This is a continuation of the post 5 Questions in Education That Need Solutions
Question 6
What are the 3 most important things students should have to be able to do before they get into high school?
There has always been a Rule of 3 (read blog post Skills you need to teach your students) and as educators we need to find the three most important things we feel students really need and concentrate on refining those skills. I’m sure math teachers will say math skills and English teachers will say reading and writing skills, but what do the students truly need in order to be successful in high school. Please give some in depth detailed comments below on what you feel are the 3 most important things students should know before they get to high school.
Question 7
Why does our grading system have letters?
This is a question I have constantly asked about and the only response I have gotten is “I don’t know.” I think it is a question that deserves a discussion. My argument has always been to get rid of the letters (A, B, C, D, and F) and go strictly by numbers. Every nationwide standardized test including the ACT and SAT gives you numbers to represent your score so why do we use letters. If a parent looks at a report card and their child has a C in a class most parents would feel that their child is doing fine in that class. The reality could be that there are making a 76 and are 6 points away from failing the class. I know some response to this question will mention GPA and I know it is a farfetched idea but I am anxious to hear your comments.
Question 8
Why are there people in charge of education that have never been in a classroom?
This is a question for all the levels of education from local principals and superintendents to state and national leaders of education. It is a question that always comes up when the local, state, or national leadership makes a “what are you thinking” decision that makes no sense and ends up being a waste of time and money. I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation for why there are often non-education people in charge of education so please explain to me in the comments section below.
Question 9
Should students be able to redo tests that they have done poor on?
All the schools in the district I teach, as far as I know, have made it mandatory to allow any student to redo a test if they fail. Some teachers have said that they are required to allow students to redo a test until they pass it. Since implementing the school wide redo policy you can see positives and negatives of each side of the argument. One side argues that it holds them accountable and reduces failure and dropout rates. The other side argues that it negatively affects learning and doesn’t hold them accountable. Please share your side of the issue and any other solutions to this question.
Question 10
What is more important life skills or educational skills?
I would expect every teacher to say that both are important, but which one is more important. One belief is that if we teach them educational skills then the life skills of hard work and dedication will have to be developed. Another belief is that the life skills need to come first in order for students to acquire educational skills. It’s a chicken vs egg question. There are many questions within the question. First, does it matter the type of student and their goals after high school? Secondly, does the student’s background determine which skill is more important? Also, do the importance of skills change from class to class? For example, is educational skills more important in the core classes and life skills more important in elective classes? Leave a comment below, but don’t be political in your answers. No playing both sides of the aisle. Give a strong argument for which skill you feel is more important.
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