Grading Freshmen

I don't even know where to start with this one, honestly. Is anyone else seeing this? It’s like we’re all just collectively nodding along while everything goes completely sideways, right? I feel like I’m shouting into a void sometimes, just trying to make sense of the chaos, but does anyone actually stop to listen? Probably not. We’re all too busy chasing the next big thing or pretending everything is perfectly fine, even when it clearly isn't. It's exhausting, isn't it? Just constant noise without any actual substance behind it. Anyway, I guess I'm just rambling now. What do you guys think? Or am I just losing my mind here? kaže:
🤣

It honestly terrifies me to think that we actually believe the best way to start a kid off is by basically drilling fear into their bones from day one, as if school is some kind of prison sentence they need to be conditioned for? Like, seriously, since when did we decide that keeping children under this constant, suffocating thumb was the secret sauce to learning? Is that really how we want to spark a lifelong love for knowledge, by making them feel like they’re constantly walking on eggshells just to stay out of trouble? It feels so wrong, you know?

Look, the curriculum for first graders is basically just a collection of fundamental life skills that every single kid needs to survive—like, I mean every single day—dealing with the actual world they live in. So if we’re really going to try and force them into submission using nothing but strict discipline and the threat of bad grades, then I honestly don't see how it's even possible to motivate them to care about things like vectors, imaginary numbers, or learning Latin and Greek roots, right? 😕

🤦 Look, if you honestly think a single grade from first grade is some kind of terrifying catastrophe that’s going to ruin a kid's entire life—rather than just being a little signal that maybe, just maybe, you need to sit down and actually work through something with them—then I’m genuinely at a loss for words. Like, seriously, what am I even supposed to say to that? I’m sorry, but I really don't know how else to put this.

So, look, Susan James, you mentioned earlier that some kids just aren't being given a clear enough grasp on the curriculum—whatever that’s supposed to mean, really—but in my neck of the woods, we still have actual, salaried professors and teachers standing at the front of the classroom delivering the material. I honestly don't get where the parents are supposed to step in here; if I'm paying for professional educators to make these concepts click for my kids during school hours, isn't it kind of on them to actually make the lessons stick? 😕

So they’re getting paid, big deal—who cares? Honestly, you’re getting paid to do your job too, aren't you? But here's the real question I have for you: are you actually pulling your weight and seeing every single task through from start to finish, or are you just cherry-picking a tiny slice of the process and calling it a day?
And seriously, just try to wrap your head around the math for a second—how much actual time does a first-grade teacher even have to sit down with every single kid individually? Like, how are they supposed to tailor the lesson to fit each specific child’s learning style when you've got twenty or twenty-five little humans in one room? A class period is only forty-five minutes long, right? And that’s not even counting the time wasted trying to settle the rowdiest kids down—which probably takes at least a minute or two if things are going perfectly. It’s honestly a massive stretch to expect one person to meet every single high expectation we parents throw at them.😁

Honestly, what you’ve put together for your students is absolutely brilliant, but let’s be real for a second—not every parent out there has the background to actually know what their kid should be grasping, how they ought to be learning, or even what milestones they should be hitting, right? It feels kind of awkward for me to go around pointing fingers at them or trying to pin all this responsibility on their shoulders, especially when we're talking about those early elementary school years where everything really should be handled within the classroom. I mean, if the teaching itself isn't actually delivering anything meaningful, then what are we even doing here?

Look, I really don't think this is some deep-seated issue with how parents are educated or anything like that; it’s purely about whether they're actually stepping up and taking responsibility for their kid. I mean, sorry if I'm being blunt, but if we as parents can't spot a red flag when it's staring us right in the face, what are we even doing? We always have the option to just head down to the local elementary school and have a real, honest conversation with their teacher, right? And let's be real, we aren't living on a deserted island—there are other parents around us all the time. So, if you already feel like you're out of your depth, how on earth are you supposed to figure it out on your own? There's absolutely no shame in asking for help.😉

I mean, honestly, I’m expecting school to actually be engaging and easy to wrap your head around, right? I mean, what else am I supposed to expect? And it’s not just about the classroom, either... so much of what they teach in elementary school starts way back in preschool... things like reading stories, retelling plots, answering questions after a read-aloud (like what was mentioned in the original post), or those little pretend play sessions where they run a fake grocery store or restaurant to practice adding, subtracting, and multiplying, etc.

