tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post305428332854710179..comments2021-11-11T13:15:27.037-08:00Comments on Confessions of an OG: What students say when they think we're not listening...Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006http://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-74748149646165207632014-02-06T11:40:03.294-08:002014-02-06T11:40:03.294-08:00Steven, I think all people can sometimes get snobb...Steven, I think all people can sometimes get snobbish about certain things. Maybe it's music or tv shows and movies. Some people are like that about reading material. If you enjoy it, and you get something out of it, then it's good reading.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-85225173344321899092014-02-02T19:09:01.361-08:002014-02-02T19:09:01.361-08:00Teresa, I don't know if it will happen while y...Teresa, I don't know if it will happen while you are still a student, but there are a lot of us out there trying to change the system. Grades often get inflated and don't even represent anything about a student's growth or achievement. I hope you continue to speak your mind and work hard no matter what letters come your way on report cards.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-18359068841485922042014-02-02T18:31:06.754-08:002014-02-02T18:31:06.754-08:00Letter grades have been in my life,but what exactl...Letter grades have been in my life,but what exactly does that mean?Am I a student that has learned something new and is excellent,or a student who just complete essays and quizzes correctly without even remembering if I know the material?I,personally,want a report whether I am improving in my understanding and learning in my classes.Reading out of a textbook can begin our learning,but it's best if we do entertaining activities or games.For example,I learned more about Islam by memorizing some lyrics of a Flocabulary song on Islam.Such changes can help our learning and make school more fun.A letter grade is really nothing,it's just a letter from the alphabet.Our grades should show our parents what our weaknesses are and strengths,not just a some letter.I really appreciate you posting this blog,because most people don't understand that a letter is just a letter in our report cards.And finally,a student who cares for what they do at school is someone who is wanting to achieve their goals and have a better future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-91150476650452739002014-01-31T21:59:22.749-08:002014-01-31T21:59:22.749-08:00You're welcome about the recommendations. I re...You're welcome about the recommendations. I read a lot so it was fun to recommend something instead of being recommended by someone else oh and question why is it that adults don't think some types of literature isn't actually literature examples comics, manga, graphic novels just a thought since I read these also.Steven Diaznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-85276739736423398112014-01-29T21:27:38.728-08:002014-01-29T21:27:38.728-08:00Steven, thank you for writing back. You have a lo...Steven, thank you for writing back. You have a lot of wisdom for your age. It's true that middle school can be a difficult time for most people. So much changes in a person's life, and they have family and friends who get older or maybe get sick and pass away. I will look into getting my son some books you mentioned and see if he enjoys reading them. Thanks!Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-60062313117047321532014-01-29T21:25:44.153-08:002014-01-29T21:25:44.153-08:00Gino, I get what you mean. That's why I like ...Gino, I get what you mean. That's why I like to have classes in which everyone is welcomed and even encouraged to help each other whenever possible. Not only does it mean a student who needs help doesn't have to wait for the teacher to be available, it helps everyone. The best way to learn is to teach someone else. So when students help each other, they really help themselves too. Homework club is a good idea to give students a peaceful place to work, but like you said, it doesn't exist everywhere.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-16742983697954775532014-01-29T21:23:44.113-08:002014-01-29T21:23:44.113-08:00Ruby L., I am so sorry that your teachers didn'...Ruby L., I am so sorry that your teachers didn't encourage you or believe in you when you were younger, but I am really happy to hear that you're working with teachers now who recognize your talents and the huge value you bring to your class and school. I'm glad you focus on the present and your future. You will make a big contribution to our world, in fact I believe you already are. Even your negative experiences are something that helped you learn and grow, and maybe you can use them to help others who feel similarly because you can understand how they feel.