Why is the Majority of Your Child's Education Just a Waste of Time?
Posted: Tuesday, May 26, 2009
by Jeff Brown
Inner Projection
Education today, to
a great degree, is wasting time, money, and effort-the time and effort
of the student and, to a great degree, the parents' money.
Let's begin by
dispelling the myth that teachers (for now let's talk primary and
secondary) are all that and a bag of chips. Teachers are not only given
too much credit, they are given too much of the blame. Currently, the
move is toward greater teacher accountability for student outcomes
based on assessment criteria. What's all that arcane jargon mean?
Simply that teachers are to a greater and greater degree being held
responsible for students' grades. That, my friend, is a good one.
Almost as funny as the one where a minister, priest and rabbi walk into
a bar . . . OK, forget the joke, let me explain.
To a great
degree, teachers (k through 12) have a workload that even the toughest laborer would
bend and break under. They not only have to prepare lessons, attend
meetings (teacher, administrative, parent), and have a life-if they can
fit it in-they have a workload that has them averaging 57 hours worked
per week 1. On top of that, consider that working as a
teacher is stressful because there is no time to relax. As a teacher,
you are in charge of teaching, policing, cajoling, organizing,
coaching, motivating, disciplining, and so on. From start to finish of
the school day there is little time to relax, and you are working at
full sensory capacity most of the time. That is why there is such great
teacher burn out. You have very little time to kick back and recede
into yourself (like a desk jockey or cubical cubby). So, on top of all
this, teachers are now to be responsible for chasing 100 to 200 students
to make sure they are doing their homework and are learning what they
need to learn. Good luck.
But consider that there are other factors now that weaken the teacher physically, emotionally, and authoritatively. It is the last item I desire to focus on here. Students and parents, to a great degree, have sapped the teacher's strength as the authoritative figure, one of the reasons why 3 out of 5 teachers now entering the field (K through 12) look at teaching as a stepping stone. I have a lawyer friend who did just that.
When he began teaching, he was told by a grizzled veteran that "you will either give into the student's demands or you will quit." To cite an example of this loss of control, at a general assembly a student was acting up. My friend told the student, who was not his, to settle down. The student challenged him and said, "I don't care. You can even call the police. Nothing's going to happen to me." Another friend, a fellow classmate in graduate school, told me she was no longer a high school teacher because after 13 years her authority in the classroom had nearly vanished. Add to this parents who no longer, to a great degree, support teachers. Many a parent, if their child receives a bad grade, places the blame entirely on the teacher, the student getting off scot-free.
But what is the role of the parent even if he or she decides not to home school?
It is essential that parents not only teach academics (meaning, bare minimum checking homework) but other vitally important issues of concern, concerns that last a lifetime beyond all the math, science, history, and English that is all too soon forgotten. A few things that should exist on that list are a work ethic, accountability, patience, perseverance, manors / respect for authority, cooperation, tolerance for difference, sacrifice, charity, humility, and more. If these things were taught by parents, as they should be, perhaps the number of problems we now face in school and society would be reduced.
Continuing with the issue of educational necessity and change, I'd like to propose an academic overhaul. This issue is quit complex and something I go into greater depth in my upcoming book Education is a Waste of Time, but I'd like to touch on a few points here.
Consider that in 24 hours we forget 80% of what we read if we don't review, and even more so if we don't pay attention, have acquired the skill of better retention, and, most importantly, don't care, how much does our no-student-left-behind retain? Well, according to my eight-plus years of teaching, mostly at the college level, and concurring statistical evidence, less than 1/3 of all students entering college have sufficient math, reading, and writing skills. The key word here is "sufficient." Considering that there is a push for more math and science majors to keep up with the 6 countries that produce students that exceed our student's preparedness, it appears we don't have much hope. Even though the push for students is ill-founded because of the small number of existing careers that require high level math skills, the numbers do not bode well.