.
Look, sorry, but if you’ve got twenty students breezing through the material without breaking a sweat while five others are struggling, you can't really claim the teaching method isn't working... the fact that our kid specifically isn't vibing with the way things are being taught is a whole different ballgame entirely. Either you step up as a parent and bridge that gap in a way they can actually digest, or you just let it ride. At the end of the day, none of us have a leg to stand on when it comes to complaining, and frankly, I don't see why everyone is making such a huge deal out of it.

I was born back in the late sixties, and I was sitting in those first-grade classrooms during a totally different era... we didn't even get grades for the first four years.
They told me to go to school and be a model student—to work hard and be a good friend—because my ancestors fought for these opportunities (you know, free public education that's available to everyone)😬
and that life would be a lot smoother if I just stuck it out and finished school.

Are you sure about that?😁...I was born during that same era too, but I was pulling grades starting from the very first grade...

Lawrence Torres56 said:

I don't even know where to start with this one, honestly. Is anyone else seeing this? It’s like we’re all just collectively nodding along while everything goes completely sideways, right? I feel like I’m shouting into a void sometimes, just trying to make sense of the chaos, but does anyone actually stop to listen? Probably not. We’re all too busy chasing the next big thing or pretending everything is perfectly fine, even when it clearly isn't. It's exhausting, isn't it? Just constant noise without any actual substance behind it. Anyway, I guess I'm just rambling now. What do you guys think? Or am I just losing my mind here? kaže:
🤣

It honestly terrifies me to think that we actually believe the best way to start a kid off is by basically drilling fear into their bones from day one, as if school is some kind of prison sentence they need to be conditioned for? Like, seriously, since when did we decide that keeping children under this constant, suffocating thumb was the secret sauce to learning? Is that really how we want to spark a lifelong love for knowledge, by making them feel like they’re constantly walking on eggshells just to stay out of trouble? It feels so wrong, you know?

Look, the curriculum for first graders is basically just a collection of fundamental life skills that every single kid needs to survive—like, I mean every single day—dealing with the actual world they live in. So if we’re really going to try and force them into submission using nothing but strict discipline and the threat of bad grades, then I honestly don't see how it's even possible to motivate them to care about things like vectors, imaginary numbers, or learning Latin and Greek roots, right? 😕

🤦 Look, if you honestly think a single grade from first grade is some kind of terrifying catastrophe that’s going to ruin a kid's entire life—rather than just being a little signal that maybe, just maybe, you need to sit down and actually work through something with them—then I’m genuinely at a loss for words. Like, seriously, what am I even supposed to say to that? I’m sorry, but I really don't know how else to put this.

So, look, Susan James, you mentioned earlier that some kids just aren't being given a clear enough grasp on the curriculum—whatever that’s supposed to mean, really—but in my neck of the woods, we still have actual, salaried professors and teachers standing at the front of the classroom delivering the material. I honestly don't get where the parents are supposed to step in here; if I'm paying for professional educators to make these concepts click for my kids during school hours, isn't it kind of on them to actually make the lessons stick? 😕

