Do you ever wonder if teachers other members of the education system actually remember what it was like to be on the other side? I ask this because I was just given my timetable for my Higher Prelims. Highers are exams which test advanced levels of knowledge on subjects studied in your penultimate (but most important arguably) year of high school. These exams are mentally testing and require a lot of revision. I was handed my timetable on Wednesday to find that all five of my exams are withing the space of 3 consecutive days, with only about an hour between subjects. That's not even enough time to get something to eat, let alone relax! You have to wonder at times like this: "Do they even remember what it was like when they were our age? The stress, the pressure to do well?" Surely, if they actually remembered or cared about us doing well, they'd space out the prelim exams in the same was that the actual examinations (organised by an outside authority) are conducted. Considering that they are always banging on about how important there prelims are and how if we don't do very well in the real exam then they can use these to appeal our grades, you'd think they'd make it as fair as possible on us. Also, there have been many times in the past where I have received 4 pieces of difficult homework all due for the same day. You have to think whether or not there is any communication between the teachers at all, and this only serves to make it more difficult for us pupils. So what do you think? Do you think that teachers need to think back more to their old school days when teaching their pupils?
Good thing I found this thread. I am an elementary teacher now myself, and believe me, when I hear my students grumble about the assignments I give them, I do remember how it felt to have to do the same stuff they did. Here's the thing, though. As a teacher, I'm stuck with dealing with just as much stress as my students do. I have to deal with the school boards and the state education system breathing down the back of my neck if my lessons aren't meeting certain points in the state's frameworks, or if they don't cater to certain state test prep standards. They stressed this the most when I completed my student teaching practicum last spring, and I was (un)lucky enough to start teaching right before my class took their state comprehensive assessment tests. So I teach what I teach not because I feel like bringing my students down or having this overlord feeling, but because I know if I don't teach what my state wants me to teach and my students score poorly on their exams, then it's my job that gets taken from me. You mention high school, which while I understand that it does require a lot more work than elementary school did, your teachers too are probably under the same pressure as I am, even more so because high school is considered prep for college. I know sometimes it fees like they're all ganging up on you with their assignments, but you have to remember that they only have so much time to cover everything that you need to learn before the school is closed for the summer, and they can actually get in trouble if certain key topics aren't covered. Hope that helps you to see it from the other side of the teacher's desk, if you will.
^ Just agreeing with the above. To be honest I've had a lot of teachers/professors tell me about things like this. Their view of it is either, "We served our time as students so you don't have the right to whine to us" or "it was way harder in my days". Although to be honest it feels like areas such as math and science have possibly gotten a little harder over the years. Just a tad bit though but I guess I'm a little biased because of the things my own father has told me. To be honest, school's never been too hard for me and I intend to mostly ignore whatever complaints my students have when I(eventually) become a professor. << I don't really see much of a reason for people to complain so much about schoolwork unless they're in graduate courses. ...So I'll be complaining a lot next year. XD
Agreeing with Nashida as well. Relating specifically to high school, I know that many of my teachers are very stressed around the end of term/semester. They have to organize final assignments, grade them all (which can take a very long time if they teach more than one class of the same subject), write up an exam, and then grade all those. Get report cards done, make comments on all the report cards, etc etc. I'm sure they haven't forgotten. I think most of them just have a "suck it up" attitude. I still complain though. c:
Well can't make a valid claim like Nashida, but I think it is dependent on the teacher. I've talked to some of my teachers about exams and other school stuff, and they have said they know how I feel, like the stress of exams, revision and so on. It shows that they understand the situation which is nice, but I want a teacher, someone who commands respect and attention to teach me what I need to pass. Though I would prefer someone I get along with and joke with as well, since that personal relationship helps form better memories of the work we do and is enjoyable. But then again I know teachers who don't seem to care enough to think what the students might be going through making it seem like any other job they have to do, which is a real disappointment considering it can be the difference between learning something valuable or not.
Just another thing I forgot to add here: remember who gets to go home and grade all that stuff after you've turned it in. Especially in high school, where teachers see four or five different classes a day. I lost many a weekend to grading a week's worth of homework assignments, and found myself asking why exactly did I assign them that stuff in the first place.
I agree with Nashida that teachers also have a heavy workload, however; I grade almost all of the homework I am assigned in class, this also includes test. My only problem with teachers is that on a night when the band has to play at all four school basketball games (this can be a five or six hour event), they have no sympathy if all the homework is not completed. If there was only an hour or two of homework then yes, it needs to be done; but if five hours worth of homework was assigned I am not going to stay up until 3am to finish all of it, especially if I have a zero hour class the next day.
To be fair, this is probably because of the system, as opposed to any malicious choice the teachers made. You just had the misfortune to be placed in classes that were all consecutive. Your blame is probably misplaced. On the other hand, if it's like that for most students, then I can understand your complaints. To put things in perspective, one guy I know had four exams in one day. Each exam was three hours long.
