Often times, I do feel that many educators do what is convenient for us and not what is in the ABSOLUTE best interest of our students. I have seen the work that my students have done in other classes and the work is very cut and dry. But cut and dry I mean the questions don't challenge them to think critically. The questions and answers are nearly word for word, not making it difficult for students to pick out a simple cut and dry answer. I have also seen worksheets given to students perhaps on a textbook being read in an English class. The students will go to the internet and type in the questions and more often than not, the questions come up word for word. This means that the teacher is using resources that they more than likely found on line. I do not see anything wrong with teachers accessing the internet for extra resources, but adapt these resources in a way that challenges your students. Often times students don't need to read the book, they just rely on the information from the worksheets to prepare them for tests and quizzes and they can actually pass with an A or B in a course by doing this!
We must challenge our students to think at a higher level. They must be able to problem solve and think critically. Many students don't understand the concept of problem solving and critical thinking. We have failed our students horribly. While there are many teachers doing wonderful work with their students there are far more who are not. This may have worked for past generations but we have too far of an advanced world to do the same things we did 10, 20+ years ago. It may be comfortable for us but not advantageous for our students. So, I do believe that we are doing what is convenient for us and not what is best for our students.
I completely agree with your comment about this being an advanced world and that we are not doing what is best for these students now. I continuously search for teaching strategies and ideas to do with my students, but I am always having to change what I thought I was going to do when they actually start the activity due to the different levels these students are on. I can't read a lesson plan online word for word to my students. They will not understand it!
ReplyDeleteI was one of those guilty students that would search online for answers to questions. It is just easier that way, especially when you are so busy with friends and family. Who wants to waste time actually reading when somebody has already answered that question for them?
I completely agree with the fact that students need to think at a higher level. I am noticing more and more that students today have NO COMMON SENSE!! If I ask you if you have finished an assignment while you are reading on the carpet and you say no, I suspect you would get up and go finish it. Instead, this student just stayed on the carpet until I noticed after another 5 minutes passed! Sometimes, it just baffles me what is going through these kids minds. Thank you for your input!
One of my favorite quotes lately is "common sense really isn't all that common anymore"...as teachers we have a tough road ahead because education is at a pivotal point and we have to find some sort of solution..
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DeleteOne of the major criticisms of public school education is that education has taken on a “cut and dry” approach that does not challenge students to think critically. Public schools are more notorious for this type of practice because of the limited resources, the external regulators (public, state and federal mandates), the benchmarks that they have to meet and the large number of students per class.
DeleteI understand your point about teachers using worksheets from the book or the answers for a test can be easily goggled. These types of teachers are truly direct example of doing what’s convenient over what’s best. Yes, we all can agree that being a teacher is no walk in the park and this type of job is probably one of the most stressful jobs there are. A lot is being demanded of teachers and a lot is expected of them. However the stress of the job doesn’t justify any teacher to take the convenient way out and not truly teach and empower their students to the best of their abilities.
When we as educator take the easy way out we are only sending that same message to our students and thus the perpetuation of laziness, lack of common sense, ignorance, and loss of genuine passion for wanting to learn.
That is precisely correct! Our students look upon us as people they can model themselves after and if they know that we don't take our jobs seriously and present them with information that we have developed for them rather than something we found to save ourselves time, then they are going to take that same approach.
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