Why does High School have to be a chore?

[Stallion Hoovrick 16]

Now I know this is already sounding like an ignorant teenager trying to complane about something, but that's not what I'm trying to say here. What I'm trying to say, or simply ask:

 

Why does the United States education system have to be so difficult? 

 

Why do we allow teachers in that just don't care about our education?

 

Why are we unable the retain most of the things that are taught to us the year prior?

 

These are question that have plauged my mind for some time now.  If the education system is broken, then Whats the purpose of it?

[Hansel 1,512]

If the American education system is anything at all like the British one, then it's because the education system is fractured and simply doesn't cater to how the vast majority of children and teenagers function. 

 

It simply fails to understand that we're all different, and can't all learn material in the same way. It values certain subjects above others, and forces the same rigid teaching methods upon every student.

Furthermore, lessons generally start at around 8-9am which is completely counter intuitive. Teenagers and young adults naturally function better during the later hours of the day, that's why most people around that age prefer going to sleep late and wake up late. We're not supposed to be learning algebra at half past eight in the morning. 

Edited August 23, 2013 by Hansel

[Stallion Hoovrick 16]

If the American education system is anything at all like the British one, then it's because the education system is fractured and simply doesn't cater to how the vast majority of children and teenagers function. 

 

It simply fails to understand that we're all different, and can't all learn material in the same way. It values certain subjects above others, and forces the same rigid teaching methods upon every student.

Furthermore, lessons generally start at around 8-9am which is completely counter intuitive. Teenagers and young adults naturally function better during the later hours of the day, that's why most people around that age prefer going to sleep late and wake up late. We're not supposed to be learning algebra at half past eight in the morning. 

You bring up a good point, not everyone learns the exact same way. One problem that I've seen consistantly is that most young adults have to be inspired to learn something, but the education system forces subject upon them that they really couldn't carre less about.

[akalink 163]

From my experience of secondary school, I got out of school what I put into it. Now I've had some bad teachers (namely my 11th grade English teacher) I don't remember learning a thing about the structure and grammar system. But I did invest in what I was interested in, the books we had to read. I have ADHD so paying attention in a boring class is as hard as diamonds. I constantly remind myself to pay attention in school and church so I can get all I can out of what is being taught/preached. A good teacher is always a plus when trying to learn the subject. But in the end if you want to learn something you have to put your own time into learning it too, that is why I believe homework is important; homework is the practice of the lecture or at least it should be. 

[Rayalicious 435]

just to tell you that compared to other education systems the US educational system is simply playing, you should try the lebanese or the french ( i have been through for almost my whole life these last 2 years that i have are in the american system. Where every night u have to write a composition of 7~10 pages literally. And so this is what we consider as chores + we have to learn 2 languages as if they were both the main one so all the work x2 (this is all form my own point of view)

[akalink 163]

The Chinese and Japanese school systems are known for being relentless. From what I know you have to get into the right school right from the get go. You get into the proper pre-school so you can get into the proper Elementary school, to get into the proper etc school... so in the end you can get the best job.

[Scootalove 10,689]

Every education system is different to me. Everyone learns differently, and it really depends on what the teachers do to teach kids and teenagers. Each school system is taught differently, but I think you just have to be in the right school. I think it all depends on what they teach.

[Hansel 1,512]

You bring up a good point, not everyone learns the exact same way. One problem that I've seen consistantly is that most young adults have to be inspired to learn something, but the education system forces subject upon them that they really couldn't carre less about.

 

I understand that certain subject are important to almost everyone (English, Maths, Science), but I think students should be given the opportunity to specialise and explore disciplines that interest them much sooner then they can now.

 

In the UK, you kinda-sorta start to narrow down your subjects at age 14 during secondary school until you're 16, then you go off to college followed by university. But in my experience, the options are limiting, and are largely just the same sort of thing you did in your previous grades. If a student expresses interest in say, music production or animation,  why can't he or she explore that? Why aren't the options more broad? 

It's just sad, if a student begins to show potential or an interest in something at a "young" age, I think the option should be there for them to explore it as part of their studies, as opposed to "choosing" a subject that might not really interest them, leading them to do badly in it.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Hansel

[toby rogers 258]

yes we all know that the high school system is broken, i'm an overweight guy that is going in to grade 9 and i know more about most of the subjects that the teachers, what suck for me is that first period, first semester i have gym, the class were all the people i hate get to see me run.

[GhostPony750 959]

Watch this picture, I'll explain all this in the post:

Do you see what's wrong here? The monkey will easily climb the tree, but the fish will never even be able to reach it. The government tend to teach every kids the same way, but this is a big mistake.

So, you probably heard about the MBTI personality test... so what's your type? Go to a library and try to find a definition of your type, you won't find anything on the internet. So what does it say? Me, being an INTP, will easily understand theoretical principes. But it will be hard for me to use this for mathematic exams, for exemple, because I find it useless. Yep, I uderstand it, it's not necessary to use it now for me. So it's hard for me to do these exams. Also, I tend to be disorganized, so all these approaches, which are "the most important", just confuse me and make me fail all my math exams. But I do understand everything!

