The educational system has changed tremendously over time, and still currently changing. One could say it is evolving, altering and modernizing its practices. Is it so easy to change the people who work for this beast? Some things have changed for the better, yes, but a lot has changed for the worst. Many of these effects are felt with in the work of the educators themselves. Then by default is greatly effecting the students in our community. According to Mrs. Weller this makes the journey more difficult, but the end result is still worth it. “While the administration, and the “higher ups” get in the way, this is still my calling, to make a difference in a person’s life”. I definitely felt a lot of apprehension when talking to her. She kept …show more content…
Mrs. Weller is in her 8th year of teaching art, but has a long history in the educational system. Mrs. Weller states “I wanted to be sure this was what I had a passion for”. “I was an associate for five years, then I went to collage to finish my degree”. When she was finished with college she was a substitute teacher for the Des Moines school district for two years. She wanted to get a feel for how the district managed things, and was also able to scope out the different schools. Mrs. Weller said “I highly recommend being a substitute teacher, before accepting a job.” “This way you can see what schools you like, and how the many areas of Des Moines implement things differently” I personally think this is a great idea. This not only gives you a better understanding of the dynamics in each school, but how different rooms are run. She also mentions this is where she gets some of her materials. She was able to see what different class rooms at different times of the year were doing. She is able to use what she learned during that time, to this …show more content…
Weller also relates this to one of the biggest things the district has done recently. For example, when student’s grades are low, and we aren’t hitting the numbers the big people want, what happened? They implement Standard Reference Grading. Mrs. Weller mentions “I think SRG is just a patch.” “They needed a quick fix to appease the people higher up, and SRG was the answer.” What was wrong with the old system? I’m all for improvement and advancement, but we need to prove where the old system was not being beneficial. These students are having difficulties when they go to college. Not only is there GPA not a good reflection of skill, the students are unprepared for a completely different environment. In college you can’t re test, or just not turn in your work. This is also applicable to the real world as well. You failed your interview, you don’t get a re take. Doing good and not getting into trouble, you don’t get a reward for following the law. “We are catering to the students too much.” Mrs. Weller says, “We wouldn’t allow them to act this way in society, why do we allow this in our
Dr. Tanisha L. Heaston, principal of Treadwell Elementary talks to me about educational change. In my first meeting and interview with her, she displays many if not all the leadership benchmarks of a Change Master and Facilitator. Defined by McEwan (2003), a Change Master is a highly effective principal who is flexible and futuristic. A realistic leader who is able to both motivate and manage change in an organized, positive, and enduring fashion. As a Change Master, she uses a situational approach since every school community requires somewhat different skills. Dr. Heaston respects change resisters, procures resources for her school, and trusts her teams which aligns with ISLLC Standard Six.
“Making the Grade” by Kurt Wiesenfeld Newsweek magazine, June 27 1996 brings to light an issue that has been glazed over by society for some time, grade inflation. It’s highly disturbing that “we lament that schoolchildren get “kicked upstairs” until they graduate from high school despite being illiterate and mathematically inept, but we seem unconcerned with college graduates whose less blatant deficiencies are far more harmful, if their accreditation exceeds their qualifications”. The issue of grade inflation is not simply an issue of students feeling entitled to higher grades than they have earned, it is a problem that directly impacts our society in a multitude of negative ways. Perhaps the “gold star” mentality started out with the good intentions of creating children with positive self-esteem, however, a direct result is lazy adults with a sense of entitlement for no reason, who lack qualifications to adequately and safely perform their jobs.
Sherry, expresses her concern on how students are being handed useless diplomas since they are not being taught the necessary knowledge skills and abilities to help them in the workforce. She goes on to back up her reasoning regarding the broken educational system using a personal example that failing a student would be the best way in motivating that student in having a usable high school diploma. Sherry, voices her disgust on how the educational system allows teachers to pass along students simply because they are good and do not cause any disruptions in the
As she goes on, she also questions the effectiveness and validity of the standardized tests. She accomplishes this through the use of rhetorical questions like “can you really infer whether or not students deserve to move forward in their education because of what your test states?” and that if it is evident that the district policy is not accurate enough to make decisions on whether student should move forward with their education then “why is there a strict policy that forces the school
The author's purpose is supported by explaining key issues of showering students with As. I believe that institutions should return to valuing the grading system so that those graduating can effectively utilize their earned degrees. Also, Staples asserts, "Individual professors inflate grades after consumer-conscious administrators hound them into it. Professors at every level inflate to escape negative evaluations by students, whose opinions now figure in tenure and promotion decisions" (Pg. 1065). At this point in the text, Staples talks the vulnerability of the teachers showcase to please students in order to satisfy their own needs. I find it quite ironic how teachers endure many years of schooling, only to prepare the future educators, nurses, and doctors to value their own salary and career opportunities. Additionally, with the student's opinions now being factored in toward promotion decisions, professors are now more lenient than ever to relinquish passing grades to all
How does the grading system and learning go together? What makes learning something gradable? How can the grading system determines a child 's knowledge based on a test alone? These questions have popped up in educators ' minds for years. These are the thoughts that motivated people like Liz Mandrell, Jerry Farber and Steven Vogel rectify the grading system in their own views. These authors give valid reasons for understanding why students are affected by the grading system.
