cover more topics ) SEL, dating, sex, finances, even SSL.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2023 20:18     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:I wish health b taught CPR and First Aid. You know, something useful.


Seriously. We had the option to get Red Cross certified when I took Health (one semester) in 10th grade. They taught everyone the material, and you could pay to take the test and get certified if you wanted.

We also had a full semester of Driver’s Ed in 10th. Almost everyone took it, but it wasn’t a requirement or anything. It just made so much sense for kids that age to do one semester of each. (This wasn’t MCPS)
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2023 19:38     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:I wish health b taught CPR and First Aid. You know, something useful.


Good idea..
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2023 19:37     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:Health is not an interesting class, it just a requirement like PE and foundations of computer programming.


If you like computer science computer programing is ok, health and a year of it is not.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2023 19:35     Subject: Health B is pointless
I wish health b taught CPR and First Aid. You know, something useful.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2023 19:30     Subject: Health B is pointless
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Daughter just finished up the summer session of Health B at WJ, and learned absolutely nothing new. According to her, some assignments are near identical to the ones from Health A, and the content being taught is nearly exactly the same. Was hopeful she might learn something new, but honestly not surprised. Teacher was disappointed as well in the lack of new content in the curriculum. Waste of everyone's time to have a whole extra semester required that teaches absolutely nothing new.


Completely agree! Nothing new. I don't know why Maryland is requiring it... addition mental health content? additional content on opioids? It needs to go away.


My understanding is it was supposed to be a way of reinforcing and going in more detail on content at a point when it is most relevant for kids during HS and teenage years. But if they were going to require it one would think they would have considered how best to explore the topics in detail with kids.

I wonder if it’s better during the actual school year.


My son took it this past year and Health B was a disaster. They don't have enough meaningful curriculum to fill the semester so they just do random life skills stuff, like teaching them about credit and personal finance, which is nice, but not what the extra semester was bolted on for.

MCPS needs to invest some meaningful resources into building out Health B's curriculum. I don't know why the state didn't spell this out more specifically with the mandate.