Posted on 05/28/2008 7:01:23 PM PDT by tj21807
"The bursting of our collective bubble comes quickly. A few weeks into the semester, the students must start actually writing papers, and I must start grading them. Despite my enthusiasm, despite their thoughtful nods of agreement and what I have interpreted as moments of clarity, it turns out that in many cases it has all come to naught.
Remarkably few of my students can do well in these classes. Students routinely fail; some fail multiple times, and some will never pass, because they cannot write a coherent sentence.
In each of my courses, we discuss thesis statements and topic sentences, the need for precision in vocabulary, why economy of language is desirable, what constitutes a compelling subject. I explain, I give examples, I cheerlead, I cajole, but each evening, when the class is over and I come down from my teaching high, I inevitably lose faith in the task, as I’m sure my students do. I envision the lot of us driving home, solitary scholars in our cars, growing sadder by the mile."
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Most folks are satisfied with 50 states. Not to be left behind, we now have a potential candidate who has already been to 57 states. With only a few more to go, he will have visited them all.
And it is my considered opinion that turnip hoeing will
surge as we continue our downward economic spiral
with inflated prices and deflated dollars.
A lot of that is due to the insane self-esteem movement. I'm 65 and the level of "education" I see is pathetic. No sense of history, literature, can't speak properly, can't spell and can't form complete sentences, amazing.
"I go, he goes" instead of "I said, he said" and then speaking of past events in the present tense, I guess trying to give you a "you are there" feeling.
Anyone ever sit on an interview board for hiring new employees? I have, talk about an eye-opener, especially if your business requires certain levels of education for the postions. Proper dress? Forget it, most look like street people, unkempt, sloppy and slovenly and act like they look as well. I yearn for a turn-around in these trends.
Again, not to be a troll, but how can someone call himself [or herself] a "teacher" if half [or more] of his students can't read?
Unless you are "teaching" to kindergarteners or first graders who are receiving [from you] their first exposure to alphabets and reading and writing, then the presence of illiteracy in your classroom is pretty strong prima facie evidence that no "teaching" can possibly be taking place [at least as regards the illiterate portion of the class].
When I was in high school (5-9 years ago) most people didn’t know basic math skills, our business teacher had to spend 1-2 weeks on balancing a checkbook and even then 50%+ of the students couldn’t grasp the difference between debits and credits.
The "downtrend in student scores" is due to the fact that Caucasians [and Asians] stopped making babies after Griswold and Roe:
Statistical Abstract of the United States
Section 1, Population
[see especially Table 8 & Table 9, pages 11-13]
http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/08abstract/pop.pdfCAUCASIAN
ASIAN
What a shame they broke up. He was probably a great catch.
lucky her and it sounds like it worked out well for you too!
;^)
Me: Pick a number.
Student: What number?
Me: Any number will do. We just need a number to start.
Student: I'll pick the wrong one.
Me: There is no wrong one. Any number will do.
Student: What should I do?
Me: Just pick a number.
Student: I don't get it.
Me: You don't have to. We're just looking for an example.
Student: What kind of example?
Me: A number.
Student: So what should I do?
Me: Pick a number.
Student (near tears): I don't know what number you want me to pick!!!
I know - half my college-age (or older!) friends say “Oh, checks are too complicated, I just use cash or my credit/debit card” and I was balancing my own checkbook when I was 15-16. I’m also shocked at how some of these people never have to manage their own money - a roommate of mine recently said “omigosh, I’m getting my first job ever this summer! I’m so excited!” and I was shocked that she made it halfway through college with her only money-managment experience being calling up her dad and asking him for a couple hundred dollars every month or so. She was absolutely shocked that some of my other friends actually had to *gasp* have a job because our parents wouldn’t (or couldn’t) pay for all our college expenses, and we had to earn our own spending money (Oh, the horror!).
The problem is that when Bill Cosby tells blacks to get an education and dress decently, he is told to shut up, get off the stage and "stop talking like whitey."
When the aforementioned folks come into the HR office, you are forced to push these little darlings into your workforce a la equal opportunity, affirmative action and other such destructive PC hiring practices.
It's as disgusting as it is demoralizing, and I worry about our future.
Essays every Friday.
THESIS= SUBJECT + OPINION
LOL!
LOL
I am undoubtedly the lucky one.
Heard on the radio news this afternoon that 40% of the HS students in a nearby city flunked a math achievement test, part of NCLB. Now the kids have to take remedial classes this summer.
This country continues it’s inexorable march towards third-world status. I figure 3-6 years.
Does she ever regret not marrying him? :D
I came to the same conclusion from reading the excerpt. After reading your post, I’m glad I stopped where I did.
I do think that too little time is spent on grammar in pre-college, and it should be retaught in college before students are allowed to take other English courses. Too many universities go right to writing critical essays before going over the basics, and students cannot write without the basics.
I also bet that a lot of these students become better writers later in college. In other words, of course the students are not the best writers in the first couple of courses, but they should get better the more they write which comes later in other courses. Maybe this author only teaches the first basic course and expects master degree work.
“I never, ever blame the teachers. The student is the one ultimately responsible for learning.”
I agree. Learning is not done in a classroom. It is done studying and doing homework at home. The student has to go over the material on his or her own to learn it. A teacher cannot do it for the student. Furthermore, the course book should have everything, including examples, that a student needs to learn the material.
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