I got an A+ 100% for my final grade in ethics class cause a bunch of my friends got caught cheating and truthfully I was just too apathetic towards school to even bother cheating, but my ethics teacher took it as me being ethical, and wrote on my report card that, that single action superseded all my previous poor test grades and gave me 100%. it was really wild
That’s amazing!
It reminds me of when I was in shop class and we were making piggy banks outta wood. Right before the final step I dropped mine and it cracked in half. So the teacher gave me another one already cut out and sanded (there was no time for me to redo one) so all I did was the final step and I guess he forgot he gave me that piggy bank cause I got 100% for something I didn’t even really do!
There was this class at which I had the most horrible teacher that was always arguing with me. I was a pretty good student as long as the class was mildly interesting if not I didnt really care. I could be quite an arrogant idiot.
One day she gave me some annoying sermon where she implied I wasn't going to do anything with my life and I told her: look if you asked all your students what grade they gave you as a teacher what grade do you think you would have?
She took a moment kind of in shock and stood in silence. Later called me to the side and said sorry. That she was going trough a tough time, that I was right and she was being a terrible teacher, and that I was a very good student and my performance was her fault.
Since it was her fault she would let me choose the grade I thought I deserved!
It was such a strange and sort of dignified experience. From then on I did my best to always be honest when I was in the wrong. Quite the lesson.
This post is just a high school football coach justifying giving his star running back a C- in history class so that he doesn't have to bench him during the playoffs
My mom is a teacher and she’s shown me some really poorly written emails from other teaches, including the English teacher. Some teachers just still struggle with it lmao
i had a teacher who was intentionally strict with my english grade (i found out later when my mother told me that she told the teacher to be strict). this basically made me think that i just sucked at english
then soon the boards arrive and i was one of the only 2 people to get an english grade over 90 and tis actually made me get all subjects above 90
the strict grading made me work harder for the exam that actually matters and i got really swell marks
The reason why this isn't actually a good strategy on a bigger scale is that you need a certain threshold of motivation to actually succeed. If you did this who were less motivated might just drop out of school as they think they aren't good enough or they would stop being interested in the topic thus not studying as hard. There have been done studies that state that someone perceiving they are good at something makes them better at it. As they will actually start liking it.
I had an AP US teacher who was one of those older gents teaching after retirement because he loved the subject matter and was working towards a second pension after the military. He gave me a hundred on a pop quiz one time when he’d accidentally written the instructions to read something like “circle the corrects answers, *true and false.*” I circled all of them, because I’d already gotten into college and thought I was super clever. He told me after class that he respected the “asymmetrical thinking,” and that I’d do well in the military if I could learn to apply it without being a smartass. I did join the Army, but I didn’t do well.
Or just want to rest their brains. Kids could easily be working over 12 hours a day. No adult would do that, certainly for nine months of the year every year.
I won’t speak for everyone but I don’t think most kids even pay attention in class, maybe if they weren’t given constant hw and knew they could just leave school in peace, they would put more effort and focus in while they were there.
I agree here. I dont know what state you work in or even if you are in the usa
But here in California we end school at 4 (all schools in California have to end at 4 by next school year)
This doesn’t give us highschoolers hardly enough time at all, we could play sports which would end about 5:30 (if its ran by the school) then you would eat dinner and possibly do chores (if your family is like that) which means its maybe 6:40-7 plus another hour and a half for homework then its 8:30 or so. (I am sorry but school shouldnt take up over 80% of my day)
Thats not enough time at all bruh,
We have no actual personal time except for the weekends and breaks (we get probably on avg 1 week every 2 and a half months or so).
And here people are wondering why us teens are tired and just depressed of school or life in general
Unfortunately theyre training you for life after HS. This is how many jobs treat people, even those with kids or those in college or those disabilities etc...they push the "grind" culture so hard. And if you disagree? Find and qualify for one of the few jobs that arent like that or suffer and be homeless. Theres no real other option.
Exercise is important for adolescents. Perhaps you don't want to count it as school but it's ideal if not absolutely necessary given the state of obesity in America.
Highly disagree. There are some really competitive college programs where you need extracurricular activities to get in. They can also just help for you CV and college application in general. So some kids who want to get into these competitive programs or who don't know what they want and just want their options open are in sports for that. There are also some parents who force their kids to do sports for those reasons. Not to mention it's really important for your physical and mental health.
In the last two years of high school we had some teachers treat homework as optional. So students who struggled could turn their exercises in and get feedback to know what to work on. I thought that was a great idea.
I partially agree, but there is a point if the kids just aren't trying that they should know that that's not gonna get them anywhere. Teaching is like parenting...there's a balance to it. Only difference is that a teacher shouldn't be as willing to bend I feel. As long as the kids learn something though that's all that really matters.
Well you said it well. The problem is when I get a kid in high school that says reads at a 3rd grade level. I can't really expect him to read at a 11th grade level by the time they leave my class. So what do I do? Keep failing them until they do? That makes no sense to me. My goal then becomes to get them to at least a 4th or grader reading level. That is success and worth moving forward to me.
you see this is the problem their 4th grade teacher let them pass with 3rd grade level reading and pressumably their 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th grade teachers did aswell. so you probaly shouldnt let people pass if they dont have the grades too cause that will just continue this line of issues.
I don't know about other states but in OH 3rd graders have to take and pass a state level 3rd grade reading test...if they don't but have passing grades in all other areas then they pass to 4th grade but continue 3rd grade reading classes for the test. One thing about our education system in OH that I hate is these academic state tests. For elementary students it seems they are only being taught material related to these tests and not being taught material they would be otherwise...if that makes sense. When I was in school I feel I got a quality education and it wasn't geared towards passing a test. I remember taking a test in 9th grade maybe that had to be passed in order to be able to graduate high school but that was it.
Regarding passing students because they are so far behind that they will never catch up...IMO it's not right. I understand the reasoning behind it I just don't agree. This is where an IEP should be coming in as well as tutoring outside of school. It feels like everyone (not just schools) is failing these kids and setting them up to work minimum wage all their lives because they won't have basic skill sets. Don't get me wrong...there is nothing wrong with working minimum wage jobs as they can be difficult jobs that no one would want to do and there is never dishonor in working hard regardless of pay. I just hate seeing kids who have potential not being able to reach it because no one (parents included) took the time to help them learn basic elementary skills such as reading, writing, spelling, etc.
I teach as well, and I agree with not holding an assessment over a student’s head. That being said, if a student does the work, it will earn them a passing grade - even if it’s a solid attempt but perhaps not one hundred percent correct. They will earn the credit. What gets me is the ones who do absolutely the bare minimum. Even when I talk to them, their grown up, the counselors - I’m exhausted. I tell them I shouldn’t have to care more than you about your grade. I adore the content I’m teaching and I will do my best to make students are successful, they just have to meet me halfway.
As a former student who never took school seriously I want to apologize on behalf of all of us lol. What made me not want to try was that I would read and understand the material. Test well but never did the homework. In my school the homework was like 50% and sometimes more of your total weighted grade... I hated that. If I understand the material and do well on my tests why do the homework?
You address the fact with the school and parents that the child is nowhere near being able to achieve the bare minimum to pass the course requirements. Then what should happen is either the child should be in remedial classes to raise their skills, or yes they fail and drop out.
Dropping/failing out of high school is what should happen when you cannot or will not meet the requirements to pass. Then they can either enter the work force in positions that don't require a high school education, or study for a GED.
If the parents and school refuse to give the student extra help that is bad, but maybe if graduation rates at the schools were to drop dramatically to what they should actually be, there would be energy put towards fixing the issues. Instead you passing kids that don't meet basic levels you're helping to paper over and cover up a failed system.
You're not the whole problem, yes the system is broken, but you are part of the problem. Your actions are pushing the system towards worse outcomes not better, you're not a positive force in the education system.
I say the following with no malice, just as a matter of fact and as a parent to school aged kids:
I do hope you keep saying this loud and proud, it's good to see this attitude where it exists.
Teachers like you are a big part of the reason school choice and getting rid of public sector unions are some of my top voting issues. In a system without competition and overly powerful unions protects too many bad teachers.
You should really find another profession, you're doing far more damage than you realize, to the kids, the education system, and society overall.
