Do parents/teachers expect too much from their kids in school

Originally posted by Rasobasi420

Originally posted by halfmask
17, Why?

I just want to get a tally. Point of reference means a lot in these kinds of discussions.

I pretty much always hated the school system. The only reason I go is it is still free learning, even though it is horribly inefficient. Also, I go makes it is "law" for me to do so.

Is English your first language? If so, then I think the school system still has a lot to teach you. If not, then I'd bet you're doing well, (at least in English class).

Lol, my bad. I may have delexia and when I am in a hurry I tend to forget grammer.

to the original poster, hualing around all those books and doing all that walking from class to class should be viewed as "getting it out of the way now"

what I mean by that is, don't do the work and the "physical strains" of school and you very well might wind up doing physical labor type work for the rest of your life.

A bit of advice for you. Don't gripe about the school work or school itself. You should enjoy it while you can. It gets harder as you get older and when you add the pressures of paying bills, supporting a family etc, it becomes much more tedious and often much more difficult to handle.

Should you prefer the whine and moan route, let me leave you with the words of the immortal Judge Smails

The world needs ditch diggers too Danny

Originally posted by Crakeur
to the original poster, hualing around all those books and doing all that walking from class to class should be viewed as "getting it out of the way now"

It's a half hour a day, with twenty pounds of books. Even if it were 2 or 3 times that weight and time, that would still be considered light work.

I worked doing concrete foundations in the summer between grades 10 and 11. I was a helluva motivator on finishing high school. Hard work is not a bad thing but damn, have options.

Originally posted by racerzeke
like all these dumb powerpoint notes, we're expected to take pages of notes in one class period, do internet projects, haul our books home blah blah blah

Ok, enough with your problems and hardships, it's time you offer up solutions. What do you think should be done?

Sounds like you have a case of PFS

Originally posted by intrepid
I worked doing concrete foundations in the summer between grades 10 and 11. I was a helluva motivator on finishing high school. Hard work is not a bad thing but damn, have options.

the summer after my freshman year of college I did the opposite. I tore up those floors. 150 pound beanpole working a jackhammer and then hauling carts filled with chunks of concrete, among other things. Day laborer on building construction sites is back breaking work for sure.

Halfmask and racerzeke, do you guys have part time jobs?

no but i want one, i think you gotta be 16 right?

IMO, expectations for children are where they should be. They could be higher, and they will need to be soon, because this country (America) is moving towards an exporter of intellectual property, if you will; and a higher education is going to be needed.

I think a specific problem for the appearance that the expectations might be lower than desired, is that there is no motivation, or incentive to keep failing or bottom curve students behind. There really is levels of an 'F' grade, and there definately is levels of 'D' grades. So many students pass classes and graduate, who really don't posess the knowledge and/or skills their diplomas represent. This in turn, shows in the workplace, creating the appearance of a poor educational system. In fact there are consequences that can be argued as penalties, for having certain failure rates. Mainly dollars.

I hate to say that throwing money at the problem is the answer, but in this case, perhaps funding be increased (taken from the gang load of crap that governments spend money on) and increase the numbers of schools. Maybe thinning out the classroom could help to start some positive change?

Originally posted by racerzeke
no but i want one, i think you gotta be 16 right?

I'm not sure but I think here in Massachusetts You can work at 14 and 15 with a workers permit. You can get those through your school or town hall I believe..I could be wrong though.

ah, well all the websites i look on for work out here in california they all say 16....


why do you ask?

When you get a job racerzeke, you'll appreciate how easy just going to school is. When you have to go to school, work a job, and pay rent, then you'll appreciate how easy just going to school is.

Jeez, I sound like an old man

Trust me, the amount of crap you have to put up with from your boss grossly outweighs the amount of crap you gotta put up with in school. My advice to all of you who hate school, is to find out what you like and then specialize in it. This could take quite some time. I didn't figure out what I liked to do until I was 23ish. Think of what life will be like after age 20 and stop thinking of the hear and now. All the compulsory studies do have a point.

[edit on 14-12-2006 by sardion2000]

Homework is practice folks. Would you let me play on a worlds ranking baseball team if I never practiced? I would hope not! Just as you have homework to practice what is taught in school today. I as a teacher have homework also, I try to keep learning how to teach better, set up a better learning atmosphere, get students more involved in the information and less lecturing. I teach in a state with monster standards and in reality I do not try to teach all of them. I try to find the ones that are tested and try to make the lessons fun for the students. I teach Middle School the toughest years of a persons life. I have watched lecture teachers bomb out year after year and make kids hate them. So I read, read, read and research, research , research everyday and in the evenings so I can make learning fun for all students. I have kids that speak almost no English but they are getting the material because I make it as fun as I can. It is not just a couple of hours a night, it is every day of the week 365 days a year. Lets get going here and try to undestand that in the US education is not the end of everything but it sure helps get the jobs that feed and clothe most of us. Life is cool when you are at home and all things are taken care of but in a few that will end. I hope all readers of this will get thier heads around what I am saying and lay off the teachers and get into their studies.
Jubal 55

Actually in California if you check with you local high school you can work about 20 hours a week with a work permit when you turn 15. Check with your high school chounseling department and best wishes on job hunting. Also, if I may a bit of advice, Think about what kind of a career you want for the future and try to find work in that field while in High School. It will be a good chance to explore it and not be committed to a full time career in a field you hate. There are a lot of internships etc available in many many fields.
Juabal 55

Check with your high school counselor and get a work permit for 20 hours a week. Then look for a job or internship in a field that you would like to spend the rest of your life doing
Jubal 55

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
Halfmask and racerzeke, do you guys have part time jobs?

No, not during winter. In the summer/fall/spring yes. Why?

TextTextText PinkTexti am a junior in high school and i know exactly the idea you r talking about. we have a dress code:khaki pants,collared shirts,no hats,no sandals,no writings on your clothes,no stripes or ant lines on your pants etc..
if you are late to class you get suspended untill your parents sign you in, if you get caught with dress code you are suspended,we cant leave for lunch, our classes are over an hour long etc.. and on top of all that you have the teachers and work to worry about..teachers aren't how they used to be and the classes are so big no one gets individual attention,..and a lot of the classes we are forced to take arent necessaryall this just makes people like me just want to drop out and give up and i do beleive they are asking for too much of us in school.

Nope kids need to do more.
How about going to school full time and everything that you talked about AND
Hold down a part time job.
Help with housework.
And have an extra curricular activity.

Oh and if you were me you would also have done

Had your own place at 14 cause your parents moved to texas,
Had a FULL time job
Tutored other kids in your school.
be on the swim team.
and had a relationship (high school relationship I know)
So no kids don't do enough nowadays.

But I do agree sounds like your teachers are kinda scating allong time to break there machines and make them do some real educating.

Pfft. I laugh reading these... thinking that most of you are American (no offense intended). If you think a lot is expected of students in the education system there, try being in Taiwan. Students here are learning math in 2nd year junior high that i didn't learn until final year senior. I just look at their math books and it just blows by me - and I was considered the best mathematician in my class. They start school at 8am, then they go to bushiban (cram school) straight after, quite often until 9-10:30... that's 11-12 and a half hours a day!

As for heavy books. I had a student ask me when I was going to collect their books for checking. She complained that her book was heavy having to carry her book. I laughed at her and said "You should be bringing your book anyway."

And making it easier for the teacher. Sure.... you only have to write 1 test for that teacher. But that teacher has to give that test to (here anyway) 200+ students. Do you know how long that takes to mark?

And while downloading a powerpoint presentation is ok~ (I don't.. I use the blackboard)... you've still gotta know what you're talking about, or how can you teach it?