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-1771502734419314742014-01-29T21:08:48.057-08:002014-01-29T21:08:48.057-08:00I think 10 is a great age to start reading Calvin ...I think 10 is a great age to start reading Calvin and Hobbes I personally started around 11 the series is good for people of all ages and if I may suggest a book series to read it would be Artemis Fowl or Percy Jackson both touch on stuff for more mature audiences like death or loss of friends but they are good book series with some good humor and it's better to prepare children for middle school and the future because to be honest these years are not fun and will contain a lot of it as loved ones die and people change it's better to not shelter a child as children who are tend to not be ready for the cold and hard future.Steven Diaznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-17519236187401186172014-01-29T20:31:54.729-08:002014-01-29T20:31:54.729-08:00I agree with number four, because some students ne...I agree with number four, because some students need help, but they don't say anything and it's hard with a whole class full of students and the teacher is helping someone else, because if no one says anything the teacher is going to assume that no one needs help. Also students assume that if they don't say anything they'll think that help will come to them, but they need to speak up. Some kids live in noisy places so they can't concentrate, I understand that, but there's this after school thing called "homework club" and it allows students to do homework and if they need help the teacher will be there to help but, there are some schools that don't do that and that's a problem Gino C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-46821892564283669752014-01-29T18:28:19.511-08:002014-01-29T18:28:19.511-08:00From Ruby L.
"Don't tell me something is...From Ruby L. <br />"Don't tell me something isn't my best if I worked my ass off. It might not be great, but it IS MY BEST. HELP ME." I couldn’t agree less. I was always told that my work was nothing compared to my classmates, and I had to improve. OKAY then. Tell me how to improve. Tell me what you don’t like about my work. Show me what you expect. Don’t just tell me to “improve.” What? Do you want me to improve at eating, or maybe singing? I need to know what exactly you want me to improve on, and guess what? I still won’t have it down the next day. I need you to sit down with me for a couple minutes a day, and i’ll improve in a matter of days. I’m not going to improve if you compare me to other students. In fact I’ll probably do worse than I did before.<br /><br />"We will learn more, and learn better, if we feel GOOD in the class, if we feel like we MATTER, like our lives MATTER." As a young teen I always ask myself “What would happen if I just disappeared.” I never felt like I mattered through elementary school. I thought everyone hated me and everyone would be better without me. Then I entered Middle school and met my wonderful teachers. They’ve sat down with me, and told me I could do anything if I wanted too. I believed every word coming out of their mouths. Shortly I started feeling like maybe I did matter, and I could do an excellent job if I wanted to. Guess what my grades went up fast, but something that still haunts me are the words of my previous teachers. They didn’t believe in me, so I didn’t believe I should make them happy by working my ass off. I never got my teachers gradated, so I just gave up on trying to make them happy. I'm a human-beaning I have feeling too.<br /><br />(P.s. while writing this I wished all the teachers that didn't believe in me saw me now. I bet they would be in for a surprise. I'm not that little girl that hid in the corners of the class trying to shut out the world. I wish they saw that I don't care about their opinions anymore. Their negative comments no longer affect me. I know I can do ANYTHING if I put my 100% on it.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-7087537256807257072014-01-29T09:37:55.759-08:002014-01-29T09:37:55.759-08:00Abe, what you're touched on with your comment ...Abe, what you're touched on with your comment is something that always troubles me: when teachers (knowingly or unknowingly) discourage and insult students. Sometimes it's through grades, because the teacher is focusing of stuff that tested things it was hard for some of the students to learn in the way the teacher taught it. Sometimes it's through comments like the example you gave. Who wants to be told their future doesn't look hopeful? Instead, I hope teachers can stop focusing on the negative and open up students' mind to the positive possibilities. It's just like making rules that are positive rather than negative: "Please walk" instead of "Don't run" and "Use respectful language" instead of "No swearing, name calling, etc." If I am a learner, help me focus on what I CAN do rather than telling me what I can't and assuming the worst of me. Right?Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-81474629017157036822014-01-29T09:34:45.330-08:002014-01-29T09:34:45.330-08:00Hey there Gene! Thanks for your thoughts on this....Hey there Gene! Thanks for your thoughts on this. As you and I both know, there are a lot of us educators out there trying to help the teachers who don't feel confident changing their style. The conferences we attend, and programs like MERIT, are just some of the ways teachers can begin to see that there are a lot of resources out there. Also, the folks who seem like they have it all together are in fact the ones who just admit they don't know everything and can always learn.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-1966938750458352752014-01-29T09:00:01.056-08:002014-01-29T09:00:01.056-08:00I really agree with these teenagers. First of all...I really agree with these teenagers. First of all, I think they feel how some people feel here at Mckinley. Maybe students don't like school because they don't like how some teachers teach. I've noticed in my classes that some students fall asleep during class. My point is that teachers need to teach in an interesting way. Like hands on activities. 