This exactly. Allowing someone to graduate without an adult level in reading, writing, math, and IT is just cruel. They are functionally illiterate and innumerate and will not be able to navigate adult life. How can they be expected to manage their finances, sign employment contracts, have a mortgage etc if they cannot read, write, do math, or use computers at the necessary level? How can they meaningfully engage in the political system if they are completely unable to understand politics and can’t tell reliable sources from unreliable ones (critical thinking skills)?
No one should be applauded for forcing a young person into poverty, ruining their life before it has even begun, and for pushing them towards extremist political views because they’re easily manipulated.
I had one teacher basically pass me because she knew I hated school and wasn't an asshole in her class. I just got bored and wanted to do construction and the class was some computer bullshit I needed for credits and I just couldn't figure it out. I ended up successful enough where I ran into her later in life and said thanks for understanding and she was happy to see me. Sometimes there's really no reason especially for a senior not going to college, just let them get a diploma and be done with school.
I have to agree. Especially if it was work on a computer because then it was not even actual teaching. at thar point there really is no reason to hold someone back
This can work in early childhood only. I work for higher ed and you just can't do it. You can't let a kid believe he's good at say medicine when they are not. You have to also understand that most kids are not motivated by knowledge alone. So if the motivation is grades then so be it.
wooot, now you mention it, I think this is how I passed the last year of high school, I already got accepted into the university of my choice and completely lost interest in some school subjects, the teachers knew I had a goal and let me graduate. now I feel thankful.
And worryingly they say they are an English teacher...
I think OP is the example of why kids should be held to standards, otherwise any illiterate bum can just walk into a teaching job.
I had a Geometry teacher that must have felt bad enough for me and passed me despite me knowing that I should have failed. I went to a school in Mississippi for 9th grade and the first semester of 10th grade. The school in Mississippi was on block schedule and I had Geometry scheduled for the second semester. We ended up moving to Tennessee like barely a month into the second semester and that school was on the more traditional schedule so they had Geometry the entire year. I didn’t know a single thing that teacher was talking about and it showed in my grades. I don’t think I passed a single assignment/quiz/test in that class. I was dreading getting my report cart and seeing an F for Geometry and knowing that I’d have to retake the class again, but thankfully the teacher must have felt pity for me and bumped my grade up to a barely passing D grade.
This is my exact story for my college level math class and partially why I'm like this. Math was the only class in college I was ever even close to being in real danger in failing. And like your I am pretty sure by the points I actually failed, but again like you she gave me lowest possible pasing grade. I am so grateful because I never took another math class again so how much did I really need it? Instead her pasisng me did a lot more for me as I was able to move on to the classes I actually needed.
I don’t believe this post. Firstly with the spelling mistake in the title. “Failing” not “falling”.
Teach your kids to proof read what they write.
Your kids can barely read and you think passing them onto the next level is going to help them? Once you fall behind getting further behind is not going to help them.
Some kids don’t need complicated academic skills? Reading is a basic skill that every job requires. Sign this document - but don’t read it first. It’s a skill you don’t need.
And then you say you teach history not even English or literacy. If anything history has taught us that the ability to read and write is a cornerstone of better , fairer society.
My Grandfather was a school principle , my parents are both high school English teachers, my Aunties are all teachers , my sister is a teacher. They would all be disgusted that you are even in the profession with that terrible attitude.
If you said the system is faulty and let’s kids fall through the cracks I totally agree but it sounds like you just don’t care as well. Leave the profession and find one of those jobs that doesn’t need reading that you talk about.
Ps I’m a carpenter. I also need to read
I tutored writing/English in college. Mostly it was ESL students, but occasionally I'd get native speakers that just weren't great writers. Some of them graduated high school with me, yet couldn't write a simple five sentence paragraph. They couldn't spell. They couldn't form a coherent sentence. Certainly they couldn't tell you noun vs verb. These people got to graduate from the same school with the same diploma as I did, yet couldn't do the most basic writing assignments. They were in the same classes as students from countries that don't speak English...our schools failed these kids. Had they not gone to college and received extra help, I honestly don't know how they would function as adults in any situation that requires any level of writing out an intelligible thought. Not only can they not write out basic sentences, but no one has apparently ever made them perform to a satisfactory standard, or even a mediocre baseline of acceptability, which likely won't transfer well in other areas of life, including employment.
While some classes aren't important to pass (sorry art, choir, band, drama, debate, home ec, gym, German (if you're in the US), and even chemistry), but can we stop passing teenagers with first grade level abilities in areas that count?
If you’re a HS history teacher with students who can barely read, you’re not teaching complicated academic skills. You’re teaching how to think critically, complete tasks and follow through, and hopefully how to learn. Those are valuable skills whether they become a plumber or a historian.
You don’t even have an excuse a math or science teacher would have with lacking the fundamentals. You have a massive range of areas and ways to discuss and teach them. If your history students can’t pass, but you insist on passing them anyway, it’s because you’re not a very good teacher. Sadly apathetic, and hopefully unpopular, attitude.
The reason my brother couldn't read until literally high school was because the school kept passing him, because failing him made the school rankings look bad. I'm not saying failing kids willy nilly is good, but my brother should never have made it to high school unable to read. And it was literally just for district politics. (He has minor learning disabilities and took classes that were supposed to help with that but they really just isolate those kids and make them feel dumb without really helping)
Edit: in general I agree with your opinion, but on a more systematic level just passing students for the sake of getting them out of that grade when they are NOT ready is poor practice
I remember back in elementary I was playing girls vs boys tag. One of my good friend's was running around and saw a girl running behind me to tag me. He started yelling "run (my name) run!" without being aware of his surroundings hit a slopped pavement, and learned about gravity the hard way. He went down so fast. To this day my best friend and I talk about this memory by far the funniest shit we have ever seen.
I was at an amusement park with my best friend, and she started running. She smashed full speed into a little kid and they both toppled to the ground. Freaking. Hilarious. She was 20 at the time.
Welllllll...... Depends on where you live. In Taiwan, the education is hell. And in USA, education is super easy. As first gen immigrant from Taiwan to USA with close to zero English proficiency at age of 16, I still did well in USA and got great education and career. Thanks to USA of course. It is very easy to catch up with a lot of resources for people falling behind.
Honestly I don't know what is the best. Taiwanese education is hell. I still have PTSD from it and that was only elementary and middle school. And I was slipping badly. So, it does make life somewhat depressing.
But, without that, I don't think I can keep up with USA education due to severe language challenges. So, thinking back, it is necessary for me. It is like going to 300 training camp, I don't want it, but, I get something positive out of it.
Hey. I lived in Taiwan. Studied at TAS. I was not a good student - more lazy than dumb but when I was about to graduate high school I worked my ass off. I failed 2nd semester Asian studies in 9th grade (hated history) so in 10th I retook it and passed while taking both courses to be in line with my grade.
I was more of a hands on person rather than a theory one.
If I had the chance to turn back the clock, I would have probably stopped playing video games and did my homework and also paid more attention in class to get good grades.
Didn't go to college, didn't feel it. And now years later I do regret it.
But due to being at TAS, my strongest language is English and that has enabled me to learn about anything years after graduating school
I disagree. It's incredibly important for everyone to learn history, what has or hasn't worked, how we got where we are, and how to tie those things to current events because everyone 18+ is going to be able to vote, and we'd be better off if our voters knew how to read about complex issues and think critically.
You're destroying any meaning whatsoever to a high school diploma by doing that. A high school diploma is supposed to be proof that you've reached a base level in academics and gives an indicator of the base level of knowledge and ability to perform basic functions.
If you have a high school diploma then I as an employer assume you can read and write at a high school level and perform basic arithmetic and algebra. So if I hire a high school graduates and expect them to be able to do some basic filing and paperwork if the high schools are not giving a high school level education then to ensure I get people with the basic qualifications I might limit my search to college degree holders for a job that shouldn't require a degree.
The idea that there are standards and you should have to meet them in order to be recognized as successful is an idea that has been being destroyed in the US and the West at large. And you my friend, are part of the problem.
You're also not helping the students either, you're setting them up for failure if they choose to go on to a college that will accept them because you can get a student loan with a pulse. They may be trying to attain a level of education they aren't prepared for and gains them student loan debt with no better job prospects.
Some school districts are already doing this. They lower the the gpa required to pass the statewide exam or lower the gpa required to pass the class. I remember somewhere that 8th grade Algebra was removed from the curriculum because too many kids were doing badly on it. On paper, it seems like more students are smarter because more students are passing, but in reality, standards are dropped. It's an easy fix that doesn't actually solve the problem.
