At what age should be put stringent demands on our kids educationally

burniegoeasily · 02-21-2006, 02:10 PM

Everyone complains about how our kids are getting out of school without an adequate education. So when do we start putting the burden on them. Pass a test or don't move one. Also, is demanding a minimum education demand on all kids the right avenue to pursue, like what NCLB is doing? What are your thoughts?
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boysda · 02-21-2006, 02:19 PM

i can't answer that burnie. i just know what works with my kids. we have demanded A's of them since they were in first grade. we study with them, but they understand the burden, and consequences, are on them. an individual test or quiz below 90% will merely engender a talking to... we try to find out was is missing, and ask them what they think they need to do to bring the grade up. but the final average is expected to be an "A". it's actually become kind of a joke...when one of my boys has a test, the others yell as they go out the door in the morning "come home victorious, or come home on your shield"

Aught Six · 02-21-2006, 02:19 PM

If a kid isn't making progress by third grade, starting holding him or her back. You need the basics taught in elementary school, and there's no point is trying to pretend otherwise. Passinguneducated kids along with the rest of the class does nothing but dumb things down the successful students, and prepares the failuresto be...well, failures.

I don't really think that there should be a minimum education for everyone. Look at the bell curve. There are a lot of people who simply aren't up to academic challenges. We can't undo the natural order of things by simply forcing people the go to school until they find a way to pass.

Let the smart ones be smart, and the stupid ones be stupid. Don't let either get in each other's way in the classroom.

boysda · 02-21-2006, 02:31 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Aught Six
Let the smart ones be smart, and the stupid ones be stupid. Don't let either get in each other's way in the classroom.

brief, but eloquent.

James B · 02-21-2006, 04:42 PM

You can't make demands of adults or children. We expected the best that they could do from our kids. Nothing more, nothing less. They are grown now and turned out very well. Some kids are going to be better at some subjects than in others. Some kids excell at Math and fall short in other subjects. This said, if a child is not doing well, finding the reason would be my first concern. One of our kids had a teacher that was poor at teaching reading. A little tutoring from a teacher with a different teaching style quickly brought her up to her potential and the rest of her school years were a breeze. If that does not work, holding them back a grade can often work wonders. Mainly because the little head start they get boosts their confidence. Often thats all it takes.

North Texan · 02-21-2006, 05:10 PM

My parents emphasized education from my earliest memories. I think education begins from day 1, and by the time kids start kindergarten, a lot of how well they do in school has already been determined.

Not that demands of an education are a bad thing, but I think our education system in general is based on a flawed concept. It seems to be geared to the average student making average acheivment. When in reality, most students are above or below average, some deviating drastically, some only a little. Kind of like those little buckets you had when you were little putting the shaped wooden pegs through the correctly shaped cutout, the education system we have in place tries to put every child through the round hole. I think the system needs to be broken up a little more, where the faster students are taught at a faster pace, and advanced at a faster rate, and the students that have difficulty are given a slower pace and advanced at a slower rate. if you break down the system into a few seperate components, you still get deviation from average, but overall you get a much more homogenous group with less deviation. Then when you make demands, the demands aren't super easy for some and super hard for the others. Success rests more on the individuals capability as an individual, and not so much compared to everyone else.

North Texan · 02-21-2006, 05:17 PM

Quote:

"come home victorious, or come home on your shield"

Your kids are too educated.

si tu haec verba legere potes tibi nimium eruditio est.

Chuck7 · 02-21-2006, 06:11 PM

In Florida I teach 3 rd grade. Students can not move on till they pass math and reading with aC or better ...plus the state FCAT test. We have 13 year old children in the 3rd grade which is rediculous. I've taught special education for 13 years. Someone needs to let George Bush know that children with a 76 IQ can not get do as well as your average student.
C7

Chuck7 · 02-21-2006, 06:19 PM

Our governor is trying to make Florida the best school in the USA. YOu would not believe the expectations put on us.

We are all observed weekly by the feds. I was written up for putting a grade in my book on instructional time. My students made the best gains in the school and I still must have my plan book checked weekly. The other teachers have all been put on probation for not making the gains I have. It's a joke. For now on our pay raise coincides with our student gains. What if luckilyone gets the low IQ students.Too darn bad. LOL

Chuck7

The Rev · 02-21-2006, 09:30 PM

We took ouryoungest sonout of publicschool in the 5th grade.. He is now 23 and doing betterthan all his older brothers and sisters that graduated from public schools financially .. We emphasized the importance of striving for the best that you can do, and he has carried into his adulthood..

I am not saying home schooling for for everyone, but in public school he was doing below average work, at home, he excelled and graduated high school at 15 years old..

He now owns his own Commercial Sign Company with accounts like Wal-Mart, Chrysler Corp... and others... I'm really proud of him for his age, he has a financial planner that works with him on his investments... and doing great!!!!