First, we 'll start with the students. Students, whether they are elementary students or college students, have been pressured to get good grades. They have then been told that if they do not receive high remarks, they will not have a future nor a job/career. In Trust and Distrust: The Problem with Traditional Grading, they go on to say that grades have now taken over students lives where "Grades then become a form of currency, a symbolic means to negotiate a vast network of relationships and opportunities." (it.slawu.edu).
This means that even students who do not understand the material or gain any knowledge from their classes can be easily passed onto the next grade level. An interview with a teacher from this school district expresses the disappointment the teachers have in the new system. “The students that struggle the entire year, the ones that fail every test, are still forced to move to the next grade level. They aren’t gaining the knowledge they need to move on and grow” states the concerned fifth grade elementary teacher. She continues to explain the stress teachers feel when they are pushing students further than their potential. Students are becoming less aware of the world around them; they don’t develop the knowledge they need to succeed. With such absence of knowledge, naïve citizens are allowing government control over their thoughts. A clear example of this is when teachers are pushing these students from grade to grade, they are simply only learning what the government and school districts want them to learn. This, in turn, affects our future leaders due to our democratic republican way of electing officials. These students grow up into adults who vote for our government and leaders based off the little knowledge they are provided throughout
According to Lashway (1999) educators once saw educational reform as cyclical. Every ten years or so one could expect a public outburst followed by frantic efforts to mend a broken system. However, in the last twenty years there seems to have been a perpetual reform.
When I reflect back to the beginning of this semester I am astonished at how much I have learned. English 124 has been a real eye opener for me. Not only have I grown as a writer, but it has challenged me to become more of a critical thinker. In the class we have read many articles on diverse topics, studied theories of history’s greatest philosophers of education, and wrote various styles of papers.
...the pressure of keeping up with other students. Here, they can work at their own pace and figure out a solution that best works for them to understand or solve a problem. One last idea school reform should address in creating an equality of opportunity in public schools would be to set standards and spend more time in the classroom on these important tasks. These standards are put into place to help evaluate one’s progress. It’s important to have some standards in place, but they need to be feasible. To make such standards feasible, the teacher will be able to tailor it so that the standard can be met by the student. Spending a decent amount of time to get students to reach these standards is imperative. Without a sufficient amount of time, students may not be able to grasp and fully understand what is being taught to them resulting in standards not being met.
Change is not always viewed as an opportunity, it is frequently observed by teachers, students, and administrators as a burden rather than an avenue to success (Graff, 2011). There are a vast number of elements that ...
In high school, English was my strongest and favorite subject. I never had to work as hard in English as I did in math or any other subjects I took in high school. My peers would cram all night for a Literature test we were going to have but not I. I excelled in writing essays about Moby Dick and his white Whale or Beowulf and Grendel. My confidence in my ability to write was always high and when I enrolled at Chattahoochee, I assumed my confidence would not waiver. When I received my grade for my first paper, I was in shock of all the red ink that covered it. English 1101 taught me the skills I needed to have to be able to write a great paper and prepared me for what was to come for English 1102. English 1102 have taught me to rethink my abilities as a writer and to work harder and spend more time on my essays and think outside the box.
The two philosophies that I have chosen to write about for my Education Philosophy Paper includes progressivism and existentialism. Progressivism focuses on the child rather than the subject matter. Due to society always changing, new ideas are important to make the future better than the past for students learning. This educational philosophy stresses that students should test ideas by active experimentation. Learning is rooted in the questions of learners that arise through experiencing the world. Progressivists believe that individuality, progress, and change are fundamental to one 's education. Existentialism is a highly subjective philosophy that stresses the importance of the individual and emotional commitment to living authentically. It emphasizes individual choice over
Our nation’s education system strives through the hard work and dedication of its educators. Often great teachers, principles and supporting staff are drawn to the profession because they possess the desire to empower, inspire, nurture and watch young people grow - not only academically, but also emotionally. These people are there because they want to make an impact upon our society and the lives of whom the reach. Highly effective teachers are those who have taken learning to new heights by accelerating student learning, closing achievement gaps that persisted for decades, and promoting a mindset of change. Moreover, the presence of highly effective teachers in classrooms today continues to manifest as a result of the support from strong school leaders (U.S. Department of Education, 2013).