November 30, 2011

I got yelled at again for too many webcam photos.

What my public school experience taught me:

-There is one right answer.
-To work with others is cheating.
-Getting something done early will be rewarded with sitting in class with nothing to do.
-Getting something done early will put you at a disadvantage, because the teacher will help you later on.
-The only way to measure knowledge is with a #2 pencil.
-Trying to accommodate many learning styles will result in neglecting all of them.
-The most common learning-related trait I have with other people is my age.
-The goal is to get the right answer, not necessarily to learn in the process.
-Expectations are set for the class as a whole, not individuals, to make things "fair".
-Exceeding these expectations is an unnecessary waste of your time.
-Speaking up in class will get you ridiculed.
-Getting the answer wrong will get you ridiculed even more.
-Being different will get you ridiculed.
-There is no need to be original.
-Wikipedia is useless.
-Being an introvert is not as good as being an extrovert.
-Talking about sex in the classroom is inappropriate and students are not mature enough to handle it, except when in the Health Education classroom. (Even though nearly 50% of high school students in 2009 had lost their virginity by the time they graduated. I also have to say that my Psychology class was an exception, but it's very possible that this was only because I had an exceptional teacher.)
-Religion and moral values have no place in the educational system.
-Teaching grammar has to be dull, boring, and painful. Consequently, the students won't learn anything if it's taught. (Counterexample, The Oatmeal. They have tons of awesome, hilarious grammar cartoons.)
-Dress codes are irrelevant, unless you're an involved student who should be "setting the example".
-A teacher's seniority is more important than their ability to educate.

And that's all for now.

UPDATE:

Please take a couple minutes to read my follow-up post.
http://kyladedah.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-2-2011.html