Teacher Suspended because he gave Students Zeroes

[Buttock]

If teachers are too lenient, the students will walk all over them.

It's about self discipline. You learn to cope with uncomfortable situations and train yourself to do work that you don't enjoy doing. Otherwise they will not be prepared for the ups and downs of life.

You don't get "i"s for not showing up for work. You get an F. As in FIRED.

I'm not condoning super strict Asian parenting and schooling, but a lot of parents and teachers can take a page or two out of their book.

[Denguin]

The purpose of high or elementary school is not to simulate a work environment though, or provide job training, it is supposedly to equip the student with the skills and knowledge necessary to be a fully-rounded member of society who can go on to university. If it's really about training students to endure boring, POINTLESS work, and to obey authority, that should be made explicit. But I don't think those are laudable goals and most parents wouldn't send their kids to a school with those stated goals. Parents believe their kids are LEARNING in school - doing boring, repetitive work and memorizing stuff just long enough to pass the test is NOT LEARNING.

[The Situation]

The purpose of high or elementary school is not to simulate a work environment though, or provide job training, it is supposedly to equip the student with the skills and knowledge necessary to be a fully-rounded member of society who can go on to university. If it's really about training students to endure boring, POINTLESS work, and to obey authority, that should be made explicit. But I don't think those are laudable goals and most parents wouldn't send their kids to a school with those stated goals. Parents believe their kids are LEARNING in school - doing boring, repetitive work and memorizing stuff just long enough to pass the test is NOT LEARNING.

[ronthecivil]

It also comes down to what each teacher assesses formatively and summatively.

Summative assessments are quizzes, tests, projects and assignments which are used to calculate a final grade.

Formative assessments are used to report work habits and to give teachers, students and parents a "snapshot" of where their kids stand at that particular moment in time... things like homework assignments and "pop" quizzes.

So, if I gave 100 homework assignments and a student chose to do none and got 100% in my course, so be it. As a teacher, I would hate this, but it is reality. I would give the kid the lowest work habit possible, though.

In BC, we teach outcomes. If the kids can prove they have completed outcomes to a minimally acceptable level, unfortunately, they pass. 50% is all that is required. It sucks!

Homework assignments are good practice for kids. Usually, there is a positive correlation between completing all assignments and academic success, but not always. They also provide for an accountability piece between school and home.

[ronthecivil]

The purpose of high or elementary school is not to simulate a work environment though, or provide job training, it is supposedly to equip the student with the skills and knowledge necessary to be a fully-rounded member of society who can go on to university. If it's really about training students to endure boring, POINTLESS work, and to obey authority, that should be made explicit. But I don't think those are laudable goals and most parents wouldn't send their kids to a school with those stated goals. Parents believe their kids are LEARNING in school - doing boring, repetitive work and memorizing stuff just long enough to pass the test is NOT LEARNING.

[The Colt 45s]

Ironically the best real life skill you can learn in school is how to learn everything at the last minute and then apply it towards fixing a problem. I recommend a serious regiment of slacking off and just reading whatever parts of the texbook you fell like reading, and then simply figuring out the test on the day of the test.

If you can't do that I recommend going to trade school.

[ronthecivil]

Trade school is a great idea, and they need to push the academically inept towards those. Then again, they could always join the RCMP--you do not even need a high school education for that.

I think that at some point educators must ask why should students learn useless modalities when the Internet and Microsoft Math are available to do the work for them. And I love Microsoft Math.

[The Colt 45s]

Every once in a while I push the idea of doing it in what is at least at one time the German way where around grade nine you go into different streams based on whether your are acedemic or industrial. Thing is that even in industrial you have to know some math and there's so many careers (like say in my field drafter -> technician -> engineer -> project manager) where even if you start at the bottom due to perhaps not showing your skills early you could work up and the way you perform could put you up faster than your schooling.

Heck today I was amazed at a meeting with the contractor they had co-op studants taking their minutes. I had to remark that I wish I had that kind of summer job when I was going through school! I swear every engineer should have some time at least understanding how to actually build the things you design. And I bet it would be the same for just about any field.

Which is ironic that everyone worries about the acedemic things when actual practical experience make the acidemic suddenly relevant to even the most put off studant. Go figure that a challenge might work better than a hug.