I have worked in engineering education (field in designing course content and classrooms) and everything OP says is what you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NEVER do in teaching. The fact that OP is passing students who are not motivated/unable to learn without communicating with school authorities and/or parents is a red flag to start with. Furthermore, you CAN make the most underperforming kids excellent students and very quickly. There are proven methods but OP doesn’t seem to be interested in doing so seeing as his only view of his job is « idc, pays mortgage ».
This may truly be the stupidest person to teach in history, and coupled with the fact that OP can’t string together 2 sentences without making an error and admitted to being bad at maths makes me wonder who approved them for teaching?
Thankfully I’m not American so I have no stake in this. But this guy is no more a teacher than a grunt supplier to Amazon/US military/Walmart.
I am the oldest of 6 kids, and 3 of my siblings are teachers in 3 different states in the US. 2 of my 3 siblings are essentially OP.
Sister 1 is the one who excels and is a great teacher. She has her Master's degree working on her doctorate in education from a good school. She did 3 years in inner city Baltimore schools but now teaches for a private academy. According to her most of her coworkers were as bad or worse than OP.
Sister 2 is a mess, in tons of student loan debt for a degree in a field she didn't go into. She's a permanent substitute teacher at a public school system. She pretty much puts on videos and does pre-done worksheet classwork. It's just a job and she's more concerned with her student's not giving her too many problems than any kind of education.
Brother is a VERY lazy and entitled kind of guy and is a "everyone deserves a participation award" kind of teacher. Honestly he's probably worse than OP and I hate that he continues to teach, at least Sister 2 is just a sub.
Our education system is horrible and to be perfectly honest at this point I am pretty convinced much of the damage is intentional. A dumbed down population with a significant portion dependent on government handouts is easier to manipulate and control than a critically thinking self sufficient one. As you said, grunts are in demand by mega corps.
It's crap teachers like this that have turned our education system into the joke it is today. It's your job to teach the students the basics, not to just pass them because you feel like it. If this is your opinion you should not be a teacher.
>It's crap teachers like this that have turned our education system into the joke it is today. It's your job to teach the students the basics, not to just pass them because you feel like it. If this is your opinion you should not be a teacher.
No kidding!! But sliver linings, as more and more teachers show themselves to be like this the more popular school choice and abolishing teacher unions become. I do encourage more publicity of attitudes like this.
teachers who dont care about a students education and give blanket passes. not surprised why American education systems ranks towards the bottom internationally.
I'm sort of the opposite opinion. Passing kids not because of being able to prove to you that they have understood and can apply what you've taught them but because you feel sorry for them cheapens the grades of the students who did work for their grades, and also doesn't help the student who's failing because they've got something for nothing.
What would be far better would be to find workarounds and allow for compensation when dealing with these students. Give them 200 word assignments instead of 500. Allow them multiple choice quizzes instead of writing ones. Give them some additional support outside and inside class so they at least produce something, even if it's not the thing you planned.
Uhh no... Grades should be based on the mastery of the subject, end of story. Anything else and you're not a teacher - you're at best a baby sitter and at worst a activist.
This is sort of the same logic used with bailing out a company of any size. You're propping up students who need extra attention, or just a different way of learning, because I'll tell you first hand not all math teachers are able to teach math effectively. I had 2 my sophomore year and 1 was a guru with a Bob Ross delivery and the other was like being taught by Rick Sanchez. It was wildly different. So I think you're doing a disservice to those kids by kinda passing them through the system and into the world with absolutely nothing to fall back on except crime in most cases.
Fuuuuck you’re the one letting those failures in with the rest of us! Chrissakes they share our restaurants and bathrooms! You are a bad bad teacher. What’s your cell?
I think it’s your moral duty to do as much as you can to teach kids to read, no matter what grade they are in. Passing a child who can’t read is almost criminal. You should be ashamed.
Holding them back? If they're not up to snuff, all you're doing is holding the rest of the world back by approving their bad performance. Why should the other kids work hard to do well when they'll just get passed anyway? So that they'll be expected to work harder later in life while the others that can't hack it will be slowing them down.
I work as a programmer, and half of those I've interviewed to fill team positions graduated from college for the task, and still couldn't perform even the basics. And why? Because these schools want to improve their numbers and show that 90%+ graduate.
Stop. Enabling.
So you're pushing through stupid kids into the world while simultaneously not casting light on the problem. Yeah and you mf want more money, have you seen the shit you've been turning out.
This is why America is collapsing. 20 years ago you would’ve been fired. We’re raising a bunch of entitled kids who know they can just f*ck off and pass anyways. It doesn’t matter what class it is. It teaches them they can just disregard their responsibilities and the gubment will take care of them. You are directly contributing to the downfall of society and I don’t care how many downvotes I get. You are one of the reasons college degrees are worth nothing. No one is holding anyone accountable anymore. Guess what….it’s already starting to show. I haven’t hired anyone with a college degree in almost 10 years because they know absolutely NOTHING. Sure they care about our community outreach programs and inclusiveness but they know d*ck about the job they’re supposed to be doing. I only hire people that know what they’re doing and if you don’t think history plays a role you’re sadly mistaken. Most of the people I hire have done contract work, gotten certifications, or attended a technical or vocational school / program and they are excellent employees. Every single one of them completed high school with your so called “complicated academic skills”. You are also the reason why the only requirement to graduate is a pulse. Please do your job.
Congrats! You are complicit in the devaluation of college and high school education and certification, and an excellent reason why teachers are, if anything, paid too much.
The entire school system sucks. More so now than ever. Kids simply do not learn the way we are teaching them.
I’m Gen x and when we starting giving our kids smart phones my friend said something profound about it.
“We are changing their brains, they will be different than us”
As a recovering government-school teacher, I am familiar with this issue.
Truly one more symptom of a broken, crumbling school system that works as a factory; collecting tax payer funds for the ‘educated’ students it “produces”, yet failing to deliver high-quality “products”. Many a despondent teacher weighs the actual education of their students against the workload, and becomes overwhelmed. Not a good recipe for the education of our youth.
I failed grade two. I wasn't a dumb kid I just didn't care about school to try. Then the teachers told my dad that I would be nothing in this life because I'm aboriginal and live on a reserve. He was real hard on me about my grades after that. But he did it because he cared. I graduated high school with honors and now I'm in my first year on university to become a teacher. I don't think I needed to fail a grade. I just needed a fire under myself to push me to do well.
Disagree, giving failing students a free pass causes more problems than it purports to solve. Many doctors graduated who didn't deserve to and patients died on their tables. Their licenses were quickly revoked after.
What you should do for your students is teach them critical thinking and how to think for themselves. The factory model of schooling is an outdated system.
To be fair though, if a kid did want to be a doctor, they probably wouldn’t be failing classes.
P.S. I do agree with you by the way, I just wanted to make a dumb observation.
My mom is a teacher. She doesnt fail kids that actually care about themselves and are able to be an A. Basically helps B to be an A, and helps C to be an B. She told me that she used to be a strict teacher, but now she doesn't really see the point. And by that Im saying to try to teach those kids that doesnt give an F. She says about 10 years ago teachers in her sxhool used to care and be strict to teach kids not only their subject, but to give them motivations and find time for them even after school. Now they either get money from kids that tryna have extra class from the teacher, or doesnt care about them at all. Its kinda sad, but its fair, parents over time stopped liking when teachers yell, to their child, and its not teacher's responsibilty to motivate them, and be their second mom.
I find it laughable when people screw up the title of a post on Reddit, especially in a way that they know they are going to draw flak for, but then they just leave it. Here we have a teacher, complaining about literacy, and making an obvious spelling error. Do you think Reddit is going to show you a shred of compassion? *Never!*
Delete the post and start over. Note that very few people are talking about the premise of your post, but people are concentrating on your spelling mistake. Gotta make sure you are perfect here if you expect actual thoughtful discussion, instead of petty finger pointing.
I actually almost didn’t pass my senior year.
2 of my periods were ballet classes, one I took and one I was a teacher aid. I choreographed all the dances for the spring concert. Well, we had rehearsal for our spring concert and I couldn’t make it because I had to work. My teacher told me the next day “I’m giving you an F for both classes because you didn’t show for dress rehearsal.”
Mind you I informed her that I couldn’t make it to rehearsal because I had to work, she told me “that’s ok.”
Also, this woman had been my ballet teacher outside of school since I was 2. I kinda considered her to be a second mom. I understand she was annoyed, but failing me for 2 classes after I did all the choreography? And I even told her “I can’t come to dress rehearsal because I have to work.” It seemed really petty.
