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

washingtonpost.com

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

#41

Post by vacri »

folz wrote: post #4

Saved you a click (from the top comment the last time this was posted): The three points from the article: > [1] Students sit all day, and sitting is exhausting. > [2] High School students are sitting passively and listening during approximately 90% of their classes. > [3] You feel a little bit like a nuisance all day long. People wonder why high school aged students are unruly, unpleasant, and filled with deep negat…

People wonder why high school aged students are unruly, unpleasant, and filled with deep negative emotions (anger, disdain, need-to-rebel)

They don't wonder it at all; it's not some mystery solved by sitting in a classroom. Adolescents, as a demographic, have always been known to be raging pits of hormones with mood swings and strong passions. Items 1 and 3 are common in the working world, and there's a few jobs out there as a 2 as well (particularly if you focus on the 'lack of autonomy' part), yet we don't see the same kinds of behaviour from those workers.

Adolescence is a time where you're finally becoming an adult, finding where the boundaries are, and putting your own flavour on life. There's a certain amount of experimentation with that, and it's entirely normal to have more unruliness amongst adolescents.

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

#42

Post by grimman »

markbnj wrote: post #37

I think to some extent she underestimated the differences in her own body after 15 years. I recall being bored and fidgety in school, but I was never so physically drained just from sitting in the way that she describes. That's probably something an increasingly inflexible adult experiences more than a child does.

I personally was constantly fiddling with something, be it drilling holes in erasers or doodling or whatever, but I was always doing something. Had I not been able to do something (allowed... now that's a different story ;)) I would never have passed a single subject! Just tiny tasks to keep myself busy while I was listening. Even to this day, a couple of decades later, I can't really concentrate on one task.

That said, people learn differently. Some people can just put their mind to it and grind through material, others, like me, aren't quite so fortunate. If only there was a way to gauge the learning method most suitable for a child, and put that child in an appropriate class... I believe things in education would look a lot brighter.

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

#43

Post by vacri »

cmdrfred wrote: post #23
scoot wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Are you taking the position that she can gain no useful insight at all from the activity?

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

#44

Post by totalrobe »

Sambdala wrote: post #13

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…

What type of corporate jobs have you had? My experience has been quite the opposite...there is a ton of research, knowledge transfer, fire fighting, teamwork, meetings, writing, thinking, etc.

I am definitely not able to coast...although I'm a product manager, basically involved in everything across the company.

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

#45

Post by robbyking »

Sambdala wrote: post #13

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 very clearly remember when I realized getting good grades was easy, but learning and getting good grades was tough.

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

#46

Post by damon_c »

Sambdala wrote: post #13

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 a very similar experience and I have found that being independent/freelance is the way to go because your actual performance and productivity actually matter for once. You can still get by and even be very successful without applying yourself but if you want to do that, you need to find work that allows for such. That is a skill in itself and may itself require actual effort.

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

#47

Post by jasonm23 »

calebhicks wrote: post #19
derekp7 wrote: 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 was last in highschool over 25 years ago, I still remember how awful it was as an educational experience.

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

#48

Post by prawn »

cmdrfred wrote: post #23
scoot wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Your question was about passing off rather than experiencing.

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

#49

Post by [deleted] »

cbd1984 wrote: post #29
derekp7 wrote: 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.

[deleted]

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

#50

Post by [deleted] »

inclemnet wrote: post #9
derekp7 wrote: 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…

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