I swore I would never become a teacher that complained and moaned about every little thing. I've been teaching for three years. I'm finding that this task will be impossible as I find more and more stupidity within our education system.
I can't help but recall "the US is falling behind in education" statements I've come across when thinking about this. That being said, to expect a child or teenager (in normal classes) to regularly commit 2-3 hours a night on homework seems over the top. Now, as far as AP students go, I would expect that to be honest. I agree with syndicate that if it's a matter of not enough time to cover the material then they need to look at extending the school year. Either way the material has to be taught which means the solution isn't to lessen the amount of information or lower the standards.
I have been student teaching since October, and I don't think I have given anything as a homework assignment. My mentor and myself both try to give class time to work on things
it's interesting the countries considered ahead of us in education seem to produce robots who can't think for themselves. I think when you emphasize for years that the answer to all problems is hard work and studying something someone else has produced you lose the ability to think independently and need your hand held. or at least that's a major problem I've seen over the years.
I complain about pay, but overall I love doing what I do. But, I'm fortunate. None of my classes are EOC classes. I can actually teach useful/interesting stuff minus the "drill & kill" wrote memory shit that current standardized testing requires. I think I do an ok job based off the fact that my classes are electives & I have waiting lists to enroll in them. Turns out that students (even bad ones) love being actively involved in their classes. Lecture all day every day- they hate you. Utilize problem solving skills, in both individual & group settings, using limited resources to construct something that must satisfy a predetermined set criteria (size, shape, performance like building a functioning hovercraft with nothing but a 4' diameter piece of 3/4" plywood, plastic sheeting, a staple gun with staples, duct tape, a bolt& nut, and a metal pickle jar lid) and they absolutely love it. Even your preppie kids that would have never dreamed of taking a CTE (formerly known as "Vocational Classes") love it. I never have an empty seat in my class. They are always at the max number of students allowed by law. I like to think, most likely in error, that I have at least a miniscule role in the success of the class, but I realize that it is due to the students.
I did my homework in middle school. Rarely did it in high school. I do a ridiculous amount in college. I'd say well over 3 hours a night every night. Thank god I'm a second semester senior now who only needs 1.5 credits to graduate now and can take it easy.
Common Core will change things. The focus will be on more precise targeting over the shotgun scattering approach, if you will. Students will focus on writing, communicating solutions & how to arrive at a solution rather than wrote memory. Wrote memory fades quickly, knowing how to solve problems & being able to properly communicate solutions lasts a lifetime. As it turns out, I've been utilizing Common Core in my classes for the last 20 years.
Some things are important to be wrote (arithmetic tables for instance), but just memorizing formulas for a test is dumb. That all fades before you hit the door at your house.
Another tidbit is that all of our students are tested & are compared to only the college bound students in other countries in most cases. Technical education students/vocational students in other countries are in apprenticeships and a curriculum focused on their single career. They do not get the full curriculua that all US students get. Therfore, it's not a straightforward comparison of the same demographics.
As I have had it explained to me, CC's main objective is to teach critical thinking. I've actually spoken to a few educators that say they actually like what it's trying to achieve. I have noticed that my FB teacher-friends who ***** the most about it are the same ones that celebrate every snow-day as well. TWFWIW I'm not saying it's perfect, but I don't think it's as awful as some make it out to be. It's just new and different and therefore bad.
Less material is covered, but what is covered is much more in-depth. Students write every single day usually on a topic related to the day's material. And it's not just bs rambling. It's persuasive writing. It should reduce homework time while yeilding better results. Like Alan said, most formularly information is readily availble. The focus should be- and is in Common Core- on critical thinking/problem solving rather than memorization. It should produce students with the ability to actually think rather than regurgitate fact after fact.
I think its a great approach to learning. I think we've done a crappy job teaching critical thinking skills in school. I like the CC approach to change that.
I would venture a guess that they hate it because they won't be able to use the same shit they've used for the last 15 years. It requires the teacher to bring thought into each lesson as well.
