socialist Posted April 29, 2015 Report Posted April 29, 2015 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/good-marks-great-meet-your-tutor/article24094015/comments/ Those that can afford tutors definitely do better in school. But does this make public schools look as if they are doing better than they actually are? Are schools spending too much time on soft skills? Do tutors mask the fact that hard academic skills are being marginalized? These questions need to be discussed. Maybe PCT is correct in saying too much time is being spent watching movies and making posters. Quote Thankful to have become a free thinker.
GostHacked Posted April 30, 2015 Report Posted April 30, 2015 If teachers can't get their grades up, someone has to step in. Quote
Boges Posted April 30, 2015 Report Posted April 30, 2015 How are parents being able to afford tutors any different than a public school being able to successfully fundraise in an affluent area as opposed to a less privileged part of a community. It's not equitable. From what I gather, Schools hit parents up for extra money starting Day One of the School year. That's not right IMHO. It's like Hospitals charging extraordinary sums for parking. Quote
socialist Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Posted April 30, 2015 How are parents being able to afford tutors any different than a public school being able to successfully fundraise in an affluent area as opposed to a less privileged part of a community. It's not equitable. From what I gather, Schools hit parents up for extra money starting Day One of the School year. That's not right IMHO. It's like Hospitals charging extraordinary sums for parking. Why are schools being forced to fund raise? Why are students being forced to pay fees to play on sports teams? Are insinuating that the government is under funding education? If not, where does the money come from to cover ever-increasing costs? Who should pay for breakfast programs? Quote Thankful to have become a free thinker.
Wilber Posted May 1, 2015 Report Posted May 1, 2015 My youngest grandchild got left behind in reading. He was at a kindergarten level going into grade three. We put him in Sylvan and the change has been dramatic. I don't know if this says more about the way schools are teaching, or their willingness to advance kids who shouldn't be. Really, Grade 1 should have the most failures of any year in school. Get behind that year and the kid is probably behind forever unless he gets special help outside the school.They aren't doing kids any favours by trying to push them into something they aren't prepared for. Quote "Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice". WSC
Big Guy Posted May 1, 2015 Report Posted May 1, 2015 To Wilber - I do not have the answers but I have seen what happens when a child is "held back". Elementary school classes become very tight knit as they progress through the years. When a child is "held back" they are seldom able to fit into the new group ( the previous year) , they are called and treated as "dummies" while friendships and alliances are questioned. Often, the child has to change schools to maintain any interest in attending. Most schools will provide tutors (children from upper grades) to assist the slower learners to catch up. Too often, children falling behind have some kind of undiagnosed learning disability and do not understand why they are falling behind. If your child is not progressing as expected, then I suggest you demand testing to identify the problem. Student tutors are always available. Quote Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.
socialist Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Posted May 1, 2015 My youngest grandchild got left behind in reading. He was at a kindergarten level going into grade three. We put him in Sylvan and the change has been dramatic. I don't know if this says more about the way schools are teaching, or their willingness to advance kids who shouldn't be. Really, Grade 1 should have the most failures of any year in school. Get behind that year and the kid is probably behind forever unless he gets special help outside the school.They aren't doing kids any favours by trying to push them into something they aren't prepared for. Your grandchild's situation is, unfortunately, common. There are many factors. There is too much emphasis on sitting in groups and working in "centers" with collaborative groups of students. Collaboration is one of the latest buzz words in education. Kids are expected to collaborate. Sadly, the experts don't realize that in order to collaborate, one must have deep domain knowledge. Classrooms with traditional rows, giving kids their own personal space is frowned upon in today's schools. Quiet classrooms where kids can concentrate are frowned upon in today's classroom. I've received hand-outs that tell me that a noisy classroom is a good classroom. I agree that a noisy classroom is great for some as it obscures terrible classroom management. I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm reading, I like to read in a quiet environment so I can concentrate on what it is I'm reading. Now imagine little kids trying to understand what they are reading in a noisy classroom with numerous distractions. Maybe all this is intentional for some unknown nefarious reason. Quote Thankful to have become a free thinker.
socialist Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Posted May 1, 2015 To Wilber - I do not have the answers but I have seen what happens when a child is "held back". Elementary school classes become very tight knit as they progress through the years. When a child is "held back" they are seldom able to fit into the new group ( the previous year) , they are called and treated as "dummies" while friendships and alliances are questioned. Often, the child has to change schools to maintain any interest in attending. Most schools will provide tutors (children from upper grades) to assist the slower learners to catch up. Too often, children falling behind have some kind of undiagnosed learning disability and do not understand why they are falling behind. If your child is not progressing as expected, then I suggest you demand testing to identify the problem. Student tutors are always available. I disagree. I've seen more kids benefit from being held back in grade one than those who haven't benefited. Quote Thankful to have become a free thinker.
Big Guy Posted May 1, 2015 Report Posted May 1, 2015 Get back to me in 35 years. Quote Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.
Big Guy Posted May 1, 2015 Report Posted May 1, 2015 There is an interesting quote from someone who was also a teacher - not sure if he ever went on strike though: "Those who educate children well are more honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well." - Aristotle It appears that the attitude towards teachers has changed over the years - maybe because the quality of teaching has also changed over the years. Quote Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.
Wilber Posted May 1, 2015 Report Posted May 1, 2015 To Wilber - I do not have the answers but I have seen what happens when a child is "held back". Elementary school classes become very tight knit as they progress through the years. When a child is "held back" they are seldom able to fit into the new group ( the previous year) , they are called and treated as "dummies" while friendships and alliances are questioned. Often, the child has to change schools to maintain any interest in attending. Most schools will provide tutors (children from upper grades) to assist the slower learners to catch up. Too often, children falling behind have some kind of undiagnosed learning disability and do not understand why they are falling behind. If your child is not progressing as expected, then I suggest you demand testing to identify the problem. Student tutors are always available. The operative phrase is "become very tight". The best time to correct anything is at the beginning and not let it compound itself over time so I agree that a kid having problems should be tested for learning disabilities. This is something schools should be impressing on parents if they see a child is struggling,. There is less pier pressure in kindergarten and grade 1 than any other school years. This is the time to address problems, not produce future dropouts and illiterate graduates because you were afraid of hurting their feelings when they were five or six years old. Failure is part of life and can be a great motivator for someone who does want to succeed. Quote "Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice". WSC
Je suis Omar Posted May 5, 2015 Report Posted May 5, 2015 To Wilber - I do not have the answers but I have seen what happens when a child is "held back". Elementary school classes become very tight knit as they progress through the years. When a child is "held back" they are seldom able to fit into the new group ( the previous year) , they are called and treated as "dummies" while friendships and alliances are questioned. ... . That's what happened to Gary Ridgway. Not at all a pretty result there! Quote
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