Why our schools are terrible
Here it is, my favorite day of the week! Well, after band it will be my favorite day of the week. I finally got to bed around 2:30 last night, without completing all of my homework. Oh well. I was so tired when I tried to wake up this morning. I went to MCE (granted, a little late, but I got there!) and I ended up talking through a lot of the class. I don't usually talk too much, but today's topic relates to one of my recent entries. It was about school and lesson planning. Now, I know you're thinking "what could possibly have been interesting about that?" That's usually the thought that runs through my head in MCE. But anyways, we were looking at the section of lesson planning where you state objectives, and then you're supposed to put down "the teacher will aknowledged that the student has learned the subject matter when ..." and of course, you put down a percentage, when the student demonstrates 100% comprehension, or 80% comprehension, etc. Once the students have reached that goal, then you go onto the next lesson. Well, I disagreed with that part of the lesson planning completely. I argued away, with my belief that no teacher should plan a lesson saying that 80% was acceptable. I told Dr. Campbell that I wouldn't be happy unless my students could demonstrate a 100% understanding. Granted, that might not necessarily take place all in one class time, and there will be some students who refuse to learn. But if the material is important enough that I'm going to teach it, I want them to eventually be able to know it, 100%. And some people argued "yeah, but the bright learner will be bored". Okay, so how about this? Create a lesson plan which challenges the brightest, and make sure that you teach it so that it works for the not so bright. Hmm, sounds like a paradox, I am convinced it can be done. If necessary, I will give the students who are struggling extra time and effort so that they learn the material. But no less than 100%. Let's raise the standards, not lower them.
It's kind of like how Mr. Andrews always says. Both my parents had cancer. My dad had extensive, incredible heart surgery. You don't want anyone operating on you or someone you love, if they only got 80% on their tests in medical school. You don't want to trust your life to someone who passed with the minimum 2.0. You want someone who learned it all, who has the whole picture, who got 100% of the necessary elements, and then more for extra help. That's the way we should be in all disciplines, that's the way we should teach our children. To be the best, to learn everything and understand everything that is given to them as necessary, and to do well. Once again, I'll say that this of course, is ideal and that you will always have children who fail to perform well. But the teacher should strive for the ideal situation anyways. What have we done in New York? We've said that if Johnny gets a 65% on reading, and everyone else gets 90%, well, we better lower it down to Johnny's standards so that even though he performs the same as with the 65% we'll call it a 75% so that it looks better, sounds better. Keep lowering those standards. NO! Not my children. They will learn, and they will learn to learn, and they will love to learn .... as a teacher you must inspire you must demand excellence, and you must reward the students for their hard work. Let's get rid of the crappy society and lack of intelligence we have now in America. So there, that is a rant of mine that I'm sure will come up again. Mom, Dad, you did an excellent job raising me, Chris, and Carolyn and I hope that I am as good of a parent and teacher as you are.
Ahh, so now that's out. Well, anyways, so I spoke up about the 80% achievement as acceptable. Yeah. Then I went and practiced for my sight singing exam, got a 99, and went and did more math homework before math. We got our tests today in math. I think I can do the first problem, I took a look at it in Lit and Style and it doesn't seem so bad. I'm going to work on it during the entire time we're given to make sure that I do well and get things right this time. I want Dr. Person to know that yes, I am trying, and yes I can be intelligent.
I also spoke up in lit and style today. We were going over a Schumann piece. I should find the title of it and let you know. I think it's absolutely brilliant. The lyrics don't reflect at all what you think the song is about. The lyrics are happy, joyful, the music sounds melancholy, bittersweet. But the harmonic structure of the piece is fascinating. He doesn't begin on the one chord, and the song stays unstable through A major, F# minor (relative) to the fifth below, B minor, D Major (relative) and a hint of D minor. I think it's wonderful construction and use of coloration. Although the man was manic depressive, I think he was genius ...
So the week is almost over. I have to write another paper for SAI tonight, but then I'm done. It's the celebration of my one year and six months :) It hasn't felt like that long. Rick baby, I love you :)
Time for me to get to band.
Fear less, hope more;
Whine less, breathe more;
Talk less, say more;
Hate less, love more;
And all good things are yours.
It's kind of like how Mr. Andrews always says. Both my parents had cancer. My dad had extensive, incredible heart surgery. You don't want anyone operating on you or someone you love, if they only got 80% on their tests in medical school. You don't want to trust your life to someone who passed with the minimum 2.0. You want someone who learned it all, who has the whole picture, who got 100% of the necessary elements, and then more for extra help. That's the way we should be in all disciplines, that's the way we should teach our children. To be the best, to learn everything and understand everything that is given to them as necessary, and to do well. Once again, I'll say that this of course, is ideal and that you will always have children who fail to perform well. But the teacher should strive for the ideal situation anyways. What have we done in New York? We've said that if Johnny gets a 65% on reading, and everyone else gets 90%, well, we better lower it down to Johnny's standards so that even though he performs the same as with the 65% we'll call it a 75% so that it looks better, sounds better. Keep lowering those standards. NO! Not my children. They will learn, and they will learn to learn, and they will love to learn .... as a teacher you must inspire you must demand excellence, and you must reward the students for their hard work. Let's get rid of the crappy society and lack of intelligence we have now in America. So there, that is a rant of mine that I'm sure will come up again. Mom, Dad, you did an excellent job raising me, Chris, and Carolyn and I hope that I am as good of a parent and teacher as you are.
Ahh, so now that's out. Well, anyways, so I spoke up about the 80% achievement as acceptable. Yeah. Then I went and practiced for my sight singing exam, got a 99, and went and did more math homework before math. We got our tests today in math. I think I can do the first problem, I took a look at it in Lit and Style and it doesn't seem so bad. I'm going to work on it during the entire time we're given to make sure that I do well and get things right this time. I want Dr. Person to know that yes, I am trying, and yes I can be intelligent.
I also spoke up in lit and style today. We were going over a Schumann piece. I should find the title of it and let you know. I think it's absolutely brilliant. The lyrics don't reflect at all what you think the song is about. The lyrics are happy, joyful, the music sounds melancholy, bittersweet. But the harmonic structure of the piece is fascinating. He doesn't begin on the one chord, and the song stays unstable through A major, F# minor (relative) to the fifth below, B minor, D Major (relative) and a hint of D minor. I think it's wonderful construction and use of coloration. Although the man was manic depressive, I think he was genius ...
So the week is almost over. I have to write another paper for SAI tonight, but then I'm done. It's the celebration of my one year and six months :) It hasn't felt like that long. Rick baby, I love you :)
Time for me to get to band.
Fear less, hope more;
Whine less, breathe more;
Talk less, say more;
Hate less, love more;
And all good things are yours.