Erica Goldson Valedictorian Speech Response Erica Goldson brought up a very controversial and very interesting topic about our current education system in the US. She states that students are so focused at memorizing data and getting good grades, that they miss out on the whole idea of learning and being educated. I agree with her, students should be learning and absorbing the material, instead of memorizing for the next big test and just forgetting about it later on. Graduating seems like the top priority in students nowadays, and to me that is just upsetting. And the students who are very talented and are very motivated to learn and be driven in a non-academic subject seem to have a more negative image than the people who are driven by academics.
I found Dr. Bill Wayson talk to be very informative and insightful. I strongly agree with much of what Dr. Wayson spoke about, especially in regards to ignorance as learned factor in school. I feel that so often teachers are rushed through lessons and classroom activities due to increased demands placed upon them. I think that as teachers we must always teach what we know and not what we don’t. While this statements sound so simplistic, it’s really being lost in the world of teaching.
In my opinion, despite all of his specific characteristics, Mr. Fleagle was an outstanding teacher with an ability to understand when, where, and how to encourage his students to write. [I liked the essay because] my previous situation was very similar to author’s. First, I also hated writing essay, whether in Spanish or English, in middle school. Second, I thought it was useless for me because if my future boss hired me, he wouldn’t [care] if my writing was good or bad. After I read this essay, I though that teacher’s roles are very important to students.
A final point Alonso speaks is “Most damaging of all, perhaps, is the fact that professors are human beings and therefore they will sometimes grade examinations unfairly” (198). Alonso wants her audience to sympathize with teachers. She wants everyone to know that teachers can also go through daily life events that can cause them to be unfair when it comes to grading. Joy Alonso does not use as much pathos in this article as she could to get her point across, but there is still a sense of reaching and a reader can truly feel that she cares about the
In “Grades and Money” by Steve Vogel, the author mentions, “… they talk about their grades all the time”(Page 389). Students rarely speak about what they are learning from the course, which is what education is all about. They don’t understand that grades just show if you passed or failed the course. Instead of taking a course that they are interested in, students take courses that they will be able to earn a high grade. “By tying grades to money, we give students incentives not to take risks” (Vogel, 392) that stop them from choosing challenging courses in college.
This will be hard for me because I am the type of person that likes staying with what I know and staying within my comfort zone. I don’t particularly like challenging myself with “hard” courses I like taking classes that I know I can handle and won’t take too much stress and hard work to complete others see this as taking the easy way out I see it as staying within my comfort zone. But after reading this article I now realize that different courses I take make me stand out as an employee makes me look determined compared to a student who took entry level courses their whole college career. 3.) I believe college will change my interactions with my parents and professors because college will open new doors for me and make me look at topics differently college will make me a better critical thinker and prepare me for the “real world” in many different ways college experience will broaden my outlook and knowledge on culture, politics, religion, and language.
Most students don’t want to disappoint their teacher and having to appeal to the teacher for not having the homework turned in on time, So they will make sure to keep up with their work and what is expected of them. By having requirement like due date allows students to be mindful of prioritizing and time management. For teachers, building these bonds with students helps to develop an extensive repertoire of strategies, tools and methods
Making it on your own At times people tend to work well while they are under pressure. To others they simply must be under pressure to get work done and give their full effort. In her article In Praise of the F Word, Mary Sherry argues “Flunking as a regular policy has just as much merit today as it did two generations ago. We must review the threat of flunking and see it as it really is- a positive teaching too.” By making it clear to students that flunking can definitely be a result of them not putting in the time and effort in assuring they pass their class will make them more determined to learn and earn their good grades, it will also help stop those students who choose not to even try in their classes. Also by making students fear failure it will not only motivate them
It is the schools responsibility to be able to provide good enough teachers, who can prepare these students. In order to have a good education, there must be qualified teachers there to teach and prepare students effectively. Bauerlein questions schools curriculums and the way they are presenting “complex texts” (Bauerlein) to the students; “The more high school teachers place complex texts on the syllabus and concoct slow, deliberate reading exercises for students to complete, the more they will inculcate the habit” (Bauerlein). Students learn what their teachers tell them they have to learn, without knowing the effects the teachings will have on them whether good or bad. That is why schools providing qualified teachers are so important
Take the time to “stop, step back, and think” before acting. Good decisions are often associated with common sense (Smith, 2008, p. 16). A person can be a good test taker or have the time to go to as many schools as you wish but all the education or classes that you take do not teach you common sense. Academic knowledge provides additional tools that assist you during the decisions making process but ultimately relying on your gut feeling and common sense are imperative. Another trait that I feel strongly about is good people skills.