I'm pretty mad at my highschool/middleschool teachers

[indignity]

... but maybe it's the system I should be mad at...

 

all through elementary and in my first year of middle school I did really well... then I started getting bored.. I could learn the material way faster than the teachers were teaching it (in pre-AP classes)

 

I kept taking pre AP, then took the first year of AP classes when I got to highschool... and quit all but math AP classes soon after, because I hated to memorize stuff (and still do... unless it seems like it'd be worth remembering)...

 

really my highschool just didn't challenge anyone to think... they spoon-fed us the information, then had us spit it back out...

 

I started college 2 years ago, and was lazy from doing the bare minimum in highschool for 4 years straight... and now, after 2 years of dropping college classes, I've finally applied my desire to learn to college (always had the desire... just learned things outside of school, rather than in it)

 

... now I'm the top student in each of my classes (low level classes... calculus I, analytic geometry, intro to programming, freshman comp II)... and have worked way ahead of the class in the programming and math classes...

 

I'm really loving math now... and all of my other subjects... and I really think my highschool teachers' are to blame for me not being challenged more in highschool, thus enjoying it more. I mean, even though I never did my homework in my pre-cal class (or practically any of the math classes before it), I still made 95 or better on every test... why would the teachers not see that and say "hey, this kid is learning faster than we can teach him... we really need to get him somewhere that can challenge him"?

 

 

I could be so far ahead of where I am now =/... instead, I'm 20 years old, taking basic classes...

[ed84c]

well its the same over here in the UK, the circullem (sorry for the SP error) should be scrapped and people should be taught what they want to know about.

[Sayonara]

well its the same over here in the UK, the circullem (sorry for the SP error) should be scrapped and people should be taught what they want to know about.

That would be a spectacularly bad idea.

[ed84c]

i mean with in reason, too much new labour legislation nowerdays (no im not suggesting that they came up with the national cirriculem)

[Sayonara]

The problems with the education system have little to do with the current cabinet, and everything to do with the attitude towards education that is being adopted by pupils and society alike.

 

Realistically, the situation you described above is already in effect, because pupils do pick and choose what they will bother to learn. And it's AWFUL. So I don't see how institutionalising that is meant to help.

[ed84c]

we now get to pick 2 subjects. Meaning we have to do RE, which means were now not allowed to seperate sciences because of RE; fair?

[Gilded]

Hmmh? I trust it's the same system in UK/US as it's in Finland; when you finish 9th grade (or the grade you're in when you're 15 or 16), you can completely stop studying anything or continue to high school, technical college or the like.

[ed84c]

I was talking pre 16 education

[Firedragon52]

Hmmh? I trust it's the same system in UK/US as it's in Finland; when you finish 9th grade (or the grade you're in when you're 15 or 16), you can completely stop studying anything or continue to high school, technical college or the like.

Kinda, in the US, when someone is 16, they are legally allowed to drop out of school, because they are now old enough to work. But, you can't go to a technical school and ESPECIALLY not a college unless you get you high school diploma. So thats another 4 years (12th grade) for us.

[Gilded]

"But, you can't go to a technical school and ESPECIALLY not a college unless you get you high school diploma."

 

Here it's possible to go to technical school instead of high school, or even attend to both at the same time. College and university require high school diplomas, though.

 

Edit: And btw, we can drop out of school when we're 18, otherwise it's the 9 grades you have to go through.

[badchad]

Thats a good idea. Your lazy and don't work. Obviously it's the system's fault.

 

You'll realize that "I didn't do it because it was too easy" is a poor excuse in the working world. You won't always have someone to help you along the way and push you.....you have to be self motivated.

 

That being said, you have to realize that with many things in life, like it or not, there are "hoops you have to jump through" to get to where you need to go. If you're smart enough to be bored by your AP classes, you should have been smart enough to say to yourself: "You know what, this class stuff sucks, but it's something I have to do to get into college and get where I need to go".

