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Post by chrisfan on May 17, 2006 11:37:29 GMT -5
I think you're exactly right about the cirriculum stuff Luke. In the vast vast majority of cases of poor students, it's not a matter of motivation that is the problem. It's the way the subject is taught. If you come up with new methods to convey the same information, it makes a HUGE difference.
Just one example - I have a friend whose son dropped out of school in 10th grade. He was a horrible student who did not do well at anything. After a few years of bumming around, his father made him realize he needed to learn a trade and do something to earn a living. So he started training with a plumber, and very quickly moved up the ranks to where he's now making a great living, and does an outstanding job. (he's done some side jobs for me - he rocks). One day when he working, his mom had the chance to observe him on a job site. He was standing there with two other men, who had YEARS more experience than he did, trying to figure out how to fit the pipes in a construction job. Her son just started rattling off all these solutions, adjusting this from 90 degrees to 83 degrees, and moving this over to 81 degrees, etc. She realized that he was brillant. After, she made a comment to him about how ironic it had been that he did that so well, but geometry had been such a huge down fall for him in school. He told her that was shapes and lines, this was pipes, and that was the difference. If he'd had teachers who had a chance to teach geometry in practical terms of pipes and construction, geometry would have been an entirely different class for him.
When you try to pretend that all students are equal in terms of learning, you can do a good job of teaching those who are lucky enough to fall into the majority for learning patters. But you totally screw over those who fall in the minority, and that can be resolved so easily.
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Post by phil on May 17, 2006 11:39:18 GMT -5
This is sorta part of the problem, Phil. The philosophy is, "Put Dumb Dan in the class with Brainy Brenda, and Dumb Dan will be forced to excel."
WRONG. It doesn't work this way at all. Brains are not all created equal. What ends up happening is that Dumb Dan is incapable of keeping up with Brainy Brenda, so the entire classroom, made up mostly of Average Joes- has to slow down to keep up pace with Dumb Dan. This leads to a bored, unchallenged Brainy Brenda, an Average Joe who makes straight A's because the curriculum is so down, and a Dumb Dan who ends up falling behind anyway.
Of course you are right about the brains not being created equal and you are also right in pointing the impossibility of teachers harmonizing the teaching for every kids in their classes ... I wish I could write a lenghty post on how Québec education system has introduced a new approach to teaching in classes that relies more on acquiering competences by ways of doing projects rather than simply passing the same curriculum from one teacher to all his/her students. Students are now working on practical projects in small groups which enable teachers to put together in the same class groups of students who need more attention, Average Joes and Brainy Brenda ... It is called Cross-Curriculum Competencies, it is not perfect but it helps teachers dealing with different levels of learning abilities in the class ... The best I can do is to give you the link to the Québec Education program that deals with this reform ... In english . www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/DGFJ/dp/programme_de_formation/primaire/pdf/educprg2001/educprg2001-020.pdf
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Post by luke on May 17, 2006 11:50:00 GMT -5
Have a lunch thing here in a minute, but I will read that, Phil.
Chrisfan- I agree that in a more paced classroom, it's easier to find real strengths and weaknesses in kids. Also, your story goes to show what a shame it is that the state and the feds throw money at kids to waste time in a four year university, and the entire system revolves around throwing kids to college, when they belong in a trade school. It's like the only measure for success in our society is attaining a form of education that's only appropriate for about a tenth or so of the population.
That was muddled, but I'm sorta in a hurry...
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Post by phil on May 17, 2006 12:00:01 GMT -5
Cfan's post is the best example on how the new system in Québec schools is supposed to work ...
Teach the basics (French-Maths) by doing practical projects
instead of teaching straigh from a book ...
Show the students how what they learn can be tied to the reality they live in ...
Again, I wish I could to a better job of explaining how this thing works
but there is no way I can translate that in english in less than 10 pages !
