Teacher Talk Blog: 10 Things Schools Have Stopped Doing

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BY CoachB

#SCHOOLS, EDUCATION, HIGH SCHOOL, TEACHING, UNCATEGORIZED

As a career teacher and coach I have seen the landscape of pubic education change over the years. Mostly driven by technology and the use of it in the classrooms. Phones, computers and smart boards have changed how kids learn today. It has also changed the way they fail to retain information because they do not retain information. Students today do not learn and remember math equations. They cannot tell time on a manual clock. They cannot type a letter or do a research project without copy and paste from the internet.

They are losing communication skills and the ability to read, write and do basic math. Kids are coming into high school reading, writing and doing math at the 2nd and 3rd grade level. I am not saying there is a one size fits all fix which is what the current system is trying to do. Teachers teach to a test because their bonus is on the line if the kids cannot pass. Teachers allow kids to sit and play video games and watch youtube all day in class instead of doing class work.

Principals and these so called experts talk about doing limited teaching and allowing the kids to have time to work individually. Problem is they do not work on it and just talk, mess around and be kids. Our educational system is failing most of our kids and they are falling thru the cracks by the thousands. Kids graduating without these basic old school skills are going to face a tough life. A life that is not easy, can be quite hard and taxing on the nerves. We have to enable our kids and stop disabling our kids at this point.

If not we will raise or fail to raise the next generation that is tough minded, works hard and can overcome lifes biggest challenges. Right now many need a safe space, don’t know if they are a boy or girl and are soft at the core when it comes to working hard and being the best they can be.

1- Typing: Kids do not know how to sit down and type a letter, resume or job application.

2- Home Economics: Kids are graduating and cannot sew, cook or clean because they didn’t learn these needed life skills growing up.

3- Cursive Writing: Kids cannot spell their name in cursive or write in cursive. They will need to sign papers at some point in life.

4- Shop: They call this class Trade Skills now, but it is not what it used to be. You made things using saws, wood and nails. We built things with our hands and took them home. The big project was building like a bench or chair to pass the class.

5- Roman Numerals: Kids do not know what Roman Numerals are and how they apply to life or convert to dates. They have no idea what the super bowl is by number because they cannot read or decipher roman numerals.

6- Research Papers: Kids do them by using google and finding the information and using copy paste features. They have no idea how to organize a paper, write a thesis statement and do proper research which leads to the next item on the list.

7- Library: Kids never go to the library to do research or read books, magazines or other articles. I guess the Duey Decimal system is ancient now. I rarely see kids use the library to check out books and learn to read.

8- Reading: Kids have everything read to them on video or by the teacher. They do not sit down and read books. They do not aquire all the knowledge out there in those books sitting in the library collecting dust. They watch videos and movies instead.

9- Writing: Kids do not write on grade level. They spell with lots of punctuation issues and cannot write complete sentences or paragraphs. They do not give details of who, what, why, when and where anymore.

10- Speaking: Kids do not have the speaking and communication skills needed to work in a competitive environment. I hear the word “bruh”, “bro”, “N”, “Bitch”, and other words all day. They talk to each other with phones and text messages. I see them sitting in the hallways beside one another and literally messaging each other and shaking heads to acknowledge.\

It is scary the direction we are going in. I applaud you if your kids are learning these “Old School” ways of living life and will graduate with the life skills we had as Gen X and the forgotten generation of older folks. Make the read, write, calculate math and put those stupid phones down and computers away in the process. Just an old guy that has done pretty darn well in life with these Old School ways.

Be blessed and God bless America! We need it bad!