Carey Dillinger, November, 1994
The Daily Commercial
The eternal educational triangle consisting of parent, student, and teacher is often a strained and adversarial relationship. In the old days, the parent and teacher would gang up on the student. Then in the 1980's a trend began where the parents would tend to side with the student against the teacher. Of course there are instances, such as when child abuse is suspected, when the teacher must take up the cause of the student. The worst case scenario is when everyone is against everyone. In an effort to get everyone working together, the following quotes are offered for your approval.
William Barclay, the author of The Daily Study Bible Series, said this concerning the apostle Paul: "Paul was much more interested in what a man could be, than what he was."
A sign hanging outside a certain science instructor's door at Lake-Sumter Community College, reads this way: "Self-Esteem is the Result, not the Precursor, of Accomplishment."
A banner hanging in a locker room states: "Preparation + Perspiration = Success."
Many teachers will tell you that they do not want to see a student's cumulative folder or discipline record at the beginning of the school year because they do not want a preconceived or prejudiced view of that child. In many instances this is a wise decision. However, if the student has a medical condition , psychological problem, or a learning disability it is imperative that the classroom teacher be informed, the sooner the better. It has been my experience that when parents inform the teacher of these types of problems as early in the school year as possible, many unhappy as well as embarrassing situations can be avoided. Parents seem to be more reluctant to discuss prior academic problems and this leads to even more problems.
Let's examine the case of Algebra, as an example. The school system spends nine years trying to prepare your child to pass one class, Algebra I. Why is this course so important? Because it is the foundation for the remainder of the college preparatory math classes in high school as well as all math classes at the collegiate level. Any career or academic aspirations that include such fields as biology, chemistry, economics, engineering, geometry, calculus, physics, navigation, astronomy, and statistics, will demand more than just a cursory knowledge of basic Algebra. To obtain the proficiency in Algebra that is necessary for these future pursuits, arithmetic must be mastered at the good or excellent level ( a high B or an A) in the seventh and eighth grade. Sending a student on to Algebra with anything lower than this is dooming the student to failure. To paraphrase Barclay, a teacher should be more interested in what a student can be, than what he was. Unfortunately, when it comes to success in mathematics, what he was determines what he is and where he is going.
The elementary and middle schools are not going to retain students very often these days unless the parent requests it. In addition to this situation, there is a push around the state to completely do away with general math and consumer math at the high school level. The fact that more than a few students make their way to the ninth grade unprepared for even the most basic curriculum, makes me wonder how we are going to teach Algebra to every high school student. To compound the problem, some have gone as far as to suggest that no student should fail any course in which they have made an honest attempt. Sometimes however, an honest attempt is just not good enough. Everyone understands this concept when their septic system is backed up into the master bedroom. The same logic applies to Algebra I. To pass a student along just to feed his so-called self-esteem is insane, inane and as the curriculum specialists out there like to say, "pedagogically unsound."
Here are my recommendations for the student that finds himself in over his head, due to the lack of proper preparation or perspiration:
Attend school every day. Some schools and individual teachers give "attendance incentives" towards extra credit. Plus, you cannot learn if you are not there. The nature of courses like Algebra demand your daily (and nightly) attention.
Be prepared to burn the late-night oil and do that homework. In math, homework is a given, not an option. Remember this, though: practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. If you practice it wrong, you'll learn it wrong.
When you do not understand, you must ask questions. It is your responsibility!
If you still do not understand, seek professional help. Most teachers are prepared to help students after school, on an individual basis. Some schools provide tutoring services through the Honor Society or other "brain trusts." Lake-Sumter Community College offers Algebra tutoring through their Learning Center. It is free; give them a call to find out their hours. If all this fails, hire a tutor. Your school guidance counselor can help you find one.
Students finishing high school with a poor background in English and
Algebra find that their post-secondary education will be prolonged by up
to four remedial courses that must be taken at the community college level
before they are allowed to proceed to the real stuff. These remedial courses
have tuition and book fees as well as lab requirements in addition to attending
class. The thing that these classes do not have is any college credit. They
count for nothing, zip, zilch, goose-egg. Their only purpose is to make
sure those taking the real college courses will have a chance to succeed.
Hey, I thought that was what high school was all about!
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