At what point are we doing a disservice to our students? By Tim
We have been learning how we need to change our teaching strategies so we can meet the needs of all our students. Personally, I agree with this to a point but I can also see the downside as well. Putting the material in a context so the students can better understand it is one thing but providing too much assistance or holding their hand to insure success isn't helping them. Since I coach soccer at the high school, I get to see the differences in the students of today compared to when I was in high school. The kids today have a hard time dealing with adversity. One student in particular was enrolled in a math class, after the first test that he did poorly on, his parents allowed him to drop the class because it was a hard class. What happens to him when he is in college or has a job and is given a hard task? He will have no idea how to deal with the situation because he has always been bailed out of any uncomfortable situation. Where is the line of modifying lessons to help the students without making it easy for them? How do we make sure we are giving every student the opportunity to succeed and prepare them for their future lives where accommodations will not be present?
Thursday, October 17, 2013
4 comments:
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Tim, I completely agree with this! I've coached as well and noticed how kids now days fold to pressure and adversity instead of rising up to it. I remember when I was a kid and something was hard, my parents told me to suck it up and deal with it. I've also noticed that now days parents are a lot more involved then they use to be and not always in a good way.
ReplyDeleteA lot of times the involved parents are fighting for the emotional well being of their kid instead of the academic and social well being. If there is a severe problem that needs to be address then parents should get involved but now parents seem to blame teachers and other students every time their kid gets their feelings hurt from a grade or minor remark.
Once upon a time people use to be tougher. We had morals and pride, now it seems kids just want to feel good about them selves like its a basic right. I personally feel good about my self when I deserve it. I work hard to make myself proud.
From my HF perspective I've also noticed a lack of physical toughness in kids. Which, could be impacting why so few kids enjoy PE these days. When I was at Franklin for my 317 we had a 5th grade boy fall down and hit his elbow. This kid was one of the more physical and competitive students mind you, but this incident was enough for him to break down and start crying in front of the whole class. I'm assuming now days its ok to cry when you're hurt? I know when I was in school I got stung by a bee when I was in 1st grade, this was my first bee sting. I stood there shaking not saying a word because I was using every thought and ability to not cry. It was not acceptable by my peers or the older kids on the play ground to cry. Not once did I ever shed a tear in front of my classmates.
This might just be the way the country is changing but I don't think it's for the better. Kids should be tough, rub some dirt on it, rise to a challenge and compete to be better. They should find pride in improving and strengthening any aspect about themselves. Unfortunately I feel the system of self respect is influencing this trend and as future educators we're pressured to never hurt their feelings but make them feel special. But are they special?
Nicholas Duback ^
ReplyDeleteI really like the discussion going on here. I agree with the idea we have been discussing about shaping our teaching around our student such as tailoring lesson to student interest. But I think Nick and Tim have raised a good point here. Tim pointed out that providing too much assistance could be an issue. I wonder if teachers have over done this. As touched on already, what about when the material cannot be tailored to a student's interests? I had classes I hated in school but the only thing I could do was work hard and try my best. I failed some and passed some, but I made it this far. At what point do we say, yeah, this material is tough but you have to put in the time if you want your education. There is something to be said about putting in your time and not taking the easiest root. Having said that, I do agree with shaping lesson plans around students. I just have questions about where that proper line is that we shouldn’t cross.
ReplyDelete~ Steven B
I could honestly go on for days about this topic. Most of you have already touched on what I was going to say. I think it is important that we tailor the lessons, and the material, to the class as to make what students are learning, or are trying to learn, more relevant to them. That said, as Tim mentioned, when we over accommodate students to ensure success we are coddling them, priming them. I see multiple examples if this every time I go to the middle school in Clarkston. For instance today, I went down to the middle school. One student decided not to write the 7 sentence summary, which was already outlined, because it was "pointless and stupid." The student knew that not doing the essay meant he would officially be failing the class, leaving him off the active roster for the football team. Rather than trying hard to get a grade, he decided to quit the team. No more than an 45 minutes after this student left class, my practicum teacher received a call from the students father, who demanded his son be given a particular grade so he could play. Oh, the entitlement.
ReplyDeleteFrom my experience with youth over the years, having coached baseball and tutored, I noticed that kids today feel like they are owed something. In my opinion this is the result of the coddling and hand holding mentioned by those who have posted before me. For instance, parents and students alike, demand that all students,or athletes, be treated equally. I call bullshit on that. Just because you show up does not mean you are worthy of the same grade as others, and just because you participate in a sport does not mean you've earned a trophy. Because we give our students, and athletes, these things they feel as if they are owed something, or that whatever needs to be done will be done for them. This, in turn, primes them for failure in the future. So rather than buckling down, studying, and doing homework, as mentioned by both Tim and Steven, students are crumbling in the face of adversity and are being allowed to back down from the challenge. The coddling truly has to stop.
--Kyle T.