7th grade was the best school year ever because we did hands on activities, and the teacher made learning fun and interesting. Another thing I have to say is that I think that some teachers get excited and to zoom through the chapters of the book or whatever thing were teaching. Then the teacher moves on to the next chapter without any of the students learning anything. For some students they need time to learn the material. Like me, on somethings I need time to learn the material , but some things I learn in a blink of an eye. On an unrelated note I want to talk about grades. Today the teacher was talking about how grades are meaningless, and that the are to make students feel great or feel bad. I agree with the teenager that said that what if we had some work that was not graded. Students either love grades or they hate them. The main point about this is that some teachers say " you better get your act together or you're the one that's gonna be working at a minimum wage job when you grow up". Maybe Some teachers are the problem that students don't like school. Maybe Some teachers should change their way if teaching because at this rate students are going to be working at a minimum wage job in the future. <br />-AbeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-61537290861452381052014-01-29T08:20:35.668-08:002014-01-29T08:20:35.668-08:006. "I don't want to be babied. I don'...6. "I don't want to be babied. I don't want to be spoon-fed. I want to be CARED about, and ready for the real world." <br /><br />...that one really stuck out for me. I was just having a conversation with a fellow educator yesterday about the unreal number of missed opportunities in some classrooms today... Some teachers feel the need to do exactly that... spoon feed the kids. And, as this student said, that approach does NOT help prep for any real-world of which I'm familiar. <br /><br />We need to keep supporting those teachers that don't know how to make their students' classroom experience more enriching. I sure wish there was a magic bullet, but it boils down to good old fashioned hard work, and lots of great examples and demonstrations of 'supportive' teaching, I think. Fortunately, I think more and more teachers ARE understanding more engaging, student-centered approaches every day, so I'm hopeful.<br /><br />Thanks for putting this together Diane! I'm going to re-post to www.ccedtech.com !Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09604976127840211064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-33876335161043871672014-01-28T22:03:32.541-08:002014-01-28T22:03:32.541-08:00Pedro, you're right. A letter is just a label...Pedro, you're right. A letter is just a label, and it often isn't an accurate one. We should avoid labeling people and instead discuss their strengths and good habits. Think about it: does an A at one school even mean the same as an A at another school? What about schools where teachers give extra credit points for bringing in boxes of tissues? What if I can't afford to buy tissues to bring to class? Somehow I am going to be labeled as not as smart because I didn't get those extra points?Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-27344760672301382572014-01-28T22:00:02.895-08:002014-01-28T22:00:02.895-08:00Yovani, I am glad you place more value on hard wor...Yovani, I am glad you place more value on hard work than on grades. When you're all 35, no one will care what kind of grades you got. But they will care if you work hard and care about your work.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-80745357738769905902014-01-28T21:44:42.983-08:002014-01-28T21:44:42.983-08:00"I wish teachers would let us have more EXPER..."I wish teachers would let us have more EXPERIENCES without grading. I'd like to just WATCH the play, take it in, not write an essay." I think this is really true because I think experiencing for example a play is much better than writing an essay that I probably don’t care about.I also think that the thought and understanding is more important than whether you can fill out a worksheet.<br />"I can like a teacher who is not my BFF, if he knows how to deliver the material in a way that is INTERESTING."I think this is important because their might be teachers out there who I don’t like but if I see that they can teach interestingly and cause me to actually use my brain and learn a lot I will prefer them than a teacher who teaches in the traditional boring way.<br />I think times have changed and that school isn’t just about getting good grades.I think students should be prepared with real world skills by the time they graduate high school.I think teachers should promote discussions and thinking in between students.I think it should get to the point where students don’t feel like they’re being forced to learn but want to learn and be at school.I believe everyone is capable of learning it is just that students are labeled by a letter grade and those students go their whole time in school believing that and think that they are inferior to the students that get A’s.The lower grade students think they are not as good because they don’t have A’s but that is not true.That is why I think the letter grade system should be removed and changed.I think a paragraph tailored specifically to a student is better and shows more about the student than an A.Seriously what does that even mean?How is a letter supposed to sum up who you are as a student and show how much you have progressed and learned.