So they’re getting paid, big deal—who cares? Honestly, you’re getting paid to do your job too, aren't you? But here's the real question I have for you: are you actually pulling your weight and seeing every single task through from start to finish, or are you just cherry-picking a tiny slice of the process and calling it a day?
And seriously, just try to wrap your head around the math for a second—how much actual time does a first-grade teacher even have to sit down with every single kid individually? Like, how are they supposed to tailor the lesson to fit each specific child’s learning style when you've got twenty or twenty-five little humans in one room? A class period is only forty-five minutes long, right? And that’s not even counting the time wasted trying to settle the rowdiest kids down—which probably takes at least a minute or two if things are going perfectly. It’s honestly a massive stretch to expect one person to meet every single high expectation we parents throw at them.😁

Honestly, what you’ve put together for your students is absolutely brilliant, but let’s be real for a second—not every parent out there has the background to actually know what their kid should be grasping, how they ought to be learning, or even what milestones they should be hitting, right? It feels kind of awkward for me to go around pointing fingers at them or trying to pin all this responsibility on their shoulders, especially when we're talking about those early elementary school years where everything really should be handled within the classroom. I mean, if the teaching itself isn't actually delivering anything meaningful, then what are we even doing here?

Look, I really don't think this is some deep-seated issue with how parents are educated or anything like that; it’s purely about whether they're actually stepping up and taking responsibility for their kid. I mean, sorry if I'm being blunt, but if we as parents can't spot a red flag when it's staring us right in the face, what are we even doing? We always have the option to just head down to the local elementary school and have a real, honest conversation with their teacher, right? And let's be real, we aren't living on a deserted island—there are other parents around us all the time. So, if you already feel like you're out of your depth, how on earth are you supposed to figure it out on your own? There's absolutely no shame in asking for help.😉

I mean, honestly, I’m expecting school to actually be engaging and easy to wrap your head around, right? I mean, what else am I supposed to expect? And it’s not just about the classroom, either... so much of what they teach in elementary school starts way back in preschool... things like reading stories, retelling plots, answering questions after a read-aloud (like what was mentioned in the original post), or those little pretend play sessions where they run a fake grocery store or restaurant to practice adding, subtracting, and multiplying, etc.

.
Look, sorry, but if you’ve got twenty students breezing through the material without breaking a sweat while five others are struggling, you can't really claim the teaching method isn't working... the fact that our kid specifically isn't vibing with the way things are being taught is a whole different ballgame entirely. Either you step up as a parent and bridge that gap in a way they can actually digest, or you just let it ride. At the end of the day, none of us have a leg to stand on when it comes to complaining, and frankly, I don't see why everyone is making such a huge deal out of it.

I was born back in the late sixties, and I was sitting in those first-grade classrooms during a totally different era... we didn't even get grades for the first four years.
They told me to go to school and be a model student—to work hard and be a good friend—because my ancestors fought for these opportunities (you know, free public education that's available to everyone)😬
and that life would be a lot smoother if I just stuck it out and finished school.

Are you sure about that?😁...I was born during that same era too, but I was pulling grades starting from the very first grade...

Look, even yin&yang went through school back then without any formal grades,🤷

A parent's responsibility is to stay involved in their child's education and check in regularly with the teachers, but it shouldn't be about tutoring them at home.
It really just comes down to how much a parent wants to be motivated and proactive.

Susan James said:Look, even yin&yang went through school back then without any formal grades,🤷

A parent's responsibility is to stay involved in their child's education and check in regularly with the teachers, but it shouldn't be about tutoring them at home.
It really just comes down to how much a parent wants to be motivated and proactive.

I definitely didn't have grades back in my fourth grade.
Similarly, I find it completely unacceptable that I’m expected to sit down with my child every single night to grind through schoolwork they were supposed to learn in class (maybe explain a concept here or there if they're stuck, sure, but sitting there daily to teach them? No. And yet, I keep hearing that this is becoming the norm, which frankly baffles me).
The reality is, by the time we get home from work and school, it’s already past 5:00 PM. By the time we grab dinner, it’s 6:00 or even later. There are so many other things I actually want to do with my kid—especially on the weekends. If a child is in school until late in the afternoon, I expect them to handle their school business while they're actually there. It’s not that I don’t want to be involved with my child (which seems to be the implication floating around here), quite the opposite: I just want our time together to be spent differently.