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Post by luke on May 18, 2006 23:34:31 GMT -5
Phil- I read through that, and showed my wife a bit. It's a great program, and focuses on most of the right things. Way too much of an overhaul for this nation to ever begin anything like that, though...
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Post by dolly on Jun 30, 2006 12:56:12 GMT -5
Sad day at our school today. We lost one of our pupils in a long-term fight against Lukemia early this week and today had a little chapel set up in the hall where everyone could light a candle for him if they wanted to. Such a lovely cheeky young lad - he will be sorely missed. Only 15 years of age two - what a f'cking tragic waste.
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Post by tuneschick on Jun 30, 2006 13:05:43 GMT -5
Oh Dolly that's horrible. Jesus, and only 15. There's nothing sadder than a kid being dealt that lot in life. Hard for the other kids to wrap their heads around too, I'm sure.  |
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Post by dolly on Jun 30, 2006 13:11:30 GMT -5
Yeah, thanks Tunes. A lot of the kids are visibly upset - he was a well like boy who was always smiling and cheerful. And so brave - never complained. Not once when I spoke to him did he mention his illness. I'm not at all religious, but I do hope he's in a better place now after all his suffering.
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Post by sisyphus on Jun 30, 2006 13:36:19 GMT -5
that sucks. are you (or anyone) having any sort of discussion about death at the school? dunno if that would be a good or bad thing...
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Post by limitdeditionlayla on Jun 30, 2006 21:48:47 GMT -5
yeah, that does suck immensely. The poor kids (and teachers!) at your school, Doll.
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Post by dolly on Jul 1, 2006 7:05:50 GMT -5
that sucks. are you (or anyone) having any sort of discussion about death at the school? dunno if that would be a good or bad thing... With the nature of the kids at our school, sisyphus, I think it would be a good idea if they did have someone to talk to about it. It has certainly cast a shadow over the whole school, and I think a whole school assembly (or service) should have been arranged - instead of a Cathedral service for year 10s only, and then an informal candle lighting session later on in the week. I don't feel like anyone higher up has really acknowledged the effect it has had and attempted to address it as a head of school should. It's quite sad really. |
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Post by dolly on Jul 1, 2006 7:06:54 GMT -5
yeah, that does suck immensely. The poor kids (and teachers!) at your school, Doll. Thanks Layla. It do indeed. Particularly for the boys many friends |
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Post by limitdeditionlayla on Jul 1, 2006 23:59:12 GMT -5
I think sometimes that younger children handle death a little better than adolescents, maybe because they're not as capable of abstract thought. Death seems like its rougher on teenagers, along with all the other crap they're going through.
I'd imagine you'd be feeling quite down about it, Doll. It'd be tough as a teacher in this case, having to help carry on as normal while dealing with the effect a death has on all the kids in the school.
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Post by luke on Jul 6, 2006 11:23:01 GMT -5
I knew a kid who died of leukemia in high school. I think he was sixteen. Great kid, it really sucked. What was even worse was that the funeral was on the same day as this OTHER girl who had just died in a car wreck. I think they closed down school, as between the two of them- popular black boy, well known white girl- there wasn't going to be anyone there that day.
I probably knew about seven or eight kids who died while I was in high school.
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Post by chrisfan on Jul 6, 2006 13:45:10 GMT -5
When I was in high school, there was a trend going on where someone from each class died for a span of about six years - various causes. (motorcycle accident, car accident, lukemia, tumor on paracardium, cystic fybrosis, kidnapping and murder). It got to the point that it was such an "accepted" trend that each class started looking around wondering who would be the one from their class. I can remember at the meeting to kick off my senior year the principal got up and said that he'd been to a funeral for a student in the last 5 graduating classes, and wanted us to assume the responsibility of ending that trend for you. It was the kind of thing that principals say to students in a blah blah way, but it had a chilling effect given we all knew there was no exaggeration to it.
We did manage to end the trend BTW. All we had was a kid with tourrettes, and none of us knew that until years and years later when he was on Oprah talking about the surgery he had to over come it.
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