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12358798996608358029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-24436620058725842082014-01-28T21:24:12.993-08:002014-01-28T21:24:12.993-08:00Why were letter grades invented.I think letter gra...Why were letter grades invented.I think letter grades are pointless.I always say i want to get A's and B's but all i really have to do is work hard and learn something.Its not about getting good grades its about learning something like how Ms Ramsey said.Yovani Reyesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-61088667976379081602014-01-28T21:07:36.330-08:002014-01-28T21:07:36.330-08:00All we teachers have to learn is... to listen...
All we teachers have to learn is... to listen...<br />Wayne Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08878747654525414540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-7501873553527048952014-01-28T20:06:14.036-08:002014-01-28T20:06:14.036-08:00Maria, I really appreciate your comments. I think...Maria, I really appreciate your comments. I think that many teachers have been conditioned to feel like they're supposed to know everything. But changing your style means admitting maybe you don't know everything and are willing to learn. In some schools, teachers aren't allowed to admit they don't know it all. (Which I think is dumb.) I love your idea about banning progress reports that just show grades and don't explain anything. Our school uses comments to help tell how kids are doing. I have to say that I disagree with one thing it sounds like you were saying: AP kids aren't the only smart ones. And just because they're in AP classes, that doesn't mean they're smart. You're smart too, whether you take AP classes or not. I can tell from the way you write and express yourself.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-44248005755827264812014-01-28T19:45:29.052-08:002014-01-28T19:45:29.052-08:00"If a teacher keeps teaching the SAME way ove..."If a teacher keeps teaching the SAME way over and over, even if the student isn't learning, WHO IS THE SLOW LEARNER?"<br /><br />I totally agree with this quote because who are the SLOW learners its the TEACHERS. Teachers are the slow learners for the reason that they don’t take their time to know their students and learn our strengths and weakness. If teachers really want to help us get to know us first and you can observe how well we can do this specific skill or what skill we still need to improve on. Furthermore, I think teachers can find other ways how to teach students because various students learn differently and currently these days we have modern technology that teachers can use to help students improve in their academic skills. Instead of reading out of a history book and worksheet students can dress up for a day act like if they were in that time of period or read primary documents from people during those time periods. In addition, you can also have a field trip and learn more about that specific type of place that you are currently learning. Also in middle schools these days we get progress reports to see how well we are doing currently in the trimester. To be honest I really really don’t like progress reports because what does an “A” or “C” mean it doesn’t tell you anything it’s meaningless. How can a letter grade reflect how you are doing, the only thing that its doing is separating everyone into categories. If I were the president of the United States I would not allow progress reports because what you really want is a paragraph from your teacher to reflect what you are improving on and what you need to work on so your parents can also see the huge improvement you worked hard for. I also agree that instead of having tests the teachers could assign projects to reflect what we learned and also quizzes can be turned into writing pieces that can blow your mind. I can also see the point of view these students think in this quote"Honestly, the AP kids could teach THEMSELVES, teach EACH OTHER. The kids who struggle NEED A GREAT TEACHER" Since these AP students are smart they can teach themselves and each other different types of skills to their classmates or the AP students can teach the students that are struggling skills that it can help them understand that specific subject. Students that struggle NEED A GREAT TEACHER because with a great teacher these students can work their butts off and work hard to be at the level that they need to be and taught differently not like their previous teachers taught them over and over the same thing but never understood that specific material. <br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07344794861106458176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-88869741105773349242014-01-28T19:31:41.076-08:002014-01-28T19:31:41.076-08:00Hi Erick! I understand how discouraging it can fee...Hi Erick! I understand how discouraging it can feel that teachers seem not to be willing to hear this. But I want to tell you that I have shared this with a lot of teachers, including at my school, and many have come to me personally and thanked me for telling them about what students think. Believe it or not, most teachers care a lot about student learning. But we don't always know how to let students tell US how they learn best. Some teachers don't get the freedom in their schools to try new things. Some teachers feel like they don't have the resources, like technology tools, to do things differently. Some teachers are set in their ways and think, "if it was good enough for me when I was in school, it's good enough for these kids." Sometimes they just forget what made them want to become teachers in the first place. But there are a lot of us teachers out there, like me and Ms. Ramsey and a bunch of our friends, who love to hear what kids think. We want to teach less and learn more...FROM you guys! Because we have a lot to learn, and you have a lot to teach us. So don't give up hope. I have faith that it's going to get better in the world of education.