feralgardener33 said:I definitely didn't have grades back in my fourth grade.
Similarly, I find it completely unacceptable that I’m expected to sit down with my child every single night to grind through schoolwork they were supposed to learn in class (maybe explain a concept here or there if they're stuck, sure, but sitting there daily to teach them? No. And yet, I keep hearing that this is becoming the norm, which frankly baffles me).
The reality is, by the time we get home from work and school, it’s already past 5:00 PM. By the time we grab dinner, it’s 6:00 or even later. There are so many other things I actually want to do with my kid—especially on the weekends. If a child is in school until late in the afternoon, I expect them to handle their school business while they're actually there. It’s not that I don’t want to be involved with my child (which seems to be the implication floating around here), quite the opposite: I just want our time together to be spent differently.

🙂
Best,

I would much rather play board games with my kid, practice speaking English, do science experiments (like the ones on the 🙏 website), bake cookies, read comics, explore outdoors, or head to the theater or movies...
I'd much prefer my child to go to the local youth center, or join judo or swimming after school, rather than having me sit there reviewing lessons. I truly believe an average student should be able to grasp what they're learning during class time in the lower grades, not at home.
At home, my child can tell me what they're learning or what they found easy, hard, or interesting, but I'm not going to act as a tutor.

By the way, kids struggle with concentration because they aren't moving enough (physical activity has been cut down to almost nothing), not necessarily because they're overloaded with curriculum. Sure, those two things are linked, but I really think that kids who get their daily dose of movement find it much easier to focus and learn while they're actually in the classroom.

Besides, kids aren't actually learning anything. Between the atmospheric pressure, the moon being in Scorpio, and children just being inherently lazy and incapable, we have plenty of excuses. The failing school system and the teachers? That’s just an afterthought at the bottom of a very long list of reasons—if they’re even to blame at all.

I believe parents of first graders have a responsibility to help their kids tackle schoolwork, master the curriculum, and build actual work habits.

The first four years of elementary school are the foundation. That’s when parents need to step up. If they don't, by the time the workload ramps up in middle school, the kid won't have a clue how to work independently.

Otherwise, you just end up with parents in the upper grades doing all the reading assignments and other nonsense because "the poor kid is too overwhelmed." It's a mess.

Lawrence Torres56 said:

I don't even know where to start with this one, honestly. Is anyone else seeing this? It’s like we’re all just collectively nodding along while everything goes completely sideways, right? I feel like I’m shouting into a void sometimes, just trying to make sense of the chaos, but does anyone actually stop to listen? Probably not. We’re all too busy chasing the next big thing or pretending everything is perfectly fine, even when it clearly isn't. It's exhausting, isn't it? Just constant noise without any actual substance behind it. Anyway, I guess I'm just rambling now. What do you guys think? Or am I just losing my mind here? kaže:
🤣

It honestly terrifies me to think that we actually believe the best way to start a kid off is by basically drilling fear into their bones from day one, as if school is some kind of prison sentence they need to be conditioned for? Like, seriously, since when did we decide that keeping children under this constant, suffocating thumb was the secret sauce to learning? Is that really how we want to spark a lifelong love for knowledge, by making them feel like they’re constantly walking on eggshells just to stay out of trouble? It feels so wrong, you know?

Look, the curriculum for first graders is basically just a collection of fundamental life skills that every single kid needs to survive—like, I mean every single day—dealing with the actual world they live in. So if we’re really going to try and force them into submission using nothing but strict discipline and the threat of bad grades, then I honestly don't see how it's even possible to motivate them to care about things like vectors, imaginary numbers, or learning Latin and Greek roots, right? 😕

🤦 Look, if you honestly think a single grade from first grade is some kind of terrifying catastrophe that’s going to ruin a kid's entire life—rather than just being a little signal that maybe, just maybe, you need to sit down and actually work through something with them—then I’m genuinely at a loss for words. Like, seriously, what am I even supposed to say to that? I’m sorry, but I really don't know how else to put this.