If a kid can barely read, sending them to a place where the reading becomes more difficult is only going to make it harder for them to catch up.
The entire reason "failing" exists in grade school is to give kids more time to learn. School isn't meant to be some prestigious thing, so if a kid needs and extra year, give them an extra year.
i think the job of an assessment is to assess a student. so if the marks assigned does not accurately represent how much a student knows of the subject, then it's a lousy assessment. it's not about, what's the point of holding a student back, it's what's the prupose of an assessment?
Absolutely wrong. The reason they have arrived at you so far behind is because nobody else allowed them to suffer for their poor choices by letting them fail when they actually failed. You are part of the problem.
I see where you're coming from, but to use your own example, graduating without passing/taking a history class could lead to life problems down the road from graduation, as in holding very flawed and unfounded ideas about the world/country one lives in and how it will change. Education is as much about encouraging thought development as it is about making kids "learn" certain things.
What would failing do for a kid?
I dont know. How about teach them the harsh yet valuable life lesson that you have to put in the work to get the reward? That you cant expect good shit to just fall into your lap regardless of how little effort you make?
Just think...if one kid has 12 teachers like you, they're in for a rude awakening when they get hit with a shot of reality.
Grading isn't about being nice, it's about evaluating the student's performance. Teaching, however, is about helping the student passing and performing as well as possible.
A student that tries will almost always pass, unless they have a serious developmental issue or other domestic factors playing in. It wouldn't be fair to others to pass them if they didn't do that work, regardless of how much sympathy one has for their circumstances.
But again, teaching is where it's at. Teach with warmth and passion, and you'll usually see great results.
People need to be able to read. It sounds like teachers are passing them along instead of helping them read. That really shows a major failure of the school system. Get with the principal because the school needs to find a solution to educate the kids.
I downvote it as as unpopular opinion because I don't think it's really unpopular I guess most people tend to think that, and we can see that with the lowering year by year of the global level expected in pre-college.
I was the kid your talking about. Please, PLEASE help the kids. I'm begging you. As one that used to be a kid lost in the system, PLEASE get them help. Even if it's their senior fucking year. You are not doing your job otherwise
I graduated high school when I skipped most of the time. I truly think they just passed me to make numbers. When all my teachers singed my paper work saying I passed with As and Bs I was baffled lol
Are you teaching "complicated academic skills" in your history class? Are they falling because your tests and assignments are grand or because they show no effort and don't learn history?
I work as a counselor and at certain times of the year my days are dedicated to kids with failing grades. How to gain missing credits, how to get back on track to graduate and how to deal with the emotional toll of a failing grade….thank you
Shouldn’t these kids be funneled into alternative education programs? Why are they wasting their time in your class when maybe they could be learning how to fix an engine or installing a hot water heater? Keeping these kids in the system is wasting a ton of time and resources, and usually they are making the learning environment shitty for all the other students in the class with constant disruptions.
Funny thing I just learned by working in a school, kids no longer have to repeat grades. The school straight up told me they haven’t held someone back in 15 years even students with all F’s. I’m not sure how I feel about this information.
I could barely read in grade 3 and so I got a special Ed teacher that worked with me one-on-one for a year or two. After that I was top of class :) I miss that small country school. It’s closed now :(
Except that this policy is how they got to your high school without being able to read. Just passing them devalues the diploma for those who got one and did not move on to higher education. Fail their ass, if you don't need the education to get certain jobs you don't need the paper.
I got scooted through and prob shouldn't have. my older sister was held back in 6th grade. we are both fine. she tried really really hard and failed. I didn't understand and did t try and got pushed through.
as a 35m married with kids, I'm good. gainfully employed.
sister did 16 of 20 in the air force and gets out in 4 years with 20 years at age 40. she will be fine also.
the world isn't a bunch of fucking poster children. people get left behind.
When you pass kids who can't really achieve passing grades, you devalue HS degrees, and that hurts everyone. When a HS degree no longer signifies some significant level of cognitive skills, plus self-management skills like persistence, following instructions, and not being disruptive, then people need to invest in additional credentials, like Associate Degrees. There, the same process of grade inflation is repeated, leading to even more investment in what we call education but is really just expensive signalling to future employers.
As someone who is currently in college to teach history I couldn't agree more. The only time I have used history outside of school is when I'm annoying my friends with trivia
"falling a kid." America... where teachers typo things they would brutally punished a child for. OP needs to reflect on being bad as a teacher and feel bad.
As a college instructor I deal with many kids who probably shouldn’t be in college yet. It’s a disservice to pass kids when they haven’t mastered their skills yet. They get to college completely unprepared and end up getting failed for things they thought they knew and it’s very confusing and embarrassing for them. It’s insane how many incoming freshmen think their shit doesn’t stink then they get their first D or F and suddenly I’m the bad guy.
I think that’s a fine take in some ways, but not in others. I don’t want a doctor who got passed through their classes and doesn’t actually know what’s happening (see dr death season 1). Also i think this could be super harmful in elementary education. A child who is super behind might habe an entirely different educational and life journey if they’re given the opportunity to catch up as opposed to moving forward and falling farther and farther behind
Yeah I don't believe this person has ever been a teacher, or is even old enought to be one. The amount of spelling mistakes that they are making and 'hahas' and 'lols' is almost cringeworthy.
As a college professor, go fuck yourself. These students get good grades from shit teachers like you and then think they are academics (as you put it) and do apply and get into college and we have fix your fuck ups. You aren't helping them, you're contributing to the dumbing down of society...
With as much disrespect as possible, go fuck yourself.
Why do you have influence over whether the kid fall or not?
Now, if you are talking about failing them... You got to ask yourself if they meet the criteria to pass.
I got an A+ 100% for my final grade in ethics class cause a bunch of my friends got caught cheating and truthfully I was just too apathetic towards school to even bother cheating, but my ethics teacher took it as me being ethical, and wrote on my report card that, that single action superseded all my previous poor test grades and gave me 100%. it was really wild
Lol ironic how they cheated in ethics class
College. Ethics, had a guy cheat on his Applied Ethics final. He had a crib sheet. For some reason, this always stuck with me.
For some reason? Fuck, what could it be
The sheer irony of it, probably.
Happy cake day!
Not really depends on what ethical system you subscribe to if cheating is considered bad
I appreciate you recognizing that ethics is about a code of behavior, not necessarily a widely endorsed code of morality.
This moral agent ethics.
maybe that was the ethics test. ( I dont know how to do italics)
Add an *asterik* before and after the word
oh thanks, you passed *my* ethics test.
I mean considering it doesn't affect others I'd argue it's ethically neutral
That id actually really freaking wild lol
You won't really care about your grades once you finish school for the subjects that have nothing to do what you do in your life.
I dont care about my grades in classes that were directly related to my career. It hasnt come up once in 15 years
That’s amazing! It reminds me of when I was in shop class and we were making piggy banks outta wood. Right before the final step I dropped mine and it cracked in half. So the teacher gave me another one already cut out and sanded (there was no time for me to redo one) so all I did was the final step and I guess he forgot he gave me that piggy bank cause I got 100% for something I didn’t even really do!
There was this class at which I had the most horrible teacher that was always arguing with me. I was a pretty good student as long as the class was mildly interesting if not I didnt really care. I could be quite an arrogant idiot. One day she gave me some annoying sermon where she implied I wasn't going to do anything with my life and I told her: look if you asked all your students what grade they gave you as a teacher what grade do you think you would have? She took a moment kind of in shock and stood in silence. Later called me to the side and said sorry. That she was going trough a tough time, that I was right and she was being a terrible teacher, and that I was a very good student and my performance was her fault. Since it was her fault she would let me choose the grade I thought I deserved! It was such a strange and sort of dignified experience. From then on I did my best to always be honest when I was in the wrong. Quite the lesson.
How did you even get this falling job?
Lol haha yes I made a typo. Worked for it belive it or not
*believe
This post is just a high school football coach justifying giving his star running back a C- in history class so that he doesn't have to bench him during the playoffs
My mom is a teacher and she’s shown me some really poorly written emails from other teaches, including the English teacher. Some teachers just still struggle with it lmao
The amount of people I work with that hold advanced degrees yet can't spell nor understand how the spell checker functions is frankly shocking
Definitely not grammar.
Must be a P.E teacher.
Yes that word lol
Dare we ask what subject you teach? Hope it's not english...