And for you, maybe you are not good at understanding theoritical principes, and you are better by following the aproaches. Maybe the way you are teached fit your personality perfectly, or maybe it's just impossible for you to follow this way.

So well, the education system need to be changed. It needs to be focused on the individual instead of the group, because the ones who's personality don't match always fail at school, very low grades, while the ones who fit are the ones who get a great job and everything.

This way, everyone could have a chance to pass. It would be a bit complex, but this is the best way.

 

Edit: Also, he gouvernment need to understand that we are all different, that we are not tools to build the society.

Edited August 23, 2013 by GhostPony750

[Stallion Hoovrick 16]

Watch this picture, I'll explain all this in the post:

 

 

 

Do you see what's wrong here? The monkey will easily climb the tree, but the fish will never even be able to reach it. The government tend to teach every kids the same way, but this is a big mistake.

 

So, you probably heard about the MBTI personality test... so what's your type? Go to a library and try to find a definition of your type, you won't find anything on the internet. So what does it say? Me, being an INTP, will easily understand theoretical principes. But it will be hard for me to use this for mathematic exams, for exemple, because I find it useless. Yep, I uderstand it, it's not necessary to use it now for me. So it's hard for me to do these exams. Also, I tend to be disorganized, so all these approaches, which are "the most important", just confuse me and make me fail all my math exams. But I do understand everything!

 

And for you, maybe you are not good at understanding theoritical principes, and you are better by following the aproaches. Maybe the way you are teached fit your personality perfectly, or maybe it's just impossible for you to follow this way.

 

So well, the education system need to be changed. It needs to be focused on the individual instead of the group, because the ones who's personality don't match always fail at school, very low grades, while the ones who fit are the ones who get a great job and everything.

 

This way, everyone could have a chance to pass. It would be a bit complex, but this is the best way.

 

Edit: Also, he gouvernment need to understand that we are all different, that we are not tools to build the society.

I agree with you 100% The education system as well as society in genreal, (propably a cause of the education system no doubt) tend to teach and or judge a group based on the few, and since everyone is different this causes a particular probelm with society as a whole. So in a sense the education is trying to teach everyone to climb a tree including the fish, which is being set up to fail as a result.

 

I happen to be an INTJ. (definition of an INTJ) Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance – for themselves and others.

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

 

 

Why does the United States education system have to be so difficult? 

 

Hahahahahhaha...oh...wait...you're serious.

 

You think the AMERICAN system is hard? In terms of difficulty, the American system has to be one of the easiest educational systems. Try the Chinese or French system and get back to us. Most of the problems with the American education system come from the fact it's so easy and lenient compared to the education systems in other parts of the world.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Harmonic Revelations

[GhostPony750 959]

 

 

You think the AMERICAN system is hard?

It may be the easiest, but it is still hard. Things can always be improved.

It will be easy for some and hard for the others, and this need to change.

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

It may be the easiest, but it is still hard. Things can always be improved.

It will be easy for some and hard for the others, and this need to change.

The reason that it's so hard is because people go too easy on the American high school kids and blame the failure on the teachers instead of on the students. So the kids end up not learning much at all because they have a get-out-of-jail free card.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Harmonic Revelations

[RubyVesper 100]

Albert Einstein's fish quote got a "See, that's what I'm talking about!" from me.

 

I have an insanely useful combination of extreme spatial awareness, accurate physical prediction, an artistic mind, creative problem solving, calmth and leadership. You could give me a team and a mechanics related goal, and I will come up with something revolutionary. I am 14.

 

I have reverse-engineered the multiverse, can explain absolutely anything, and am able to accept and consider the most insane things.

 

 

I need to learn French, German, PE and biology. What am I supposed to do with that?

 

English is kind-of handy for me, seeing as I am not a native American, but Dutch. I already spoke English when I was 10, and it is almost unnoticeable that I am Dutch. The only reason I'm not scoring straight A's is that I am so good at English that I speak it freely, but the textbook has only one answer, instead of everything correct.

 

Maths, I can also understand, as well as Physics and Chemistry.

 

However, those languages and things that I will never do anything with, I still need to learn for some reason...

[Vinyl Scratch (Filly)™ 936]

Now I know this is already sounding like an ignorant teenager trying to complane about something, but that's not what I'm trying to say here. What I'm trying to say, or simply ask:

 

Why does the United States education system have to be so difficult? 

 

Why do we allow teachers in that just don't care about our education?

 

Why are we unable the retain most of the things that are taught to us the year prior?

 

These are question that have plauged my mind for some time now.  If the education system is broken, then Whats the purpose of it?

American education system... Difficult? Pahahahaha, it's so laid back compared to British education system xD like seriously I would so rather go to school in America.

[GhostPony750 959]

The reason that it's so hard is because people go too easy on the American high school kids and blame the failure on the teachers instead of on the students. So the kids end up not learning much at all because they have a get-out-of-jail free card.

You have a point here, we tend to blame the teachers.

But sometimes it's the teacher's fault, sometime's it's the kid's fault, and sometimes it's the system's fault.

