Let me start by saying that I understand that my personal experience in this matter is going to differ from many others; but that does not change the fact that I see the following as a disturbing trend in the educational environment—and society in general. Let me also note that I am not directing this towards students with handicaps or severe learning disabilities.
In my opinion, the role of educators is to motivate students to want to better themselves. This means the students should want to gain more knowledge than they currently possess, and should want to improve in areas of weakness. Educators should strive to demonstrate the usefulness of bettering one’s self so that students might realize that they too need to make improvements. When students get to a point when they no longer see any reason to learn or better themselves, then they stop caring, and therefore, stop making any attempts to be successful in the classroom and often in life in general.
One of the main philosophies espoused in education circles today is that of differentiating instruction. I completely agree that students learn in different ways, and that using multiple teaching methods can benefit all students. However, this idea has been carried to far.
Many educators are now saying that if a student has any deficiency, then we need to cater to that problem. For example: If a student has a problem with addition facts, let them use a calculator. This solves the problem in the mind of many teachers, parents, and students. However, the problem isn’t that the student is getting the wrong answer, but that they have not grasped the concept of addition. Using a calculator does not teach someone how to add. This student’s problem will only worsen with time, and they will remain dependent on a calculator for even the most basic of addition problems.
This scenario can be applied to a variety of situations. Many students with learning difficulties—or even organizational difficulties–are being given a free pass to continue to not learn or not become organized. Rather than addressing the problem, and focusing on a real solution—we are now allowing students to continue making the same mistakes so that they won’t feel “inferior” or have their feelings hurt. What are we really teaching these students? That someone will always excuse their mistakes.
Because of this problem, and the increased number of parents and administrators who are pushing for teachers to adhere to this policy, many teachers feel compelled to give massive amounts of extra credit, make their course easier, or allow retakes for almost every assignment to ensure that everyone does well. I don’t mean that everyone just passes, I mean at least a “C” average in most cases. “D” is the new “F”, so no one should receive that grade—regardless of their actual performance.
One student I am particularly aware of suffers from A.D.D. This student is on medication—and the medication seems to be doing a great job in helping him stay focused. He has no other learning difficulties. This student’s parents have pushed the limits of his Educational Plan so far, that he is now allowed to retake any assignment that he scores below a “C”, with the help of a Special Education Teacher. The Special Ed. teachers are more than aware of the fact that this student’s parents have brought their lawyer to school on many occasions with threats of law suits, and this puts them in a very tough position.
Now, we are talking about a smart student here, so, knowing that he will have the aid of a teacher who is more than willing to help him cruise through the assignment to get it over with, he (in my opinion) purposefully fails many assignments. He then gets to retake the assignment with much help, and usually receives an “A”. Teachers are so fearful of a law suit from the parents, that they have no problem giving this student an “A” in their class. In the meantime, everyone is forgetting that this student is not learning much of anything in his classes, but they say he must be because retaking the assignment shows that he has made progress. Bull shit!
I want kids with needs to receive an appropriate level of assistance when warranted, but I also want all students to be encouraged to focus on eliminating whatever difficulties might be holding them back whenever possible. If a student can’t remember their multiplication facts, then maybe we should have them practice for the first time in a few years, rather than just covering up the problem with a calculator. If a student is so unorganized that they are constantly forgetting to bring their assignments to class, let’s teach them organizational skills—rather than telling all the teachers to hold them to a different standard than everyone else.
The people suffering most in this environment are the hard working students. They study. They bring their assignment in on time. They are organized. Any yet, they see many examples all around them of students who don’t do half of the work and are receiving the same or better grades. They get in trouble for not having their homework done on time, while another student is allowed to miss because he has an Educational Plan that says he needs to work on his organizational problems. I have no idea why these students want to continue to work so hard in such a system.
I believe that when I help a student to improve in their weakest area, they will improve in all areas of learning. I know that I have helped students do this in the past. I love watching the transformation of these students. They are more confident in themselves once they have conquered their problem. They have learned the value of hard work.
I’m tired and fed up with teaching in a system that rewards those who don’t want to work for anything in life—and often ignores those who do.