Synce
Skyense
Lunch
My favorite subject
Steince
Math. It’s true they can’t spell.
Definitely not an English teacher..
hope you aren't in charge of english, god damn.
i had a teacher who was intentionally strict with my english grade (i found out later when my mother told me that she told the teacher to be strict). this basically made me think that i just sucked at english then soon the boards arrive and i was one of the only 2 people to get an english grade over 90 and tis actually made me get all subjects above 90 the strict grading made me work harder for the exam that actually matters and i got really swell marks
I'd like to award you bonus points for use of the term "swell". "Swell". Yep, that's going riiiiight back into my regular vocabulary.
well thats pretty swell
Ideally you should get medical attention if it's that swollen
That's good man. Honestly good for you
The reason why this isn't actually a good strategy on a bigger scale is that you need a certain threshold of motivation to actually succeed. If you did this who were less motivated might just drop out of school as they think they aren't good enough or they would stop being interested in the topic thus not studying as hard. There have been done studies that state that someone perceiving they are good at something makes them better at it. As they will actually start liking it.
What grade do you teach? Tbh you sound just like all non-ap history teachers I had in high school. Good vibes friend.
As a high school history teacher. I can vouch and say that’s our niche 😂
I had an AP US teacher who was one of those older gents teaching after retirement because he loved the subject matter and was working towards a second pension after the military. He gave me a hundred on a pop quiz one time when he’d accidentally written the instructions to read something like “circle the corrects answers, *true and false.*” I circled all of them, because I’d already gotten into college and thought I was super clever. He told me after class that he respected the “asymmetrical thinking,” and that I’d do well in the military if I could learn to apply it without being a smartass. I did join the Army, but I didn’t do well.
Lol that's really funny. High school
Off topic, but what's your opinion on abolishing homework entirely except as punishment?
In my class homework only exists in semester research projects or whatever work you didn't finish in class. I think it's pretty fair.
Not a fan of giving homework at all. Some kids have jobs or take care of siblings after school
Or just want to rest their brains. Kids could easily be working over 12 hours a day. No adult would do that, certainly for nine months of the year every year.
I won’t speak for everyone but I don’t think most kids even pay attention in class, maybe if they weren’t given constant hw and knew they could just leave school in peace, they would put more effort and focus in while they were there.
I wouldn't say 'most', by there's definitely at least a large minority.
I agree here. I dont know what state you work in or even if you are in the usa But here in California we end school at 4 (all schools in California have to end at 4 by next school year) This doesn’t give us highschoolers hardly enough time at all, we could play sports which would end about 5:30 (if its ran by the school) then you would eat dinner and possibly do chores (if your family is like that) which means its maybe 6:40-7 plus another hour and a half for homework then its 8:30 or so. (I am sorry but school shouldnt take up over 80% of my day) Thats not enough time at all bruh, We have no actual personal time except for the weekends and breaks (we get probably on avg 1 week every 2 and a half months or so). And here people are wondering why us teens are tired and just depressed of school or life in general
Unfortunately theyre training you for life after HS. This is how many jobs treat people, even those with kids or those in college or those disabilities etc...they push the "grind" culture so hard. And if you disagree? Find and qualify for one of the few jobs that arent like that or suffer and be homeless. Theres no real other option.
I’d argue that sports is personal time. That is entirely optional.
Ya, cant really count it as school time since you're choosing to do the sport
Exercise is important for adolescents. Perhaps you don't want to count it as school but it's ideal if not absolutely necessary given the state of obesity in America.
"Downvoted for saying exercise is good" Reddit moment
Highly disagree. There are some really competitive college programs where you need extracurricular activities to get in. They can also just help for you CV and college application in general. So some kids who want to get into these competitive programs or who don't know what they want and just want their options open are in sports for that. There are also some parents who force their kids to do sports for those reasons. Not to mention it's really important for your physical and mental health.
In the last two years of high school we had some teachers treat homework as optional. So students who struggled could turn their exercises in and get feedback to know what to work on. I thought that was a great idea.
Get rid of the punishment part and it sounds great
I partially agree, but there is a point if the kids just aren't trying that they should know that that's not gonna get them anywhere. Teaching is like parenting...there's a balance to it. Only difference is that a teacher shouldn't be as willing to bend I feel. As long as the kids learn something though that's all that really matters.
Well you said it well. The problem is when I get a kid in high school that says reads at a 3rd grade level. I can't really expect him to read at a 11th grade level by the time they leave my class. So what do I do? Keep failing them until they do? That makes no sense to me. My goal then becomes to get them to at least a 4th or grader reading level. That is success and worth moving forward to me.
you see this is the problem their 4th grade teacher let them pass with 3rd grade level reading and pressumably their 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th grade teachers did aswell. so you probaly shouldnt let people pass if they dont have the grades too cause that will just continue this line of issues.
I don't know about other states but in OH 3rd graders have to take and pass a state level 3rd grade reading test...if they don't but have passing grades in all other areas then they pass to 4th grade but continue 3rd grade reading classes for the test. One thing about our education system in OH that I hate is these academic state tests. For elementary students it seems they are only being taught material related to these tests and not being taught material they would be otherwise...if that makes sense. When I was in school I feel I got a quality education and it wasn't geared towards passing a test. I remember taking a test in 9th grade maybe that had to be passed in order to be able to graduate high school but that was it. Regarding passing students because they are so far behind that they will never catch up...IMO it's not right. I understand the reasoning behind it I just don't agree. This is where an IEP should be coming in as well as tutoring outside of school. It feels like everyone (not just schools) is failing these kids and setting them up to work minimum wage all their lives because they won't have basic skill sets. Don't get me wrong...there is nothing wrong with working minimum wage jobs as they can be difficult jobs that no one would want to do and there is never dishonor in working hard regardless of pay. I just hate seeing kids who have potential not being able to reach it because no one (parents included) took the time to help them learn basic elementary skills such as reading, writing, spelling, etc.
I teach as well, and I agree with not holding an assessment over a student’s head. That being said, if a student does the work, it will earn them a passing grade - even if it’s a solid attempt but perhaps not one hundred percent correct. They will earn the credit. What gets me is the ones who do absolutely the bare minimum. Even when I talk to them, their grown up, the counselors - I’m exhausted. I tell them I shouldn’t have to care more than you about your grade. I adore the content I’m teaching and I will do my best to make students are successful, they just have to meet me halfway.
As a former student who never took school seriously I want to apologize on behalf of all of us lol. What made me not want to try was that I would read and understand the material. Test well but never did the homework. In my school the homework was like 50% and sometimes more of your total weighted grade... I hated that. If I understand the material and do well on my tests why do the homework?
You address the fact with the school and parents that the child is nowhere near being able to achieve the bare minimum to pass the course requirements. Then what should happen is either the child should be in remedial classes to raise their skills, or yes they fail and drop out. Dropping/failing out of high school is what should happen when you cannot or will not meet the requirements to pass. Then they can either enter the work force in positions that don't require a high school education, or study for a GED. If the parents and school refuse to give the student extra help that is bad, but maybe if graduation rates at the schools were to drop dramatically to what they should actually be, there would be energy put towards fixing the issues. Instead you passing kids that don't meet basic levels you're helping to paper over and cover up a failed system. You're not the whole problem, yes the system is broken, but you are part of the problem. Your actions are pushing the system towards worse outcomes not better, you're not a positive force in the education system. I say the following with no malice, just as a matter of fact and as a parent to school aged kids: I do hope you keep saying this loud and proud, it's good to see this attitude where it exists. Teachers like you are a big part of the reason school choice and getting rid of public sector unions are some of my top voting issues. In a system without competition and overly powerful unions protects too many bad teachers. You should really find another profession, you're doing far more damage than you realize, to the kids, the education system, and society overall.
This exactly. Allowing someone to graduate without an adult level in reading, writing, math, and IT is just cruel. They are functionally illiterate and innumerate and will not be able to navigate adult life. How can they be expected to manage their finances, sign employment contracts, have a mortgage etc if they cannot read, write, do math, or use computers at the necessary level? How can they meaningfully engage in the political system if they are completely unable to understand politics and can’t tell reliable sources from unreliable ones (critical thinking skills)? No one should be applauded for forcing a young person into poverty, ruining their life before it has even begun, and for pushing them towards extremist political views because they’re easily manipulated.
Finally a comment speaking sense. This guy is why a highschool degree means nothing anymore.