 

I hated taking "Intro to poetry" as a science major. But I realized it was a required course, and that it had to be completed in order for me to get my degree and move on to grad. school. I'm glad to hear you are doing well in your classes, keep at it. This probably won't be the last time you get bored from something being too easy.

[indignity]

Actually, I think it's a rather good excuse, especially at that age. I didn't fail classes, I made great grades (except in the ones that were homework heavy). I learned all that was put before me. As a highschool student, it really didn't make much sense to say "hey, maybe I should do this homework to develop good study habits" when I was already making A's on all of my tests. I wasn't too lazy to do the homework. If I had needed to do it, I would have... but there was no need... I made good grades on the test anyway.

 

I could read the newspaper by the time I was 3... my babysitter taught me highschool algebra when I was in 3rd grade... I just wish people would have noticed stuff of the sort and encouraged me to go further with it. Instead, I was encouraged to do the hours of homework that wouldn't even help me because I could ace the tests without doing it, then punished for not doing the homework (even though I aced the test). I really just don't see the logic there.

 

now my classes are "too easy" so I work ahead... but seriously, try and find more than 3 highschool students that do that without their teachers or parents encouraging them to do so

 

 

*edit*

 

and... more than anything I'm talking about math here... I can stand to be behind where I am in history, government, and maybe even English/Science... but I'm pretty upset about where I am in Math, compared to where I could be (which, given, is partially my fault... I've always blamed it on myself... but it recently struck me that the school and maybe even my parents share some blame... I've always loved learning... I feel that I wasn't encouraged enough)

 

 

also... math teachers never put math forth as something that was "enjoyable"... I loved math when I was a kid... but from junior high on every math teacher was like "welcome to math class, you will hate it here... I know I do." It kind of gets to you, after a while

[Guest sri_90]

Hey all,

 

Im in yr 10 in the uk and i feel that the way our school teaches is flawed. The problem is that the more able students arent challenged enough and dont really make the most of their education and also as most of my friends agree our school spends way too much time teaching us subjects that are not too important we do 2 hours of food technology and only 3 hours of maths ! what i think is that our curriculum needs to change. sorry i thought i would have a rant about my incompetent school , anyone else have imilar problems?

[ed84c]

that was my point

[CPL.Luke]

being a softmore at highschool in the US (for european students the system is very different softmore is 2nd year highschool tenth grade I'm 15 years old 16 by the end of the year) and borderline failing half my classes (homework-lacking) because I understand the material (a's on tests) I can sympathise with indignities high school situation

 

however I don't blame my school, first I would say that I learned everything taught in history (for a while I was a pretty big history buff) however if you pay attention to what the history courses try to teach you, its not the material but how to form oppinions about it. their not trying to teach you that all "the north won the civil war because of the strong economy, because that is the consensus of most historians" its "form an oppinion about why the north won the war" (whilst still some teachers are more into grading and such and if you give an oppinion they don't like, or they don't understand the thinking behind your examples etc. most try to make you think about the material)

 

anyway the relavence is that most students and some teachers for that matter don't understand what they themselves are trying to teach. the point of a teacher is to not only give you a grade and teach you the curriculum. its to give students who are interested in the subject matter more reasons to have interest. if any of you are teachers you should know that if a student asks a question that goes way beyond the curriculum and could take the full amount of time for that given day then give the answer and go on a rant about it. or allow a discussion to involve that envolves the entire class to continue and don't think about what needs to get done.

 

for students who don't think they should bother memerising facts about a subject that they are interested in, then you should realise that some memorising is required in life. Hawking wouldn't be nearly as well accepted as he is today if he looked into a textbook for equations everytime he was asked a question or needed to do something because he didn't feel the need to memorise things.

 

so there's my rant enjoy

[Gilded]

I wonder if any country has a schooling system that allows you to learn exactly what you want and nothing more in high school (or similar). I'm not saying it's a particularly great idea, I'm just fed up with sitting in the classroom learning freaking English basics I have known for years. Here, it's nice in the aspect of being able to pass some courses independently (and that's exactly what I'm going to do with every English course I can :> ).