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-59734600578295229102014-01-28T19:24:27.193-08:002014-01-28T19:24:27.193-08:00Rubi, I know just what you mean. When I was a stu...Rubi, I know just what you mean. When I was a student in school, grades did motivate me. They were, in part, based on what I really learned. But they were sometimes just based on my compliance or obedience. Back then, I was a pretty obedient person and I did what was expected of me. I didn't really question much. But as I got older, and I learned to see that most people didn't really learn or succeed that way, it really made me think. I know how bad I would feel when I worked hard and didn't get the grade I wanted. Imagine what that is like for people who never seem to get good grades, no matter how hard they work! In that case, grades must not be about hard work and lessons learned. My son is someone who works pretty hard and still doesn't get amazing grades. We've told him at home that we don't care about his grades as much as we care about his happiness, and that he is enjoying school and learning new things. We know he'll find an interest and we'll support it and he'll be a successful adult. It's just all these years of school he still has ahead of him that we're going to have to struggle through.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-54798899568896556852014-01-28T19:22:41.733-08:002014-01-28T19:22:41.733-08:00I think that this topic would not be brought up by...I think that this topic would not be brought up by most teachers, because it is true. For example, the way teachers teach students can be wrong, for probably most of the class. Also, the grading system is out of date, and should be updated to what we know about education. The way the students talked about a real world topic, was awesome. Erick Espinozanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37449610.post-9540328820142815652014-01-28T19:19:35.077-08:002014-01-28T19:19:35.077-08:00Jesus! Are you sure you're not already out of ...Jesus! Are you sure you're not already out of college and doing amazing things in the world? You're wise beyond your years if you're an 8th grader! I have a lot of thoughts about what you shared:<br />1. At my school, we have something we call advisory. It's kind of what we do instead of a homeroom. In most cases, and advisor is matched with the same group of kids for all four years of high school. (They also do this at our middle school for the 3 years kids are there, but they get new groups in HS.) As a student's advisor, I am something like a parent without being related, and I am not really a teacher to that student, although one of my advisees is actually in a class I teach right now. We meet as an advisory once a week, plus I check in on them at a class meeting another time each week. My nine advisees are seniors right now, and I feel so great getting to see them start off on the roads to their futures and I still get to give them advice or just listen sometimes. Because we have this program, all our teachers take an interest in students' lives as a habit now.<br />2. It's true that many teachers are under a lot of pressure to get through material rather than to actually teach kids. Would you believe that in some schools and districts, they actually have pacing guides? It's like, "today is January 28th, so we are all on page 157 in the math book." How ridiculous is that? Is everyone the exact same? Are we all ready for page 157 at the same time? (And don't even get me started on textbooks.)<br />3. In some places, they also have what is called "scripted teaching." That means the teacher isn't even allowed to teach differently or come up with his or her own ways to teach something. There is literally a SCRIPT they have to read to the kids to take them through steps, directions, material, etc. It makes me feel physically sick to even think about it.<br />4. A lot of people say that kids nowadays are good at coming to school and switching off, then going back home and seeking out what they want to learn, at a library, on the Internet, through organizations or clubs, and even through other adults or their peers who mentor them. Schools tell kids what to learn, as well as when and how. But true learning has to come from some spark or interest that catches the person's enthusiasm. There's that motivation I mentioned earlier.<br />What kinds of things are YOU motivated to learn by yourself, whether they teach it at school or not? You and your classmates might like the website DIY.org.Diane E. Main, GCT NorCal 2006https://www.blogger.com/profile/01604373649158850063noreply@blogger.com