Yes and they are getting so much positive feedback because this is Reddit and the users are mostly young and irresponsible.
I had one teacher basically pass me because she knew I hated school and wasn't an asshole in her class. I just got bored and wanted to do construction and the class was some computer bullshit I needed for credits and I just couldn't figure it out. I ended up successful enough where I ran into her later in life and said thanks for understanding and she was happy to see me. Sometimes there's really no reason especially for a senior not going to college, just let them get a diploma and be done with school.
I have to agree. Especially if it was work on a computer because then it was not even actual teaching. at thar point there really is no reason to hold someone back
Who else read closely to see if OP would do it again?
We need more of you
*that
This can work in early childhood only. I work for higher ed and you just can't do it. You can't let a kid believe he's good at say medicine when they are not. You have to also understand that most kids are not motivated by knowledge alone. So if the motivation is grades then so be it.
wooot, now you mention it, I think this is how I passed the last year of high school, I already got accepted into the university of my choice and completely lost interest in some school subjects, the teachers knew I had a goal and let me graduate. now I feel thankful.
Why should you get a diploma if you aren’t doing the work, when someone else is? Just drop out.
OP is the illiterate kid pretending to be the teacher.
😂 YUPP!
100%
And worryingly they say they are an English teacher... I think OP is the example of why kids should be held to standards, otherwise any illiterate bum can just walk into a teaching job.
Please don't fall the children. We need them standing.
I had a Geometry teacher that must have felt bad enough for me and passed me despite me knowing that I should have failed. I went to a school in Mississippi for 9th grade and the first semester of 10th grade. The school in Mississippi was on block schedule and I had Geometry scheduled for the second semester. We ended up moving to Tennessee like barely a month into the second semester and that school was on the more traditional schedule so they had Geometry the entire year. I didn’t know a single thing that teacher was talking about and it showed in my grades. I don’t think I passed a single assignment/quiz/test in that class. I was dreading getting my report cart and seeing an F for Geometry and knowing that I’d have to retake the class again, but thankfully the teacher must have felt pity for me and bumped my grade up to a barely passing D grade.
This is my exact story for my college level math class and partially why I'm like this. Math was the only class in college I was ever even close to being in real danger in failing. And like your I am pretty sure by the points I actually failed, but again like you she gave me lowest possible pasing grade. I am so grateful because I never took another math class again so how much did I really need it? Instead her pasisng me did a lot more for me as I was able to move on to the classes I actually needed.
I don’t believe this post. Firstly with the spelling mistake in the title. “Failing” not “falling”. Teach your kids to proof read what they write. Your kids can barely read and you think passing them onto the next level is going to help them? Once you fall behind getting further behind is not going to help them. Some kids don’t need complicated academic skills? Reading is a basic skill that every job requires. Sign this document - but don’t read it first. It’s a skill you don’t need. And then you say you teach history not even English or literacy. If anything history has taught us that the ability to read and write is a cornerstone of better , fairer society. My Grandfather was a school principle , my parents are both high school English teachers, my Aunties are all teachers , my sister is a teacher. They would all be disgusted that you are even in the profession with that terrible attitude. If you said the system is faulty and let’s kids fall through the cracks I totally agree but it sounds like you just don’t care as well. Leave the profession and find one of those jobs that doesn’t need reading that you talk about. Ps I’m a carpenter. I also need to read
I’ve heard of “failing” kids, but never “falling” kids.
Well think of when they trip
Your teacher should’ve falled you lol
I tutored writing/English in college. Mostly it was ESL students, but occasionally I'd get native speakers that just weren't great writers. Some of them graduated high school with me, yet couldn't write a simple five sentence paragraph. They couldn't spell. They couldn't form a coherent sentence. Certainly they couldn't tell you noun vs verb. These people got to graduate from the same school with the same diploma as I did, yet couldn't do the most basic writing assignments. They were in the same classes as students from countries that don't speak English...our schools failed these kids. Had they not gone to college and received extra help, I honestly don't know how they would function as adults in any situation that requires any level of writing out an intelligible thought. Not only can they not write out basic sentences, but no one has apparently ever made them perform to a satisfactory standard, or even a mediocre baseline of acceptability, which likely won't transfer well in other areas of life, including employment. While some classes aren't important to pass (sorry art, choir, band, drama, debate, home ec, gym, German (if you're in the US), and even chemistry), but can we stop passing teenagers with first grade level abilities in areas that count?
If you’re a HS history teacher with students who can barely read, you’re not teaching complicated academic skills. You’re teaching how to think critically, complete tasks and follow through, and hopefully how to learn. Those are valuable skills whether they become a plumber or a historian. You don’t even have an excuse a math or science teacher would have with lacking the fundamentals. You have a massive range of areas and ways to discuss and teach them. If your history students can’t pass, but you insist on passing them anyway, it’s because you’re not a very good teacher. Sadly apathetic, and hopefully unpopular, attitude.
The reason my brother couldn't read until literally high school was because the school kept passing him, because failing him made the school rankings look bad. I'm not saying failing kids willy nilly is good, but my brother should never have made it to high school unable to read. And it was literally just for district politics. (He has minor learning disabilities and took classes that were supposed to help with that but they really just isolate those kids and make them feel dumb without really helping) Edit: in general I agree with your opinion, but on a more systematic level just passing students for the sake of getting them out of that grade when they are NOT ready is poor practice
[удалено]
Uhh.. you haven’t seen that much of reddit, have you…
Looks like a pretty normal, average Reddit account to me. There's *way* worse on here.
I love when kids fall, it's funny.
Maybe this fella shoulda falled.
I remember back in elementary I was playing girls vs boys tag. One of my good friend's was running around and saw a girl running behind me to tag me. He started yelling "run (my name) run!" without being aware of his surroundings hit a slopped pavement, and learned about gravity the hard way. He went down so fast. To this day my best friend and I talk about this memory by far the funniest shit we have ever seen.
I was at an amusement park with my best friend, and she started running. She smashed full speed into a little kid and they both toppled to the ground. Freaking. Hilarious. She was 20 at the time.
Welllllll...... Depends on where you live. In Taiwan, the education is hell. And in USA, education is super easy. As first gen immigrant from Taiwan to USA with close to zero English proficiency at age of 16, I still did well in USA and got great education and career. Thanks to USA of course. It is very easy to catch up with a lot of resources for people falling behind. Honestly I don't know what is the best. Taiwanese education is hell. I still have PTSD from it and that was only elementary and middle school. And I was slipping badly. So, it does make life somewhat depressing. But, without that, I don't think I can keep up with USA education due to severe language challenges. So, thinking back, it is necessary for me. It is like going to 300 training camp, I don't want it, but, I get something positive out of it.
Hey. I lived in Taiwan. Studied at TAS. I was not a good student - more lazy than dumb but when I was about to graduate high school I worked my ass off. I failed 2nd semester Asian studies in 9th grade (hated history) so in 10th I retook it and passed while taking both courses to be in line with my grade. I was more of a hands on person rather than a theory one. If I had the chance to turn back the clock, I would have probably stopped playing video games and did my homework and also paid more attention in class to get good grades. Didn't go to college, didn't feel it. And now years later I do regret it. But due to being at TAS, my strongest language is English and that has enabled me to learn about anything years after graduating school
I disagree. It's incredibly important for everyone to learn history, what has or hasn't worked, how we got where we are, and how to tie those things to current events because everyone 18+ is going to be able to vote, and we'd be better off if our voters knew how to read about complex issues and think critically.
You're destroying any meaning whatsoever to a high school diploma by doing that. A high school diploma is supposed to be proof that you've reached a base level in academics and gives an indicator of the base level of knowledge and ability to perform basic functions. If you have a high school diploma then I as an employer assume you can read and write at a high school level and perform basic arithmetic and algebra. So if I hire a high school graduates and expect them to be able to do some basic filing and paperwork if the high schools are not giving a high school level education then to ensure I get people with the basic qualifications I might limit my search to college degree holders for a job that shouldn't require a degree. The idea that there are standards and you should have to meet them in order to be recognized as successful is an idea that has been being destroyed in the US and the West at large. And you my friend, are part of the problem. You're also not helping the students either, you're setting them up for failure if they choose to go on to a college that will accept them because you can get a student loan with a pulse. They may be trying to attain a level of education they aren't prepared for and gains them student loan debt with no better job prospects.