 

Luke, nice rant you had there. Btw, you don't happen to actually be the Luke that did (or still does?) compete in the Cyberathlete Professional League? The one who played with bsl in... err, can't remember.

[daisy]

CPL.Luke...maybe a spelling and punctuation course would be of benefit to you? I was under the impression that it was "sophomore" ...but hey....what do I know .....I'm Scottish (and therefore British by default). I'm sorry if I sound like a miserable old bag (which I am of course) but I just had a summer student who drove me mad with his appalling English.

[CPL.Luke]

I don't know I had never seen it written out before

 

I just assumed it was softmore

[Severian]

Somehow 'softmore' seems more appropriate.....

 

I do agree with that schools are taking the wrong approach. There is a tendancy for teachers to think that kids find maths hard, so they try and remove the maths and make the kids do subjects in a more qualitative nature, thinking they will be able to motivate the kids better and give them a more 'intuitive' feels for the subject. But in science, I think this is counterproductive. Once one gets beyond a certain level of understanding, maths is essential to certain subjects like physics. You need to have a good grounding in maths in order to understand and enjoy higher level physics, and in my opinion we are actually making the subject harder by teaching it in a qualitative manner.

 

Unfortunately this is happening in first year university teaching now We really need to give the new students an entire semester of only maths to try and bring them up to speed. However, this would be so unpopular (since it is thought of as 'hard') that the students wouldn't take the course.

[6431hoho]

Indignity, I think if you actually knew how to do the homework, you would have finished it in class. It seems to me that your arrogace (lacking a better term) and attitude brought your self to think that you are too good to do it when actually you don't have a plan or the wit to finish the homework in the givien time in class.

[Hades]

 

I hated taking "Intro to poetry" as a science major.

 

 

i've taken that class too. i found some vicks vapor rub under the nose was a sure-fire method to stay awake.

 

moreso, i agree with your post. english majors are required to take a science course, albeit not a course that would qualify as a diploma credit course for a science major, nonetheless they have to take it. Are they any less a student than we are?

[ydoaPs]

I hate Mitch Daniels. He just screwed over our education sytem. he claims that he wants us to have a better education, but he nearly cut the budget(that we were already promised) in half.

[klanger]

What about all the kids that struggle with schooling, havent been blessed with minds that can read and memorise whole texts. Is it fair to them that because a student can ace it with their eyes shut that that student should then be distruptive in class becaude they are "bored".

 

Teachers have a tough time, yeah the holidays must be great, but who wouldnt need that time off after spending everyday with 30 kids.

 

If no one pushed you through school then it would appear to me that they didnt see why they should when you couldnt be bothered to do what work was already being set for you, good grade or not. Its kinda like flogging a dead horse, a total waste of time and energy. They probably had kids there that wanted to learn.

[psikeyhackr]

Machivelli said there were three kinds of people:

 

People who can learn without help.

People who can learn with help.

People who can't learn.

 

I wonder why we don't have a national recommended reading list for people who can and will self-educate. In Nicollo's day they just had books. Now we have books, video tapes, audio tapes, CDs, DVDs, computers and the internet. The percentage of people in each category should be different now with this technology. The 3rd category should have shrunk. So let's use them. I've been suggesting these books for electronics.

 

TEACH YOURSELF ELECTRICITY AND ELECTRONICS by Stan Gibilisco

 

THE ART OF ELECTRONICS by Horowitz and Hill

 

THE ART is a great book but too compicated for beginners. 500 pages of Stan's book should get you ready for THE ART.

 

http://www.sciencewriter.net/

 

Psikeyhackr

[ski_power]

oh people if you are complaining about the education system there, you gotta come to India, particularly Mumbai. The engineering is Hellgineering. And see, India produces a lot of brains. So I guess its a tradeoff.

We over here are expected to study atleast till 21, ie 12th + 4 yrs Engg, or 3 years any other course like science arts etc. The competition is so bad that most of them take only Engineering or Medicine.

 

Oh, and did I mention that if you don't do a masters in either MBA or M.Tech or anything you dont get a proper job.