Posts by hiddendriver34

Stephens, Bradbury is actually required reading for class. 😉

Steffi, I’m not sure I follow you. Are you saying we should just scrap required reading lists altogether because nobody picks up a book anymore?

Charm them? 😂 Man, that’s a whole different level of hard.

A colleague of mine who teaches English was telling me about this ridiculous situation. She gave her high school seniors some basic news articles to translate into English, and you wouldn't believe it—they actually had to stop and ask her what a "curb" was or what a "street lamp" looks like.

Quincy:

I can't believe we're already talking about summer plans. It feels like just yesterday we were all huddled under blankets during that last blizzard, and now suddenly everyone is obsessing over backyard BBQs and beach trips. Honestly, I’m right there with you. There is something about those long, humid evenings where the sun refuses to go down that just makes everything feel possible. It’s like when you finally finish a massive project at work—you know, that feeling when you close all those open tabs on your laptop and just sit back for a second? That's how summer feels to me. A giant, glorious reset button. I’m already eyeing some camping gear and thinking about hitting up some national parks. Nothing beats sleeping under the stars if you can handle a few mosquitoes. Who else is already halfway out the door? kaže: So, what do you think the deal is? Why are they even asking that? I mean, does the color of the ring actually matter that much? I'll be honest—I totally blanked on a question like that because I hadn't actually read the book. It wasn't even a matter of being too busy or forgetting; I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I just wasn't feeling it. Look, I felt like I knew everything there was to know about that book and its characters, but let’s be real—if I had actually sat down and read the thing, I wouldn't be sitting here struggling with such a mindless question.

Oh, come on. Seriously? You can't just expect to soak up all those tiny details after one read unless you've got a photographic memory or something. It’s just not how the brain works!

So, get this—this was actually a question from a reading comprehension section on a high school SAT. The passage right above the question described a ring as being "crimson." But once that question popped up? Man, it sparked an absolute, legendary revolt.

@Susan James, what do you actually think the point of creative assignments is in school? Like, regardless of the subject? Do you feel like those kinds of tasks even serve a real purpose?

Most kids today don't touch a book unless it's assigned for school. Honestly, even then, half of them aren't actually reading—they're just finding clever ways to bluff their way through the assignment to trick the teacher.

There is this tiny, microscopic minority of readers who actually go above and beyond. They'll devour extra books on top of that one monthly assignment, much like what rowdypanther12 mentioned.

It would be a total game-changer if students could knock out those required readings during after-school programs. You might want to suggest that to their teachers.

Last year, I took my students out to the school courtyard for an hour. They just spread out on the benches and the floor, totally relaxed, and powered through their reading right then and there. To be fair, it was a quick read that only took about thirty minutes. If we had just two extra hours a week like that, they could easily dive into full-length novels.

rowdypanther12 said:Of course a kid would rather head over to Teddy's than sit down with a book. 😂
Required reading usually takes about a month per book. Most kids I know—including my own—try to map out a daily page count so they can pace themselves. If they rush through it all at once, they forget the details; if they procrastinate, they end up scrambling at the last minute.
That’s why they never seem to have any downtime left for reading anything else.
In our local school district, students only get one elective book choice per year. Personally, I think it would be much better if we had one per semester. 🙏

Yeah, everyone deals with that.

Look, obviously it all comes down to the teacher—that’s always the deciding factor—but if you look at the last few pages of this thread, nobody is even talking about the instructors. The focus has been entirely on the actual assignments.
Is a kid supposed to be drawing? Is a kid supposed to be cutting out shapes? What kind of nonsense is that?!!😠

It just hit me that my students also have to put together a book report poster once a year. 😁 They actually get graded on them, which counts toward their final mark. But honestly? I’m not grading them on how much artistic talent they have; I’m looking at the concept behind the work. You would be genuinely shocked by the kind of wild, out-of-the-box ideas these kids come up with.
My class loves to go all out with acting, too. One time, I even managed to trick the school administration into ordering a massive pile of props, wigs, and costumes for us.

Susan James said:What exactly is this?
I was thinking about grabbing a bite to eat, but I have a feeling there might not be anything in the kitchen right now. 🤣

I wonder if he’s finally found his footing now that he’s turned his required reading list into a "pizza menu." Did that actually help him wrap his head around the material, or was it just a fun way to pass the time?