So, look, Susan James, you mentioned earlier that some kids just aren't being given a clear enough grasp on the curriculum—whatever that’s supposed to mean, really—but in my neck of the woods, we still have actual, salaried professors and teachers standing at the front of the classroom delivering the material. I honestly don't get where the parents are supposed to step in here; if I'm paying for professional educators to make these concepts click for my kids during school hours, isn't it kind of on them to actually make the lessons stick? 😕

So they’re getting paid, big deal—who cares? Honestly, you’re getting paid to do your job too, aren't you? But here's the real question I have for you: are you actually pulling your weight and seeing every single task through from start to finish, or are you just cherry-picking a tiny slice of the process and calling it a day?
And seriously, just try to wrap your head around the math for a second—how much actual time does a first-grade teacher even have to sit down with every single kid individually? Like, how are they supposed to tailor the lesson to fit each specific child’s learning style when you've got twenty or twenty-five little humans in one room? A class period is only forty-five minutes long, right? And that’s not even counting the time wasted trying to settle the rowdiest kids down—which probably takes at least a minute or two if things are going perfectly. It’s honestly a massive stretch to expect one person to meet every single high expectation we parents throw at them.😁

Honestly, what you’ve put together for your students is absolutely brilliant, but let’s be real for a second—not every parent out there has the background to actually know what their kid should be grasping, how they ought to be learning, or even what milestones they should be hitting, right? It feels kind of awkward for me to go around pointing fingers at them or trying to pin all this responsibility on their shoulders, especially when we're talking about those early elementary school years where everything really should be handled within the classroom. I mean, if the teaching itself isn't actually delivering anything meaningful, then what are we even doing here?

Look, I really don't think this is some deep-seated issue with how parents are educated or anything like that; it’s purely about whether they're actually stepping up and taking responsibility for their kid. I mean, sorry if I'm being blunt, but if we as parents can't spot a red flag when it's staring us right in the face, what are we even doing? We always have the option to just head down to the local elementary school and have a real, honest conversation with their teacher, right? And let's be real, we aren't living on a deserted island—there are other parents around us all the time. So, if you already feel like you're out of your depth, how on earth are you supposed to figure it out on your own? There's absolutely no shame in asking for help.😉

I mean, honestly, I’m expecting school to actually be engaging and easy to wrap your head around, right? I mean, what else am I supposed to expect? And it’s not just about the classroom, either... so much of what they teach in elementary school starts way back in preschool... things like reading stories, retelling plots, answering questions after a read-aloud (like what was mentioned in the original post), or those little pretend play sessions where they run a fake grocery store or restaurant to practice adding, subtracting, and multiplying, etc.

.
Look, sorry, but if you’ve got twenty students breezing through the material without breaking a sweat while five others are struggling, you can't really claim the teaching method isn't working... the fact that our kid specifically isn't vibing with the way things are being taught is a whole different ballgame entirely. Either you step up as a parent and bridge that gap in a way they can actually digest, or you just let it ride. At the end of the day, none of us have a leg to stand on when it comes to complaining, and frankly, I don't see why everyone is making such a huge deal out of it.

I was born back in the late sixties, and I was sitting in those first-grade classrooms during a totally different era... we didn't even get grades for the first four years.
They told me to go to school and be a model student—to work hard and be a good friend—because my ancestors fought for these opportunities (you know, free public education that's available to everyone)😬
and that life would be a lot smoother if I just stuck it out and finished school.

Are you sure about that?😁...I was born during that same era too, but I was pulling grades starting from the very first grade...

So, essentially, a parent is expected to be an expert tutor for a child struggling with the curriculum, provided they have enough motivation?

