Submitted by Mike (not verified) on April 25, 2008 - 10:15.
Maybe this is why many of our families in the States are entertaining "home school" education now-a-days. I agree that our education system tries to cram information down the throats of our children. As a teacher, I believe I have seen this first hand. I taught 6th grade math and science, as well as 7th & 8th math and science. There was a tremendous separation of information in math that many of these kids had. I had 40+ kids in my 6th grade math class and it was impossible to keep up with all of them and know where they were in the subject matter. I had kids in my 8th grade class that were doing high school algebra and even geometry, then I had students that were struggling with basic math in the same class. I blame this problem on the system and the parents, who force the information on their children. I had parents verbally attack me in front of peers, because of grades and how they felt the kids weren't learning enough. I have never been more stressed out in my whole life.
The dis-interest the kids had in math was disappointting for those that struggled, but when they took the time, asked for help, and I was able to slow down and help them, they acquired some gratification. I felt more gratification and excitement when the kids were involved socially in their assignments. They could help each other and learn how to interact. When this took place the grading and pressure was so much easier. I believe kids all learn at different levels, but we put kids in classroom settings, catagorized by how old they are, not by how much they know or understand. If you think about, our school system is setup just like a job setting. You get to school, we have a break or nutrition for 15 minutes, go back to the classroom, then take a lunch for approx. 40 minutes, and then back to the classroom again. Once, that is done many us take our kids to tutoring. Doesn't that sound like a typical 9 to 5 job where we not only make a living, but put money into the governmemt's pockets? Sounds like herding the cattle. I believe we have to stimulate the minds of our children and cultivate them to be positive human-beings.
Cramming information into students
Submitted by Mike (not verified) on April 25, 2008 - 10:15.
Maybe this is why many of our families in the States are entertaining "home school" education now-a-days. I agree that our education system tries to cram information down the throats of our children. As a teacher, I believe I have seen this first hand. I taught 6th grade math and science, as well as 7th & 8th math and science. There was a tremendous separation of information in math that many of these kids had. I had 40+ kids in my 6th grade math class and it was impossible to keep up with all of them and know where they were in the subject matter. I had kids in my 8th grade class that were doing high school algebra and even geometry, then I had students that were struggling with basic math in the same class. I blame this problem on the system and the parents, who force the information on their children. I had parents verbally attack me in front of peers, because of grades and how they felt the kids weren't learning enough. I have never been more stressed out in my whole life.
The dis-interest the kids had in math was disappointting for those that struggled, but when they took the time, asked for help, and I was able to slow down and help them, they acquired some gratification. I felt more gratification and excitement when the kids were involved socially in their assignments. They could help each other and learn how to interact. When this took place the grading and pressure was so much easier. I believe kids all learn at different levels, but we put kids in classroom settings, catagorized by how old they are, not by how much they know or understand. If you think about, our school system is setup just like a job setting. You get to school, we have a break or nutrition for 15 minutes, go back to the classroom, then take a lunch for approx. 40 minutes, and then back to the classroom again. Once, that is done many us take our kids to tutoring. Doesn't that sound like a typical 9 to 5 job where we not only make a living, but put money into the governmemt's pockets? Sounds like herding the cattle. I believe we have to stimulate the minds of our children and cultivate them to be positive human-beings.