I’m nearing the end of my high school teaching internship, and I have finally had an opportunity to reflect some on the experience. Rather than ranting about the ridiculous paperwork requirement of the certification process, I thought I’d focus on a bigger issue. I think that too many students are not getting what they should be out of their time in high school, and I believe there are a number of contributing factors. One of the biggest ones has to do with what they’re learning.
On more than one occasion, I have had students ask for help with their math homework. I’ve always found math very easy, but I haven’t taken a math course in a while, so I am usually only able to help in half of the situations. That made me start questioning some of the content that students are learning (or supposed to be learning) in high school, and I don’t just mean math.
If I were to redesign the course load of high schools, I’d make it student-focused. Currently, the emphasis seems to be on the core subjects with some opportunities to take vocational courses. Essentially, right now it’s theory before application (that is, if application ever happens). Let me give some examples:
A physical education course should be required every term, but it should actually include education. In my experience, PE courses were basically “go out there and use up your energy.” Students should have the opportunity to take the PE courses they want (basketball, yoga, weightlifting, etc.), but the education needs to be built in. I don’t understand how you can have a weightlifting class without teaching students about calories, protein, etc. Usually many of the students who would benefit from a health class are instead bored out of their minds because they see no application to what they’re learning.
If students had the opportunity to build robots, the math and technology skills required to do so would be much more interesting and worthwhile. If they were to learn how to fill out applications, create resumes, and write cover letters, writing skills and knowledge would be a lot more valuable. Imagine if students in a world language course (e.g., Spanish, French, etc.) actually had to interact with people who spoke that language exclusively (whether in person, via phone or email, or whatever method would work), even if it were only once every couple of weeks.
A side benefit to all this is that students would have a varied experience that could help them decide where they want to go with their lives. The hands-on activities would make for a much more interesting day for students, and they’d probably be much happier. Teachers wouldn’t have to deal with the common “Why do we have to learn this?” question; the answer would be obvious. All of the courses should be designed to give the students skills that are valuable in the “real world,” while attempting to pique their interests and encourage them to continue their education.
The biggest problem with this comes down to funding and logistics. In other words, a school of two hundred students isn’t going to be able to offer the variety that a school of two thousand would be able to. Of course, that’s no different than the current situation.
Anyway, that’s enough rambling for now; don’t let my idealism catch you.
Happy holidays everyone!
Ian,
Your approach to teaching is essentially the same is that proposed in this quotation:
If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.
— Antoine de Saint Exupéry
The original is French of course and I once ran down what the French words are but I have lost them. I got them by email from someone in Germany through one of those eGroups (as I call them), I think one devoted to Thoreau.
Man is more than beast –
that more is delayed pleasure
for future rewards.
Sorry but I couldn’t resist writing another haiku.
Robert