Taking all this into consideration, how important is it that we teach our students specific, locked in studies: math, science, history, English, and so on. I often will address this point by asking my students to regurgitate on queue, from the first minute to last, all that they learned in a class that day before coming to my class. Most if not all come up completely empty handed. One thing we don't teach or inspire our students to do is to pay attention and acquire skills that will aid in focusing on key material and being able to recall it. Where is that class in high school? We merely throw it at ‘em and hope it sticks.
Something else we've forgotten to do, like any good marketer in the business world know, is to simply ask. What has happened to our empowered, "no-student-left-behind" student? The overly liberal shift of power from teacher to student is being wasted if we don't ask the empowered what they want? And if they don't know, well, now that they've been given the power, they by all means should work on it. Many a parent, teacher, administrator will say, "Well, they're children. They aren't mature enough to know." Well, if we don't ask them we'll never know. And we shouldn't just ask them once, for they are developing and changing rapidly at this time. How ‘bout this. We ask ‘em often and we ask ‘em early. Consider the following. Please bare with me.
On average, 1 in 10,000 has perfect musical pitch. In many Asian countries, where pitch determines meaning (i.e.: going up at the end of a word means one thing, down another) 1 in 100 has perfect pitch. My point? Practice. If we get students thinking early and often what they want to do with their life, and more know than not, then that's where they need to focus and not struggling, spending a majority of their time in classes they don't care about, aren't motivated to participate in, and bottom line, will end up wasting a lot of time in. Consider this, within ten years, 70% of college grads will be working in fields they were not educated in (regarding personal acquaintances, that number is low). And considering that many employers now only use a college degree as a dividing line (a way of weeding out candidates with less potential), why not get a degree in something you love? Don't waste those four years.
There is a lot more to this topic, such as incorporating financial classes, inter-personal skills classes, success classes, and so on, but our K through 16 system is in serious need of repair and upgrading. And this must be done now before too much time passes and more time, money, and effort is wasted. I know that this magnitude of change is challenging but its essential and critical to the long-term welfare of our children; nevertheless, it is a goal or target that we have to shoot for. We have no alternative, remembering that it is not perfection that we seek but betterment.
But consider that there are other factors now that weaken the teacher physically, emotionally, and authoritatively. It is the last item I desire to focus on here. Students and parents, to a great degree, have sapped the teacher's strength as the authoritative figure, one of the reasons why 3 out of 5 teachers now entering the field (K through 12) look at teaching as a stepping stone. I have a lawyer friend who did just that.
When he began teaching, he was told by a grizzled veteran that "you will either give into the student's demands or you will quit." To cite an example of this loss of control, at a general assembly a student was acting up. My friend told the student, who was not his, to settle down. The student challenged him and said, "I don't care. You can even call the police. Nothing's going to happen to me." Another friend, a fellow classmate in graduate school, told me she was no longer a high school teacher because after 13 years her authority in the classroom had nearly vanished. Add to this parents who no longer, to a great degree, support teachers. Many a parent, if their child receives a bad grade, places the blame entirely on the teacher, the student getting off scot-free.
Teachers are
not, should not, or ever be seen as the main educators, motivators,
keepers of their students or children. Children? What does that word
naturally imply? Of course, parents. It is the parents' responsibility
to make sure that their children are doing their homework and doing it
well, getting off the couch and being the teachers they should be.
I have numerous
friends who have taken back the teaching of their children by home
teaching. An issue of much discussion, but I mention it here to show
how the problems of the K-12 school system has gotten so out of control
that parents are taking the issue into their own hands. Many parents have discovered that the education system is failing and is not preparing their children for the work-a-day world. This is an issue in and of itself, not to be gone into detail here, however.But what is the role of the parent even if he or she decides not to home school?
