ummm so I just calculated my grades and

[Helm]

I ( prematurely ) felt that the school relationship between teachers and students was suffering from various factors, so I never bothered to aknowledge their authority over me as a student. After the second year of junior high, I went from A student to barely passing student. The fact that I did well at tests was the only reason I was left well alone during class. I practically didn't exist in all of high school inside the classroom.

those kids are going to be so fucked in the real world.

In that they haven't picked up the necessary knowledge, or that in that they can't honour simple agreements of attendance etc? Because I don't really think you learn much of anything in highschool. I didn't. You might pick up the seed of appreciation of a topic or two, but it's still up to you to explore them on your personal time. The exam and testing system doesn't lend well to children wanting to actually enjoy knowledge. That you are pressured to memorize words and words and words leads to short-term, and superficial understanding of a subject. Furthermore, it makes children develop an active distaste to the subject long-term, because they are linking the forcing with it. For example, I enjoy trying to understand Number Theory as an adult, but I have completely forgotten much of the basic trigonometry I picked up in highschool. In fact, the only recurring nightmare I get is that of having to do a trig test.

 

[The Dope]

I agree with Alex on this. The vast majority of kids like that do end up getting fucked in the real world, regardless of whether anything "useful" is actually learned in high school. Most really get into the habit of underachievement, have trouble developing a career, can't improve their situation at home, etc. The things learned in high school may not really matter all that much in the grand scheme of things - I would definitely not argue that high school is the best thought-out educational forum I could imagine - but high school itself does set habits and standards that tend to stay with people after they graduate. For every person who neglected to attend high school who manages to be successful after graduation, there are dozens of those who have trouble finding and holding onto a decent job and have little motivation to achieve beyond what is necessary for their basic survival.

 

[Josh Seipp]

I definitely agree with alex that it depends on the type of homework - I failed math class because I didn't do the homeowrk, which was rote repetition, and that was retarded because I continually aced the tests, but I would have been completely lost in my history and science classes without the homework.

 

[minxnim]

Whoa.

 

[0sm0se]

Strangely enough, I agree with my roommate on this one, very eloquently put. Though, I do agree with Josh, you should never do more rote repetition than you think you require to understand the application of a concept. Readings for English and other subjective courses are essential to gain anything worthwhile from them.

 

[Sandfire]

Grade 11 English is the magic class. Generally speaking, its when you start studying the cool books. What sort of readings did you do in the class?

 

[xfer]

this quarter we did a big unit on Their Eyes Were Watching God and we're just about done with a big unit on research-paper writing. coming from an English background, I would've liked to do more reading, but I think focusing on "writing" for almost two months is pretty important. (my cooperating teacher was in charge of determining curriculum, not me)

 

[xfer]

helm, I'm not saying that there aren't some people who can still succeed that way better than the other way, but they are literally one in a million.

 

[Helm]

I was just asking for clarification. If what you're saying is echoing The Dope about picking up good habits of attendance and stuff yeah, I can't agrue with that. I have trouble being systematic in my work and sticking to things as well and I can sorta trace that right to when I went 'fuck it' in school (although I was forcing myself to be proper up to then, so you could say it was just my natural tendency manifesting itself). It was the 'learning stuff' angle that I wanted to point out as pretty invalid.

And also, 'making something of yourself in the real world' isn't always being financially sucessful, secure and 'set'. There are alternate goals in life, other career options, and they might not require perfect academic attendance. Sometimes the societal psychological pressure to 'be the best' and the neuroses that are derived far outweigh the benefits of good schooling, good jobs, good money.

 

[minxnim]

i definitely lack some sort of restraint that i probably would have gotten in high school if i had paid attention. things like following through on some types of work, and dealing with people in charge better. but i still am on time for shit and can hold down a regular job, show up more often than anyone else, and handle the responsibility of it with no problem. so i think it hinges a lot on a person's life outside of h.s. too. it still sucks alex that your class has such bad homework grades and attendance. you'd think someone would notice it and find some type of solution, isn't that was education degrees are for?

 

[minxnim]

i mean it'd be like an engineer designing a car that catches on fire and explodes and being like 'well this isn't working' but just continuing to make the same car until it works itself out or something

 

[mindspell]

There is only so much reach that a teacher has. A teacher cannot come home to every parent and making them understand that their child need support for school.

 

[xfer]

helm, I don't give a shit about earnings/money and not much about habits. our lessons are based around teaching them to think creatively and be intelligent. they miss those lessons and they're not as creative and intelligent as they could be, unless they're the one-in-a-million types. that bugs me.

amanda, the problem is that half the teachers in the school (urban public) are not the idealistic/challenging types, and they give their kids Bs no matter how much work they do, and rarely or never assign homework, and don't report them when they miss class, etc. so the kids get into a habit because they're taught it's okay to just not do anything. i think part of solving the problem is to not be one of those teachers.