I was referred to this article on education. It ran in USA Today in the Editorial Section on Sunday. I don't get that paper, but the article was passed along, so I'm passing it on to you.
"Hold Students More Accountable for Their Own Education" by Walter J. Reinhart, Ph.D., Professor of Finance, Loyola College, Baltimore, Md. He feels (if you haven't figured it out from the title) that students should be responsible not only for academic successes but also their failures. It's an interesting opinion in a world with NCLB and where teachers are held accountable for students failures.
What do I think? Watch out!!
I have also encountered this situation. What? An Art Teacher has kids failing?!?! Yeah, I get that a fair amount. Many believe that the subject I teach is a fluffy subject (Don't get me started...that's a completely other blog). Irregardless of your opinions, a student will receive a grade for my class and that grade does count towards the overall G.P.A. I make it my personal mission to never fail a child in art for trying. That means, if a child completes the assignment to the best of his or her ability, that child will pass. There are criteria for every assignment, and certain elements and principles of design that can be done well no matter what the ability level. Therefore, no child who honestly tries, should ever fail art. However, I know that more than 30 students last year failed at least one quarter of art. Why? Because the student did not complete several assignments. I prefer to think of myself as a mirror that is reflective of what the student is capable. The grade reflects their ability. An "F" reflects that a child didn't do anything.
What happens when something like this happens? I get calls from parents (who have never taken the time to speak with me before the grade was issued), homeroom teachers and administrators. Something is apparently wrong with me for failing students in Art. My response is: "How can I issue a grade, when in 10 weeks, that student has done NOTHING in class?" (Generally, the failing students are the ones that, in many cases really didn't turn anything in or maybe one or two assignments--all quarter!!) It's frustrating that I am called a bad teacher for those students who refuse to be motivated (and if you have something that will work to motivate, I'd gladly take the suggestion), or for not contacting the parents (fortunately, my phone log shows when I've tried to call home and not gotten a response).
I understand, there are sometimes bad teachers. But this does not account for every child in America. Even if, a child does have a bad teacher, that does not excuse them from turning in assignments. Think about teachers that you thought were "bad", someone else could have loved their teaching style. I've had some "bad" teachers...teachers that were even fired mid-year for poor teaching. Did I fail the class? Nope. The sooner students learn to be accountable, the sooner they will learn other lessons in life and the farther these lessons will take them.
I know that children need a quality education. I didn't want to become a teacher because of good teachers that inspired me...no, that's how I got to where I am today. I wanted to become a teacher because I wanted to teach differently than the teachers that I didn't like. I don't teach to win a popularity contest. I teach so that kids can learn art. I can do everything in my power to give a child that knowledge, but the student has to put in something. We all know that what you get out of something is usually correlational to what you put in to it. Why isn't education viewed the same way?
Check out the article and tell me what you think!:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-08-20-letters-education_x.htm
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
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2 comments:
As much as I hate to disagree with someone who's been drooling all day :)
I think other countries have better education because they fund their educational system far consistently throughout. Germany funds their schools much more evenly across the board. Such huge inequalities like ours don't happen.
We both know what problems arise when you don't properly fund schools. Funding education through property taxes is the American way of keeping shitty schools in poorer districts. Or, when you come close to funding well and then some idiot with a Masters in Educational Leadership would rather buy a 12,000 laminating machine. And I don't get a budget and you get $400 for the year. :)
Yes, of course kids need to be accountable for not doing work. But changing a 9 year-old's behavior is much more difficult than a teacher's. Schools need dedicated teachers who make their subject as interesting and engaging as possible. And they need structured consequences for not doing assignment.
I blame poor administrators, bureaucracies, funding gaps... At my new school, we hold our kids accountable for their work, but learning is much more engaging. There are rewards for completion and consequences for not. And, we have the money we need. And, our principal is the hardest worker in the building. Kids, when pushed in the right environment, will meet expectations.
I don't think we disagree all that much. I concour with many of your statements and reasoning, they're very valid points that I did not bring up. We agree on the same major notion that the teacher should not be heald solely responsible for a child's sucess.
True it is easier to change a style of teaching, but you raised the point that there should be consequences in place for a student not doing their work. Unfortunately, in many school systems today, the only consequence is a failing grade. The remediation for this is often a joke, and a student can skate along with minimal skills.
It's clear to see that sucessful schools have strong leadership and strong structure in their classrooms. This comes from not only the teacher, but all the parties that Newbie mentioned.
If I think about it, I succeeded because of not only teachers, but also support from home. It was clear that education was important. That reienforcement is not always given at home. I believe that after a certian age, a child becomes less enamored with school for some reason...a disagreement with a teacher, peers, homework, whatever. It's challenging to keep that child interested, but something in the envioronment has to help keep that child engaged. I agree, Newbie, interesting lessons are important, but that child also needs a climate where the importance of school (and every class) is re-enforced. If it is clear that all subjects are not being inforced, it is up to the school, especially the leaders of that school to work hard to ensure an enviornement where these children can succeed.
Thanks for weighing in, it's good to hear from you!!
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