It is essential that parents not only teach academics (meaning, bare minimum checking homework) but other vitally important issues of concern, concerns that last a lifetime beyond all the math, science, history, and English that is all too soon forgotten. A few things that should exist on that list are a work ethic, accountability, patience, perseverance, manors / respect for authority, cooperation, tolerance for difference, sacrifice, charity, humility, and more. If these things were taught by parents, as they should be, perhaps the number of problems we now face in school and society would be reduced.
Continuing with the issue of educational necessity and change, I'd like to propose an academic overhaul. This issue is quit complex and something I go into greater depth in my upcoming book Education is a Waste of Time, but I'd like to touch on a few points here.
Consider that in 24 hours we forget 80% of what we read if we don't review, and even more so if we don't pay attention, have acquired the skill of better retention, and, most importantly, don't care, how much does our no-student-left-behind retain? Well, according to my eight-plus years of teaching, mostly at the college level, and concurring statistical evidence, less than 1/3 of all students entering college have sufficient math, reading, and writing skills. The key word here is "sufficient." Considering that there is a push for more math and science majors to keep up with the 6 countries that produce students that exceed our student's preparedness, it appears we don't have much hope. Even though the push for students is ill-founded because of the small number of existing careers that require high level math skills, the numbers do not bode well.
Taking all this into consideration, how important is it that we teach our students specific, locked in studies: math, science, history, English, and so on. I often will address this point by asking my students to regurgitate on queue, from the first minute to last, all that they learned in a class that day before coming to my class. Most if not all come up completely empty handed. One thing we don't teach or inspire our students to do is to pay attention and acquire skills that will aid in focusing on key material and being able to recall it. Where is that class in high school? We merely throw it at ‘em and hope it sticks.
Something else we've forgotten to do, like any good marketer in the business world know, is to simply ask. What has happened to our empowered, "no-student-left-behind" student? The overly liberal shift of power from teacher to student is being wasted if we don't ask the empowered what they want? And if they don't know, well, now that they've been given the power, they by all means should work on it. Many a parent, teacher, administrator will say, "Well, they're children. They aren't mature enough to know." Well, if we don't ask them we'll never know. And we shouldn't just ask them once, for they are developing and changing rapidly at this time. How ‘bout this. We ask ‘em often and we ask ‘em early. Consider the following. Please bare with me.
On average, 1 in 10,000 has perfect musical pitch. In many Asian countries, where pitch determines meaning (i.e.: going up at the end of a word means one thing, down another) 1 in 100 has perfect pitch. My point? Practice. If we get students thinking early and often what they want to do with their life, and more know than not, then that's where they need to focus and not struggling, spending a majority of their time in classes they don't care about, aren't motivated to participate in, and bottom line, will end up wasting a lot of time in. Consider this, within ten years, 70% of college grads will be working in fields they were not educated in (regarding personal acquaintances, that number is low). And considering that many employers now only use a college degree as a dividing line (a way of weeding out candidates with less potential), why not get a degree in something you love? Don't waste those four years.
There is a lot more to this topic, such as incorporating financial classes, inter-personal skills classes, success classes, and so on, but our K through 16 system is in serious need of repair and upgrading. And this must be done now before too much time passes and more time, money, and effort is wasted. I know that this magnitude of change is challenging but its essential and critical to the long-term welfare of our children; nevertheless, it is a goal or target that we have to shoot for. We have no alternative, remembering that it is not perfection that we seek but betterment.