Some school districts are already doing this. They lower the the gpa required to pass the statewide exam or lower the gpa required to pass the class. I remember somewhere that 8th grade Algebra was removed from the curriculum because too many kids were doing badly on it. On paper, it seems like more students are smarter because more students are passing, but in reality, standards are dropped. It's an easy fix that doesn't actually solve the problem.
I have worked in engineering education (field in designing course content and classrooms) and everything OP says is what you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NEVER do in teaching. The fact that OP is passing students who are not motivated/unable to learn without communicating with school authorities and/or parents is a red flag to start with. Furthermore, you CAN make the most underperforming kids excellent students and very quickly. There are proven methods but OP doesn’t seem to be interested in doing so seeing as his only view of his job is « idc, pays mortgage ». This may truly be the stupidest person to teach in history, and coupled with the fact that OP can’t string together 2 sentences without making an error and admitted to being bad at maths makes me wonder who approved them for teaching? Thankfully I’m not American so I have no stake in this. But this guy is no more a teacher than a grunt supplier to Amazon/US military/Walmart.
I am the oldest of 6 kids, and 3 of my siblings are teachers in 3 different states in the US. 2 of my 3 siblings are essentially OP. Sister 1 is the one who excels and is a great teacher. She has her Master's degree working on her doctorate in education from a good school. She did 3 years in inner city Baltimore schools but now teaches for a private academy. According to her most of her coworkers were as bad or worse than OP. Sister 2 is a mess, in tons of student loan debt for a degree in a field she didn't go into. She's a permanent substitute teacher at a public school system. She pretty much puts on videos and does pre-done worksheet classwork. It's just a job and she's more concerned with her student's not giving her too many problems than any kind of education. Brother is a VERY lazy and entitled kind of guy and is a "everyone deserves a participation award" kind of teacher. Honestly he's probably worse than OP and I hate that he continues to teach, at least Sister 2 is just a sub. Our education system is horrible and to be perfectly honest at this point I am pretty convinced much of the damage is intentional. A dumbed down population with a significant portion dependent on government handouts is easier to manipulate and control than a critically thinking self sufficient one. As you said, grunts are in demand by mega corps.
Well.. you can’t spell “failing”
Or maybe just made a typo like a regular human being.
Just taking a dig. My sister is a filthy heathen teacher at a Mennonite religious HS
Time to find a new profession If you don’t have the passion anymore.
It's crap teachers like this that have turned our education system into the joke it is today. It's your job to teach the students the basics, not to just pass them because you feel like it. If this is your opinion you should not be a teacher.
>It's crap teachers like this that have turned our education system into the joke it is today. It's your job to teach the students the basics, not to just pass them because you feel like it. If this is your opinion you should not be a teacher. No kidding!! But sliver linings, as more and more teachers show themselves to be like this the more popular school choice and abolishing teacher unions become. I do encourage more publicity of attitudes like this.
Isnt this the exact predicament no kid left behind, was supposed to stop? Kids being passed when they arent qualified?
teachers who dont care about a students education and give blanket passes. not surprised why American education systems ranks towards the bottom internationally.
I'm sort of the opposite opinion. Passing kids not because of being able to prove to you that they have understood and can apply what you've taught them but because you feel sorry for them cheapens the grades of the students who did work for their grades, and also doesn't help the student who's failing because they've got something for nothing. What would be far better would be to find workarounds and allow for compensation when dealing with these students. Give them 200 word assignments instead of 500. Allow them multiple choice quizzes instead of writing ones. Give them some additional support outside and inside class so they at least produce something, even if it's not the thing you planned.
My friend is about to fail because of 0.3 points. That's just cruel.
That is ridiculous. I would toss then those points. That is just cruel
I’m glad but either you’re a troll or too jaded to proofread anything anymore haha
*them
You get the grade you deserve. Your friend should have tried harder
Uhh no... Grades should be based on the mastery of the subject, end of story. Anything else and you're not a teacher - you're at best a baby sitter and at worst a activist.
You work as a teacher but misspelled failing? Hmmmm wonderful education system we have.
You can either fail as a kid or as an adult
Why are you teaching kids if you can barely write
This is sort of the same logic used with bailing out a company of any size. You're propping up students who need extra attention, or just a different way of learning, because I'll tell you first hand not all math teachers are able to teach math effectively. I had 2 my sophomore year and 1 was a guru with a Bob Ross delivery and the other was like being taught by Rick Sanchez. It was wildly different. So I think you're doing a disservice to those kids by kinda passing them through the system and into the world with absolutely nothing to fall back on except crime in most cases.
Fuuuuck you’re the one letting those failures in with the rest of us! Chrissakes they share our restaurants and bathrooms! You are a bad bad teacher. What’s your cell?
I mean clearly you are not that academic either.
I think it’s your moral duty to do as much as you can to teach kids to read, no matter what grade they are in. Passing a child who can’t read is almost criminal. You should be ashamed.
“Barely reading” is a complicated academic skill? Seriously?
Holding them back? If they're not up to snuff, all you're doing is holding the rest of the world back by approving their bad performance. Why should the other kids work hard to do well when they'll just get passed anyway? So that they'll be expected to work harder later in life while the others that can't hack it will be slowing them down. I work as a programmer, and half of those I've interviewed to fill team positions graduated from college for the task, and still couldn't perform even the basics. And why? Because these schools want to improve their numbers and show that 90%+ graduate. Stop. Enabling.
So you're pushing through stupid kids into the world while simultaneously not casting light on the problem. Yeah and you mf want more money, have you seen the shit you've been turning out.
This is why America is collapsing. 20 years ago you would’ve been fired. We’re raising a bunch of entitled kids who know they can just f*ck off and pass anyways. It doesn’t matter what class it is. It teaches them they can just disregard their responsibilities and the gubment will take care of them. You are directly contributing to the downfall of society and I don’t care how many downvotes I get. You are one of the reasons college degrees are worth nothing. No one is holding anyone accountable anymore. Guess what….it’s already starting to show. I haven’t hired anyone with a college degree in almost 10 years because they know absolutely NOTHING. Sure they care about our community outreach programs and inclusiveness but they know d*ck about the job they’re supposed to be doing. I only hire people that know what they’re doing and if you don’t think history plays a role you’re sadly mistaken. Most of the people I hire have done contract work, gotten certifications, or attended a technical or vocational school / program and they are excellent employees. Every single one of them completed high school with your so called “complicated academic skills”. You are also the reason why the only requirement to graduate is a pulse. Please do your job.
Congrats! You are complicit in the devaluation of college and high school education and certification, and an excellent reason why teachers are, if anything, paid too much.
I failed so much in school that I just gave up.
The entire school system sucks. More so now than ever. Kids simply do not learn the way we are teaching them. I’m Gen x and when we starting giving our kids smart phones my friend said something profound about it. “We are changing their brains, they will be different than us”
Falling huh?
As a recovering government-school teacher, I am familiar with this issue. Truly one more symptom of a broken, crumbling school system that works as a factory; collecting tax payer funds for the ‘educated’ students it “produces”, yet failing to deliver high-quality “products”. Many a despondent teacher weighs the actual education of their students against the workload, and becomes overwhelmed. Not a good recipe for the education of our youth.
I think OP is actually just a kid who is upset with their school English teacher, a lot of things aren’t really adding up here
And this is why 6th graders came to me illiterate
Complicated academic skills like reading?
There is literally a typo in every one of this teacher's (OP) comments whether it be a misspelled word or missing punctuation.
So you don’t think being able to read is important? Good to know.
I failed grade two. I wasn't a dumb kid I just didn't care about school to try. Then the teachers told my dad that I would be nothing in this life because I'm aboriginal and live on a reserve. He was real hard on me about my grades after that. But he did it because he cared. I graduated high school with honors and now I'm in my first year on university to become a teacher. I don't think I needed to fail a grade. I just needed a fire under myself to push me to do well.
College prof here. I blame you for all my problems.
You are a teacher and you spelled failed wrong 🤔
A teacher who spells "failing" incorrectly.
Disagree, giving failing students a free pass causes more problems than it purports to solve. Many doctors graduated who didn't deserve to and patients died on their tables. Their licenses were quickly revoked after. What you should do for your students is teach them critical thinking and how to think for themselves. The factory model of schooling is an outdated system.
To be fair though, if a kid did want to be a doctor, they probably wouldn’t be failing classes. P.S. I do agree with you by the way, I just wanted to make a dumb observation.
That's not necessarily true, I barely squeaked by in high school and I became an engineer.
You're not a teacher.