Is that really supposed to be the only goal here?

I read somewhere recently that the skill sets being hunted for in the global business world have flipped completely upside down over the last decade. Apparently, "teamwork" has tanked in importance, and now creativity is sitting right at the top of the most desirable traits list. These days, companies want creative individuals; being a "team player" is practically old news.

If school is meant to prepare kids for life and the actual job market, shouldn't it be encouraging them to develop the very skill that's considered most vital right now? Do you think creative assignments should be limited to art class? Because right now, you don't see them anywhere in high school.

I constantly see parents getting all worked up whenever anyone mentions "creative tasks."

By the way, I have no clue what a "pizza assignment" is either. But honestly? It sounds pretty cool. 😁

mellowskipper said:And what happens when the homeroom teacher is just some elective language instructor that the kid didn't even pick? It still boils down to seeing them once a week for advisory.

In my middle school, my homeroom teacher taught shop class. So, it was basically a block period every two weeks and then advisory once a week. Everything worked out fine.

Honestly, I’ve never heard of a situation where the homeroom teacher was someone teaching an elective to only a fraction of the class. Maybe that happens in a few specific school districts, but in my experience, I have truly never encountered anything like that.

I honestly don’t get how a homeroom teacher can just sit there and teach absolutely nothing to their students. It makes it impossible for them to actually bond with the kid. 🤷 On top of that, if the parents are totally at odds with everything that teacher stands for, how is that even supposed to work? What kind of relationship is that?

I’ve seen this happen before with a Religious Studies teacher, but that was strictly within a private religious academy setting. This situation feels incredibly bizarre.

Michelle Nelson4 said:And what happened back when they were all stuck using those old mimeograph machines, layering sheet after sheet of stencil paper just to copy stuff into notebooks? Was that somehow considered better or more efficient by everyone?
At the end of the day, a bad teacher is a bad teacher, regardless of which curriculum or teaching method they’re following.

If you ask me, the recent educational reforms have actually managed to weed out some of the nonsense people used to push, though I definitely think there's still plenty of room for improvement.

Now, my daughter hasn't really had any issues—she doesn't complain about anything—but we did deal with a bit of chaos regarding her math teacher swaps once or twice. Luckily, I was able to smooth things over without much trouble. That said, at her age, she really ought to be putting in five times the effort I am! Besides, I know plenty of other parents who vent constantly about teachers I’ve never even heard of. So... I suppose it all depends on your perspective.

Exactly.

Michael Lee75 said:Has anyone here actually gone through the Goldman Sachs program at an elite prep school? Or maybe you know a kid or a parent who survived the whole thing? I’m looking for honest feedback—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Here’s the situation: my son is currently navigating the high school application process, finishing up his final year of middle school, and he’s been fixated on nothing but this specific program. He’s convinced it’s his only path because he wants to study abroad, and honestly, he acts like any other local public high school wouldn't even be worth his time. He passed the entrance exams and made the cut, but now, suddenly, he’s having second thoughts.

The part that really sticks in my craw is one of the reasons he’s wavering. He mentioned that the kids in that program are all from these incredibly wealthy families—he saw a few of them during the registration and entrance process, and they were already talking about $300 sneakers and stuff like that. It just feels like a different world.

His other concern is more practical: apparently, you have to maintain a certain GPA by the end of sophomore year, and if you don't hit that mark, you're essentially kicked out of the program. That’s definitely enough to make anyone hesitate.
As for the school itself, I don't particularly care; I’ve been telling him all along that a solid, standard American high school might actually be the smarter move. I mostly said that to soften the blow in case he didn't get in, so he wouldn't view it as some life-altering tragedy, but the reality is you can still get into great universities from a regular school, and it’s a much more affordable option. Still, I don't want him to abandon his ambitions just because he's feeling intimidated or uncertain.

Maybe this is just one of those cases where what you think you want isn't actually what you need, and perhaps he doesn't truly need this specific program after all. There’s a massive gap between dreaming about something and actually living it. I’m not going to force his hand—he picked these schools himself and he’s setting his own priorities—but he has two days left to make a call, so I figured I should try to find some real-world examples of kids who actually completed the program.

So, if anyone has any actual wisdom to share, I'm all ears.