1 Teacher's Workloads Diary Survey, BMRB Social Research, Sept. 2006
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)Hi Jeff.WOW! You've just written all the things that I've always thought about the educational system.Kids know very early on what they enjoy and they should be encouraged to study that ... even if it changes as they grow older. I always found it easiest to pay attention to, remember and excel at subjects that interested me and that I enjoyed.If we want to produce adults that will excel in a chosen field, we need to encourage them to do what they love doing.Well, you've reached the choir with this one and I hope you reach the congregation as well.Great job,DianneDianne,
Thanks for the kudos. I think so many know of the frustrations regarding education but there are few out there directly and thoroughly addressing the issue. I went to college to get my degree to teach (which I have done over the last 8 years, mostly at the college level) with the intent to study the issue then address it and hopefully mend it to a great degree. I have studied the issue extensively for years and am just weeks away from launching a coaching business that will some day turn into schools that address the real issues of education, as well as those that are specific to any given time period (such as now with the new world-economy-job market and the new student who must no longer address "a" career but an estimated 3 to 5 careers). Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
This is a great article. Parents obviously need to parent, and if that were to happen teachers would perhaps be able to teach. Teachers do get the brunt of the blame, unfortunately, and it is really the parents who are ultimately responsible for their children. Parents might have good intentions, yet too often their children are found wanting. Consequently, school is where the children turn to for unmet needs. Teachers are not only ill-equipped for that, it isn't their job.So. What to do? Throwing money at the problem doesn't help, as history shows. Neither does reducing class-size, something that is impossible given the dwindling number of teachers these days. Parents need to step up and be parents. It sounds too simple, of course, and many parents have all of the excuses in the world why they 'haven't the time'. All I can say is: Too bad!Children need their parents, end of story. If parents haven't the time or inclination, don't have kids! Geez, you would think there would be a 'responsibility test', wouldn't you? Of course that would never fly, yet imagine all of the tests we adults must take in society. Isn't it time for a parent test?Mike,
Totally agree. Parents, for many reasons, have gotten off the hook. In the old days, they used to support teachers. If Johnny came home with a note from the teacher, it was Johnny's fault he was behaving badly. If Johnny comes home with a note now, the parents wants to know why the teacher would ever think their "lovely boy" would do something wrong when it is obviously the teacher's failing that caused the problem in the first place. I have many family, friends and acquaintances who attest to this lack of accountability issue getting so out of hand few want to teach anymore. During my graduate degree years, I ran into many who were getting out of teacing at the secondary level to to teach at college. Thanks for the read and write.
Great article. Well done.I would make a terrible school teacher as I would give the best education to those who wanted it or at least made some form of effort. However some people can't be taught- if you don't want to learn and are hell bent on doing nothing why should others suffer for a lost cause? I would put all these people who don't care in one class to benifit the ones who deserve it.Unfortunately, most students don't care about learning, period. Most are grade focused which is pressure put on them by parents / society / peers, a misguided notion that working to the grade produces the greatest result. Result here being job / high income. If what they learn is not geared toward these two things they by and large are not interested. Certainly there are those few who are passionate about a particular discipline; however, that is rare. Many don't know what they want and fewer work toward gaining knowledge. However, even knowledge is limited without everyday, real world application that enhances income or ease of living. Hard lessons for many to learn, especially teachers who get caught up in their passion. Most students don't care about your passion. And teachers need to forget about themselves, their subject and ask students what it is they want. One of the big failures of our current educational system. Thanks for stopping by to read and comment.
Well stated, my friend.My wife and I once spent one period in the back of my step-sons class. There was so much talking the teacher could not possibly teach.Ken,
I'd love to have all those who think teachers should be held accountable for grades teach for a week or two. Let's see their response after doing so. Thanks for reading and writing.
Jeff,Great article! Your opening statement says it all. Thanks for sharing this with us.Ronyae,
Thanks for taking the time to read.
Jeff has many valid concerns for our students education and the responsibility of both teacher and parents. I agree that the majority of our students need to be taught the social skills of responsiblity, integrity, perseverance and much more, at home. Teachers work with what the students bring to school. It takes team effort and cooperation between family and school.How true that is. However, it's sad what I hear mostly from high school teachers, and what I experienced first-hand substitute teaching while working on my masters, that they--teachers--take the brunt of the blame for student's poor grades. Like my friend-- who's now an attorney and used teaching for income while working on his degree--told me that one time a parent got so upset and asked "Why did you give my son an "F"? What's your problem?" It used to be that parents supported teachers across the board. Not so true anymore. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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