Are you assuming every parent is a licensed elementary school teacher, or do you think these specialized skills just fall from the sky if you're "responsible" enough? 😁

Just lurking here for a bit... purely from a professional standpoint (I'm a teacher) and gathering intel for next year when I'll be back to teaching first graders after a four-year break.

To be honest, I'm nervous 😛. After all this time, facing a whole new batch of kids and parents... getting to know them, seeing how they "operate," figuring out what they actually want and need, and then trying to squeeze all that into the standard state curriculum is a massive responsibility and exhausting work.

Especially since I see every year that grades are becoming more and more important to parents (and I’m specifically talking about parents, because in about 10% of my classes, the kids are the ones who actually give a damn) while they put in less effort or simply don't know how to prepare their child at home before they even step foot in school.

So you end up with a 7.5-year-old in your class who doesn't know a single color or shape 😲, can't list their family members, can't explain the route from home to school, can't spot seasonal changes in nature, or identify basic animal genders/species... basically, they can't connect concepts and real-life events logically. That is the responsibility and duty of the parent or guardian—not to teach them to count perfectly to twenty or read flawlessly (they'll learn that in school), but to build that foundation. Of course, a kid like that will end up at a disadvantage compared to others and get bad grades—which isn't their fault—and they'll likely lose any drive or motivation to learn.

I'm against letter grades or numerical grading in the first four grades (especially for electives and social studies), but arguing about it is pointless because that's just how the current laws are set up 🙄

But seriously, I have to appeal to parents: spend more time preparing your child for an independent life and learning. Don't just dump everything on preschool, school, or the TV... every year we get worse generations because they've lost the ability to connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.

Man, honestly, was I the only one who went to a school where they started grading you from the literal first grade? 😉...I mean, if I didn't have my report card sitting right here, you’d probably think I was just making stuff up to sound dramatic 😁,

Anyway, about the rest of it... listen, girls, do whatever you want, do what feels right to you—honestly, I couldn't care less, it doesn't affect me one bit 😁

feralskipper58 said:I believe parents of first graders have a responsibility to help their kids tackle schoolwork, master the curriculum, and build actual work habits.

The first four years of elementary school are the foundation. That’s when parents need to step up. If they don't, by the time the workload ramps up in middle school, the kid won't have a clue how to work independently.

Otherwise, you just end up with parents in the upper grades doing all the reading assignments and other nonsense because "the poor kid is too overwhelmed." It's a mess.

just building study habits
But honestly, that starts way before first grade—it begins during the preschool years and happens through all sorts of activities, not just schoolwork.

And I have to say, I don't quite see why I would be expected to sit down and do my child's actual school assignments for them.

Plus, this isn't just about parents lacking education. You have plenty of highly educated professionals out there who might be experts in their fields but struggle to explain a concept to a child in a way that actually makes sense to them.

All this talk about students being overwhelmed by too much material is total nonsense. I can personally vouch for that. In my 11 years on the job, I’ve seen the exact opposite. Every year, textbooks actually cut back on the sheer volume of data, and there's more time allocated for practice and review than ever before.
As for grading, we still have way, way too many straight-A students in our elementary schools—especially in those first four grades. It’s mostly just parent pressure on teachers and administrators to make sure their kid gets top marks. Then comes the inevitable shock and disbelief when those kids hit high school, where the standards and the workload are actually rigorous.

Personally, I’d scrap traditional grading entirely. Just stick to percentages and descriptive feedback to show where they stand, but tighten the hell up on the actual criteria used for assessment.☕

Adam Evans62 said:Just lurking here for a bit... purely from a professional standpoint (I'm a teacher) and gathering intel for next year when I'll be back to teaching first graders after a four-year break.

To be honest, I'm nervous 😛. After all this time, facing a whole new batch of kids and parents... getting to know them, seeing how they "operate," figuring out what they actually want and need, and then trying to squeeze all that into the standard state curriculum is a massive responsibility and exhausting work.