The system is the easiest to fix, then come the teacher.

 

If we fix these two things, when a kid is not trying at school, it will be his fault.

I need to learn French, German, PE and biology. What am I supposed to do with that?

I totally agree here lol. But since I love to learn, it doesn't bother me to have a lot of "useless stuff". The only thing I got really bored to date is the biology. I know already everything about this and it doesn't interest me. But of course, I wouldn't like to be forced to learn something usless for me, like Spanish.

[Stallion Hoovrick 16]

American education system... Difficult? Pahahahaha, it's so laid back compared to British education system xD like seriously I would so rather go to school in America.

I'm not trying to say it's difficult for everyone. But for a decent percentage of us it is. This is a result of trying to teach everyone with nearly the same exact method, but everyone learns differently. So overall, the system they are using in america in my opinion as well as several others, isn't working like it should be. 

 

As far as it being easier than the british system, that could very well be the case. But for those of us that can't immigrate, have no plans to, or just want a solid sytem that works in the U.S. it generates a problem for a good number of us who don't learn that well with the methods they are using.

[TheBreech 91]

Now I know this is already sounding like an ignorant teenager trying to complane about something, but that's not what I'm trying to say here. What I'm trying to say, or simply ask:

 

Why does the United States education system have to be so difficult? 

 

Why do we allow teachers in that just don't care about our education?

 

Why are we unable the retain most of the things that are taught to us the year prior?

 

These are question that have plauged my mind for some time now.  If the education system is broken, then Whats the purpose of it?

Oh it has a purpose. To prepare us for life in the real world... Now if it wasn't so broken I wouldn't have to specify the difference between school and the real world... As for your questions.

 

1) Because of people like my school district's Superintendent, who forget their purpose is educating us, and focus on politics and under the table negotiations among their friends.

 

2) I don't its that they don't care, I think it's more they get tired of caring when kids stop giving a damn and it makes they're job so much harder than they thought it would be. The last two weeks of school for me were a policy where if we had less than seven absences for the whole year (excused or not), no behavior issues, and no failures for the first semester, we could get out on time, other wise they kept us for an extra eight days. I had a 68 in English the first semester and considering they told us the last three or four weeks of the semester, I couldn't do anything about it! I literally couldn't fail for that six weeks and my grade the previous 2 were Bs, I still had to stay. The teachers hated it so much, my engineering teacher (Who I'm getting again this year ) told us on day 7 "Every will be present tomorrow," and brought a Wii and Mario Cart to anyone who actually came to class, and my teacher after him let me go back and keep playing XD. Point is, between bad students, and horrible policies, I'm inclined to cut the teachers a lot of slack.

 

3) Because you don't need to. How much of it will you ever use again? I can say, there is an 90-95% chance I will never need to know the Pythagorean theorem and I'm intending to make comics for a living. Unless I find an Illustrator, I'll be drawing a lot of stuff, and that may one day include right triangles. I have no idea how my GPA is calculated, but I've been drilled every year about the different versions of the Laws of Conservation of Science (as I've started calling them). I couldn't care less about the first known civilizations, why don't you teach me how to live in this one?

[SCS 7,537]

I understand where you are coming from, but there are certain important things that everyone should learn in our society. Yes, you may not use the level of math you learned in high school in your job, but the math class still gave you practice with logical reasoning and using numbers. History, in my opinion, is the most important class - how can we build a better society if we are not aware of the mistakes made in the past?

 

Learning foreign languages is important, too. Some universities require 2, or even 4 years of foreign language for you to be eligible to apply to them. Plus, being able to speak one or more foreign languages can be an invaluable skill in some jobs. 

 

Personally, I want to become an astronomer, so my math and science classes are very important to me. The most advanced math and science I can take in high school is only the beginning of the foundation of material I need to learn in order to get a job as an astronomer at some point in the future. I'm in 11th grade, and I'm in AP Calculus AB and AP Statistics for math, and Chemistry for science. I took Trigonometry/Pre-Calculus and Advanced Physics for math and science last year. I'll probably take AP Calculus BC and AP Physics B in 12th grade. My favorite class so far is AP Calculus AB, and I'm happy to have it as my first hour class. However, as you said, we all learn differently, so I can understand why some people would not like having a math class early in the morning.

 

My high school does give us a lot of freedom, though. My high school is 4 years - 9th grade through 12th grade. We are required to take a minimum of three years of natural science, three years of mathematics, three years of social science, four years of english, two years of physical education, and one year of fine art to graduate. That gives us room to take a few classes each year that are not required, and that we want to take just for fun, or because we're interested in them. 

 

Plus, high school is not the only place to learn, grow, and explore your interests. I have discovered most of my interests outside of the school setting, and then subsequently altered my school setting to fit my interests more. High school teaches you a lot of basic skills that are essential to almost any job that you could get, but it is important to do your own learning outside of the school environment so that you can discover your personal interests.

[Lunas Husband 2,777]

Ah because its school lol, and truth be told school sucks and when you get to high school it just gets harder and it sucks more...