As always, I try to make each year better but I'm already running into the problem (with only four weeks into the year) of students failing due to lack of turning in homework, studying for quizzes and tests, and not turning in work completed in class for participation. I've been told I need to make my class "easier" for struggling students so I have started putting "Basic Concept" questions on study guides that I use verbatim on assessments but I've found that over 90% of students don't fill them out or study them before taking a quiz/exam even if I point out that a concept we're covering in class is a Basic Concept question answer. (And this is just one of numerous examples!) When students can't (or won't) pass basic recall questions on an assessment how does one move on to the next concept or higher levels of thinking? Further, how did those students make it to my class? (I have students who read at an elementary level - second grade - but I am forced to give state mandated tests that are written at a high school level). Also, there is no accountability for their grades because even if they don't pass my class (or their other core classes) they are passed on to the next grade in my corporation, which means there is no incentive to try.
Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe that teachers should be held accountable for teaching state and national standards, content at grade level, using a variety of teaching strategies to hit numerous types of learning, and using valid assessment measures. Yet, we are doing a disservice to our students by shuffling them from one grade to the next without the skills to be successful which just compounds the problem as they get older. Something is broken in the world of education and this is just one bit of the problem. Instead of slamming "bad" teachers, lets give them training on how to help these kids and lets hold the kids accountable as well.
For those who are sick of the education rant, please ignore this post - I just needed to let off a bit of steam.