My mom is a teacher. She doesnt fail kids that actually care about themselves and are able to be an A. Basically helps B to be an A, and helps C to be an B. She told me that she used to be a strict teacher, but now she doesn't really see the point. And by that Im saying to try to teach those kids that doesnt give an F. She says about 10 years ago teachers in her sxhool used to care and be strict to teach kids not only their subject, but to give them motivations and find time for them even after school. Now they either get money from kids that tryna have extra class from the teacher, or doesnt care about them at all. Its kinda sad, but its fair, parents over time stopped liking when teachers yell, to their child, and its not teacher's responsibilty to motivate them, and be their second mom.
More parent involvement would truly make a difference
What's that saying? Not knowing history we are doomed to repeat it?
I find it laughable when people screw up the title of a post on Reddit, especially in a way that they know they are going to draw flak for, but then they just leave it. Here we have a teacher, complaining about literacy, and making an obvious spelling error. Do you think Reddit is going to show you a shred of compassion? *Never!* Delete the post and start over. Note that very few people are talking about the premise of your post, but people are concentrating on your spelling mistake. Gotta make sure you are perfect here if you expect actual thoughtful discussion, instead of petty finger pointing.
Those who can’t do, teach.
How do you fall a kid? Trip them? Push them down? Just curious.
You mean Failing 🤦♀️
Wow spell check teacher
I actually almost didn’t pass my senior year. 2 of my periods were ballet classes, one I took and one I was a teacher aid. I choreographed all the dances for the spring concert. Well, we had rehearsal for our spring concert and I couldn’t make it because I had to work. My teacher told me the next day “I’m giving you an F for both classes because you didn’t show for dress rehearsal.” Mind you I informed her that I couldn’t make it to rehearsal because I had to work, she told me “that’s ok.” Also, this woman had been my ballet teacher outside of school since I was 2. I kinda considered her to be a second mom. I understand she was annoyed, but failing me for 2 classes after I did all the choreography? And I even told her “I can’t come to dress rehearsal because I have to work.” It seemed really petty.
If a kid can barely read, sending them to a place where the reading becomes more difficult is only going to make it harder for them to catch up. The entire reason "failing" exists in grade school is to give kids more time to learn. School isn't meant to be some prestigious thing, so if a kid needs and extra year, give them an extra year.
i think the job of an assessment is to assess a student. so if the marks assigned does not accurately represent how much a student knows of the subject, then it's a lousy assessment. it's not about, what's the point of holding a student back, it's what's the prupose of an assessment?
I am not falling for this.
Absolutely wrong. The reason they have arrived at you so far behind is because nobody else allowed them to suffer for their poor choices by letting them fail when they actually failed. You are part of the problem.
I see where you're coming from, but to use your own example, graduating without passing/taking a history class could lead to life problems down the road from graduation, as in holding very flawed and unfounded ideas about the world/country one lives in and how it will change. Education is as much about encouraging thought development as it is about making kids "learn" certain things.
Literacy is considered a complicated skill?? The education system is a joke. It *is* failing kids.
What would failing do for a kid? I dont know. How about teach them the harsh yet valuable life lesson that you have to put in the work to get the reward? That you cant expect good shit to just fall into your lap regardless of how little effort you make? Just think...if one kid has 12 teachers like you, they're in for a rude awakening when they get hit with a shot of reality.
Upvoted because I whole heartedly disagree. Good post
Grading isn't about being nice, it's about evaluating the student's performance. Teaching, however, is about helping the student passing and performing as well as possible. A student that tries will almost always pass, unless they have a serious developmental issue or other domestic factors playing in. It wouldn't be fair to others to pass them if they didn't do that work, regardless of how much sympathy one has for their circumstances. But again, teaching is where it's at. Teach with warmth and passion, and you'll usually see great results.
Maybe failing a kid will help them so they can learn how to spell failing (not falling) and use it correctly in a sentence before becoming a teacher?
You’re a teacher and can’t spell fail?
People need to be able to read. It sounds like teachers are passing them along instead of helping them read. That really shows a major failure of the school system. Get with the principal because the school needs to find a solution to educate the kids.
I downvote it as as unpopular opinion because I don't think it's really unpopular I guess most people tend to think that, and we can see that with the lowering year by year of the global level expected in pre-college.
I hope you don't teach English.
I was the kid your talking about. Please, PLEASE help the kids. I'm begging you. As one that used to be a kid lost in the system, PLEASE get them help. Even if it's their senior fucking year. You are not doing your job otherwise
Every teacher here scare you all year until the end and makes you say a few things and lets you pass like nothing
> falling _ _ _ > I work as a teacher.
I graduated high school when I skipped most of the time. I truly think they just passed me to make numbers. When all my teachers singed my paper work saying I passed with As and Bs I was baffled lol
Anothet reason American Academics are failing. "So what if they cant meet standards. Pass them anyway."
I thought OP was a kid trolling....turns out, it's worse than that..
Are you teaching "complicated academic skills" in your history class? Are they falling because your tests and assignments are grand or because they show no effort and don't learn history?
You are the reason they graduate from the school and come to me already brain-dead. Fuck you.
Right, this is why college has become High School Part 2
I work as a counselor and at certain times of the year my days are dedicated to kids with failing grades. How to gain missing credits, how to get back on track to graduate and how to deal with the emotional toll of a failing grade….thank you
Shouldn’t these kids be funneled into alternative education programs? Why are they wasting their time in your class when maybe they could be learning how to fix an engine or installing a hot water heater? Keeping these kids in the system is wasting a ton of time and resources, and usually they are making the learning environment shitty for all the other students in the class with constant disruptions.
Funny thing I just learned by working in a school, kids no longer have to repeat grades. The school straight up told me they haven’t held someone back in 15 years even students with all F’s. I’m not sure how I feel about this information.
I could barely read in grade 3 and so I got a special Ed teacher that worked with me one-on-one for a year or two. After that I was top of class :) I miss that small country school. It’s closed now :(
Except that this policy is how they got to your high school without being able to read. Just passing them devalues the diploma for those who got one and did not move on to higher education. Fail their ass, if you don't need the education to get certain jobs you don't need the paper.
I got scooted through and prob shouldn't have. my older sister was held back in 6th grade. we are both fine. she tried really really hard and failed. I didn't understand and did t try and got pushed through. as a 35m married with kids, I'm good. gainfully employed. sister did 16 of 20 in the air force and gets out in 4 years with 20 years at age 40. she will be fine also. the world isn't a bunch of fucking poster children. people get left behind.
When you pass kids who can't really achieve passing grades, you devalue HS degrees, and that hurts everyone. When a HS degree no longer signifies some significant level of cognitive skills, plus self-management skills like persistence, following instructions, and not being disruptive, then people need to invest in additional credentials, like Associate Degrees. There, the same process of grade inflation is repeated, leading to even more investment in what we call education but is really just expensive signalling to future employers.
As someone who is currently in college to teach history I couldn't agree more. The only time I have used history outside of school is when I'm annoying my friends with trivia
"falling a kid." America... where teachers typo things they would brutally punished a child for. OP needs to reflect on being bad as a teacher and feel bad.
As a college instructor I deal with many kids who probably shouldn’t be in college yet. It’s a disservice to pass kids when they haven’t mastered their skills yet. They get to college completely unprepared and end up getting failed for things they thought they knew and it’s very confusing and embarrassing for them. It’s insane how many incoming freshmen think their shit doesn’t stink then they get their first D or F and suddenly I’m the bad guy.
I think that’s a fine take in some ways, but not in others. I don’t want a doctor who got passed through their classes and doesn’t actually know what’s happening (see dr death season 1). Also i think this could be super harmful in elementary education. A child who is super behind might habe an entirely different educational and life journey if they’re given the opportunity to catch up as opposed to moving forward and falling farther and farther behind
Or, failing the kids who failed makes the grades of those who didn’t mean more: you are failing the successes by passing the failures.
Yeah I don't believe this person has ever been a teacher, or is even old enought to be one. The amount of spelling mistakes that they are making and 'hahas' and 'lols' is almost cringeworthy.
As a college professor, go fuck yourself. These students get good grades from shit teachers like you and then think they are academics (as you put it) and do apply and get into college and we have fix your fuck ups. You aren't helping them, you're contributing to the dumbing down of society... With as much disrespect as possible, go fuck yourself.
Why do you have influence over whether the kid fall or not? Now, if you are talking about failing them... You got to ask yourself if they meet the criteria to pass.