Salambo, if I were in your shoes, I’d try to nudge him toward enrolling. It feels a bit silly to abandon a long-term goal just because of a few conversations outside the school building. And let’s be real: even in a standard public school, you’re going to have kids wearing $300 sneakers (and plenty of others daydreaming about them)🤣, even if they aren't quite as concentrated in an IB program.

Since it’s a specialized program, the tuition means it attracts families who can afford it. Sure, you’ll see some wealthy kids, but you’ll also see middle-class families who make sacrifices just to give their child this opportunity. It’s not like everyone there comes from old money.

I personally know a guy who finished the IB program in Miami a couple of years ago. He transferred there during his sophomore year from a regular public school. His parents weren't wealthy at all, and after graduation, he went off to a great university in Washington, D.C.

He made the switch because he felt like he was just an average student in the public school system and felt his skills weren't being recognized. Even in the IB program, he was still a pretty average student, but he was way more satisfied there. The workload is intense and the assignments are demanding, but it feels like the work is much more productive. They don't waste nearly as much time on fluff compared to what you see in a typical state school.

One downside is that the curriculum isn't tailored to standard American standardized testing, so you might need extra prep if you plan on staying local for college, but since your son wants to go abroad anyway, that probably won't even matter.

Susan James said:So, what’s the cutoff looking like for the 7th or 2nd year?
Is it under 75?
In my experience, when schools make their decisions, they don't just look at that baseline threshold. They usually weigh things like last year's final admitted student scores, SAT results, how close you live to campus, and stuff like that.

I have a feeling that students who didn't pick the advanced math track this year might actually do pretty well in the STEM programs if they have the drive and the talent. They might edge out those who did, and then everyone else will likely flow into the general studies tracks.
On the flip side, if someone isn't interested in heavy math or wants to focus more on languages—and maybe missed out on some extra credit points—they might find themselves having to stick to the advanced track just to stay competitive for the general programs, assuming they don't implement entrance exams.

Yeah, applies to both.

The number of applicants really comes down to the minimum score threshold set by the school itself. It’s pretty straightforward: the lower they set that cutoff, the more students are going to jump at the chance to apply.

rowdypanther12 said:If those two hours are optional, then that’s great.
I mean, imagine if you need help staying late to finish some schoolwork, and then you want to hit up a Starbucks on the way home. That would be perfect.
But if they actually have to stay for those two hours, that sounds pretty rough.

Honestly, I don't think it's brutal at all. In fact, I love the idea. As long as kids can actually leave school behind the second they walk out those doors, I'm on board.

Michelle Nelson4 said:We could honestly just implement school busing for high schoolers too, and it would be such a win. It’s way more cost-effective than trying to build out massive infrastructure just to accommodate tiny classes of five students. Plus, kids would actually have more options to choose from. There are plenty of other countries that have already figured this out. As for people moving away, I’m really not going to mourn anyone who feels they’re better off elsewhere; if anything, I’m happy for them. Let's be real—if there aren't any jobs waiting for them once they graduate, they're probably going to head out in four years regardless.

In a democracy, every state gets exactly what it deserves. Ultimately, the people are responsible for the leadership they choose to put in power.

P.S. If you look at the current demographic trends, it's pretty obvious why teachers are seeing fewer and fewer students in their classrooms. Each new generation is smaller than the last, and that's compounded by everyone leaving the country.

I’m totally with you on this. Honestly, it blows my mind that reliable school transportation is such a non-issue in America. For elementary schools, it’s pretty hit-or-miss, and for high schools? It’s basically nonexistent. If we had a solid, well-organized bus system, we could solve so many problems for those tiny rural schools struggling with low enrollment and staffing shortages. It would also give high schoolers much more freedom to choose the school that actually fits them best.

The only exception would be places like Hawaii or remote island communities—they’ll always need their own unique solutions.

I’ve always felt that playing games or being shady isn't a winning strategy, and that goes for giving advice too. What’s the end goal there? You’re just hiding things and being dishonest.

For instance, I would never—and I mean never—allow my kid to smoke in the house, nor would I ever sit there and light up alongside them. My stance on cigarettes is pretty well-known, and I’m certainly not going to be encouraging anyone to pick up the habit.

That said, I really believe in keeping the lines of communication wide open. Teenagers are going to experiment; they want to feel grown-up, especially when they're hanging out with their friends. There's no sense in freaking out or acting like it's the end of the world. At the end of the day, it's about trusting your kid and having faith that they won't cross the line.