Flunking students can be used as a positive tool by our education system. The consequence of flunking and holding students back alone can be used to motivate and encourage students to put full effort into class work. Most students fear flunking only because they’re afraid of what friends, peers and society will say or think about them; this is all wrong, the real fear should be failing and not being
I mean, sure, grades are very motivational, but they are also very harming. Countless suicides are caused by grades and pressure, and I think it just really isn’t necessary to put a student on the spot like that. Let’s say a student makes straight A’s. That’s great in most cases, but does it really self-motivate the student into learning more, or does it give them a little lee-way to slack off and maybe not study as much? Or let’s say that a student gets straight C’s.
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
At the elementary level, we are shaping how students feel about themselves which can affect them the rest of their lives. At the high school level, we have the opportunity to truly inspire and make a child feel as if someone believes in them. While teachers can do so many positive things with this power, they can also do much harm (as Dr. Wayson spoke on). I really enjoyed this section of his talk, however, my one critique is that I felt Dr. Wayson didn’t practice what he was preaching here. Perhaps he was leading by an alternate example or giving examples of what not to do, but I felt that Dr. Wayson picked on many of the members of the class.
Everything academic revolves around the year-end state testing to the point that other subjects are usually neglected. Reading, math and writing are the main thrusts of schools, and are obviously important. However, critics state that children are not receiving well-rounded educations because of the emphasis on these subjects
Summary/ Response Assignment O`Malley, Patrick. “More Learning, More Testing” In “More Testing, More Learning,” Patrick O`Malley suggests that college professors should give tests to the students periodically in order for the students to learn more. Furthermore, more tests or exams will minimize the student’s stress because students will be more familiar with the subjects that are given to them. Like the author says, “If professors gave an additional brief exams at frequent intervals, student would learn more, study more regularly, worry less, and perform better on midterms, finals, and other papers and projects.” (O`Malley, pg. 488).
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
Then when I studied and got a good grade I was like “wow, I can do this” and felt a beam of confidence that I could do it for other classes as well. Adapting to the schoolwork is a big part of having confidence in the classroom because you understand what is being taught. Gatto said “schools are establish fixed habits of relation to authority. This of course, precludes critical judgement completely.”(152). Gatto is saying that schooling is made for kids to adapt to; it has adaptive qualities, therefore there is a chance for everyone to succeed if they really want to, but it takes away from any individual thinking.
In the article Stop the Madness, written by Diane Ravitch, she elaborates on the issue of exceptionally high test taking. Teachers teach towards their test and as a result, are lazy. These faculty members, especially the teachers, worry more about the final test scores their students receive than if their students are grasping and fully understanding the educational topics. This is because the test grades that the students earn is how teachers are judged and ranked in the system. Therefore, in order to achieve these ideal scores, they are using the same tests and classwork every year.
More so, it is being done internally by teachers (Falk, 616). The stakes are so high they manipulate test results by keeping certain students out of the testing environment. It has been reported that kids were purposely held back so that their performance will not bring down the test scores that the more intelligent students submit. I agree with that Lindsay Jillson argues about how standardized testing has jeopardized a student’s future because of the sanctions that are given to them for being less intelligent. I just do not understand why the main focus of our education has to be all about test.