How would you improve American education at the classroom level?

1. 88

   suzettenaplesposted 11 years ago

   How would you improve American education at the classroom level?
   
   What specifically would you do to improve the education for the twenty-five students in your fictional classroom?  Your answers can run from the philosophical to the pedagogical to the real.

   replyreport
2. 0

   Sunnie Dayposted 11 years ago

   As a retired school nurse I watched teachers struggling with 25 students, having to follow all these mandates placed on them, taking away much from any imaginative things they may like to do with their students. I would combine some of the subjects such as writing a paper, using the spelling words for the week, and penmanship, a topic on history, all in one paper. Leaving more time for exsperiments, hands on learning, utilising some of the more mature students to help the others struggling...Time constraints is such a biggy...I respect teachers so much as much of what they would like to do is out of their hands..Thanks.

   replyreport
   1. 88

      suzettenaplesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Excellent idea - I have taught writing this way and it does work!  I am also retired from teaching.  It was a great run, but I'm glad to be retired!

      replyreport
3. 73

   Rosana Modugnoposted 11 years ago

   Give more homework, more reading and writing, daily journal writing (I was given this in NY public school system and if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have learned English), and higher pay for the teacher. 

   replyreport
   1. 88

      suzettenaplesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Very interesting answer - I can agree with this!

      replyreport
4. 76

   LupitaRonquilloposted 11 years ago

   To improve the real life education of people I would implement a mandatory Financial Awareness class so people would truly learn how to prevent getting into high debt with credit cards, invest, plan for retirement and save money.

   replyreport
   1. 88

      suzettenaplesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, this is definitely needed in middle and high school education, especially with the economy the way it is.  Great choice!

      replyreport
5. 77

   calynbanaposted 11 years ago

   I would want smaller class sizes, or a teacher's assistant in all the large classes. Less paperwork for the teacher, so that they can focus on the children, and really engage with them. More prep time for teachers so that the necessary paperwork could still be completed.
   
   Less focus on what a child should be learning, and more on how they should be taught to learn. The subject matter is significantly less important than the approach to learning. More freedom for the teachers in their curriculum, in terms of time and creativity.
   
   Depending on the grade a lot more open space for the children. In the younger grades the desks are unnecessary. A couple of tables and enough chairs for all the children would suffice. An open uncluttered space is a more educationally friendly environment.

   replyreport
   1. 88

      suzettenaplesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Great suggestions.  It is a shame standardized testing makes it difficult to do this.  But this is how teaching and a classroom should be.

      replyreport