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Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

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Re: Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

#22
post #20

I remember high school. During class I hid whatever book I actually wanted to read at the time inside the class book and drowned out the teacher. If homework was worth >10% of the total grade for the class (so that you couldn't get an A from tests/quizzes alone), I would copy the homework from someone else the period before. Tests & quizzes are so gameable it's a complete joke. Standardized tests even more so. Withou…

I've experienced similar, to a lesser extent (I never cheated, I just didn't do the homework). I also recently struck out on my own and so far I've been successful. In your case, you may want to just farm out all of the non-passion-inducing work. Accountants, book keepers, virtual assistance, all of these are there to help you succeed.

I'm hiring a CSP to handle all the paperwork/taxes/etc and an assistant to handle organizing my appointments/schedule. I'm hoping that will be sufficient for at least the first six months or so.

Re: Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

#23
post #8
post #7

How can someone who has been teaching for 14 years pass themselves off as a 16 year old?

OFFS, RTFA.

The question stands, She isn't experiencing what a student experiences she is experiencing what a student experiences when there is another adult in the room. Two very different things.

Re: Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

#24
post #5

Why is this so surprising? Wasn't every teacher a high school student at some point? Is the experience so traumatic that they completely forget what the schedule was like once they become teachers themselves?

I think that rather one gets used to that stuff in school--by high school you've had eight or nine years of it. But coming back to it as an adult, it can be a surprise. As a parent, I did find some of the offspring's work odd. Some was the stuff we did (maybe resenting, but taking for granted), some involved new trends.

Re: Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

#25

I remember high school. During class I hid whatever book I actually wanted to read at the time inside the class book and drowned out the teacher. If homework was worth >10% of the total grade for the class (so that you couldn't get an A from tests/quizzes alone), I would copy the homework from someone else the period before. Tests & quizzes are so gameable it's a complete joke. Standardized tests even more so. Withou…

I had this problem at high school, and it's taken me years to undo the expectation that everything should be easy. It happened to my brother too, except if something's too challenging for him, he just quits.

If you're gung-ho enough, expose yourself to the fire so you build up resistance. It's going to be rough once you start hitting walls.

Re: Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

#26
post #5

Why is this so surprising? Wasn't every teacher a high school student at some point? Is the experience so traumatic that they completely forget what the schedule was like once they become teachers themselves?

I'm in my 4th year of teaching, yet I graduated from high school 10 years ago. How well do you remember your daily schedule from 10 years ago? Do you remember what made you restless? What made you tired? What made you stop paying attention? And were you so meta cognizant that you recognized the source of that restlessness? Doubt it. It is rare for teachers to have the time to truly consider the student's perspective…

I can appreciate the fresh aspect of it, but I do definitely recall the stark contrast between 12th grade and my first semester at the local community college. Just the fact that you didn't always have to be in a class room -- you could schedule an hour break between classes, and go hang out in the cafeteria or library to catch up on some work. Or go outside between classes and walk around (in high school it was like being in a day prison, not allowed to leave the building). Oh, and you didn't need to get anyone's permission to use the washroom. Not to mention that there was no forced group activities such as dodge ball (any athletics was strictly up to you signing up for it).

Re: Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

#28
Interesting analysis, but as a current student I would find the things she wanted to change to be annoying in high school. It probably depends a lot on the student, but I really just wanted to listen to the teacher teach. My best teachers really knew their stuff and assigned interesting work for homework.

The ones that tried to get us to hop around were not appreciated. I'm there because I want to learn, not do jumping jacks.

Re: Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

#29
post #5

Why is this so surprising? Wasn't every teacher a high school student at some point? Is the experience so traumatic that they completely forget what the schedule was like once they become teachers themselves?

She's accustomed to being an adult, and being treated with respect. High school students aren't accorded much respect, from needing permission to use the restroom right on through the existence of bullying and other 'hijinks' which would be viewed as prosecutable criminal offenses in any non-pathological office workplace.

Re: Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

#30
post #5

Why is this so surprising? Wasn't every teacher a high school student at some point? Is the experience so traumatic that they completely forget what the schedule was like once they become teachers themselves?

You don't need trauma to just forget things. You've experienced many hours of continuous stimulation every day for years, and most of that is naturally thrown away, including the mental impact of experiences that seem at the time like they will always stay with you. Plus, it seems reasonable that doing the same tasks from the point of view of actually being the teacher, now having a lot more life experience and other…

::I think you are either highly abnormal or simply wrong.

Is it really that abnormal to remember the stresses of a bad situation, especially when you transitioned to a better one? I can see people not thinking anything is wrong while they are going through the experience, but I really can't find anyone that I know, at least, who thinks high school was a worthwhile experience. And who hasn't had that feeling of relief at the beginning of summer break, and that sick feeling in the pit of their stomach when summer was over? Or recognized immediately on the first day of college that a student actually can be treated like a person, not an inmate?

I recall sitting in a college class that had a recent high school graduate in it, and he raised his hand asking if he could use the washroom. The instructor just looked at him and told him that he is in the real world now, and doesn't need to get permission for a normal bodily function.

Of course, you might be right, in that I probably spend too much time reflecting on something from 25 years ago. It is the main reason that I don't put up with BS from people I work with -- had enough of that from school teachers. But it is possible that it affected me bad enough that I could probably use some counseling about it, if it is considered normal to just forget about what high school (and junior high, to an extent) was like.

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