Especially since I see every year that grades are becoming more and more important to parents (and I’m specifically talking about parents, because in about 10% of my classes, the kids are the ones who actually give a damn) while they put in less effort or simply don't know how to prepare their child at home before they even step foot in school.

So you end up with a 7.5-year-old in your class who doesn't know a single color or shape 😲, can't list their family members, can't explain the route from home to school, can't spot seasonal changes in nature, or identify basic animal genders/species... basically, they can't connect concepts and real-life events logically. That is the responsibility and duty of the parent or guardian—not to teach them to count perfectly to twenty or read flawlessly (they'll learn that in school), but to build that foundation. Of course, a kid like that will end up at a disadvantage compared to others and get bad grades—which isn't their fault—and they'll likely lose any drive or motivation to learn.

I'm against letter grades or numerical grading in the first four grades (especially for electives and social studies), but arguing about it is pointless because that's just how the current laws are set up 🙄

But seriously, I have to appeal to parents: spend more time preparing your child for an independent life and learning. Don't just dump everything on preschool, school, or the TV... every year we get worse generations because they've lost the ability to connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.

Well, we can still dream about it!
I actually love discussing this, and I am soooo happy to see a teacher sharing this perspective 👍

Adam Evans62 said:Just lurking here for a bit... purely from a professional standpoint (I'm a teacher) and gathering intel for next year when I'll be back to teaching first graders after a four-year break.

To be honest, I'm nervous 😛. After all this time, facing a whole new batch of kids and parents... getting to know them, seeing how they "operate," figuring out what they actually want and need, and then trying to squeeze all that into the standard state curriculum is a massive responsibility and exhausting work.

Especially since I see every year that grades are becoming more and more important to parents (and I’m specifically talking about parents, because in about 10% of my classes, the kids are the ones who actually give a damn) while they put in less effort or simply don't know how to prepare their child at home before they even step foot in school.

So you end up with a 7.5-year-old in your class who doesn't know a single color or shape 😲, can't list their family members, can't explain the route from home to school, can't spot seasonal changes in nature, or identify basic animal genders/species... basically, they can't connect concepts and real-life events logically. That is the responsibility and duty of the parent or guardian—not to teach them to count perfectly to twenty or read flawlessly (they'll learn that in school), but to build that foundation. Of course, a kid like that will end up at a disadvantage compared to others and get bad grades—which isn't their fault—and they'll likely lose any drive or motivation to learn.

I'm against letter grades or numerical grading in the first four grades (especially for electives and social studies), but arguing about it is pointless because that's just how the current laws are set up 🙄

But seriously, I have to appeal to parents: spend more time preparing your child for an independent life and learning. Don't just dump everything on preschool, school, or the TV... every year we get worse generations because they've lost the ability to connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.

I sign off on that completely.

Whether it's going to the corner store to buy bread, knowing what day of the week it is, figuring out how many months until a birthday, crossing the street safely, or simply knowing their address, city, state, and what their parents do for a living...
it's all about fostering an interest in reading and math early on.

Kids coming from quality preschool programs definitely have an edge, and honestly, I feel like starting formal schooling at age 6 is becoming too late for many. Especially since some of our local elementary schools are structured so loosely—sometimes it feels like it's just "memorize this poem at home and we'll sing it in class" 🤦)

Adam Evans62 said:Just lurking here for a bit... purely from a professional standpoint (I'm a teacher) and gathering intel for next year when I'll be back to teaching first graders after a four-year break.

To be honest, I'm nervous 😛. After all this time, facing a whole new batch of kids and parents... getting to know them, seeing how they "operate," figuring out what they actually want and need, and then trying to squeeze all that into the standard state curriculum is a massive responsibility and exhausting work.

Especially since I see every year that grades are becoming more and more important to parents (and I’m specifically talking about parents, because in about 10% of my classes, the kids are the ones who actually give a damn) while they put in less effort or simply don't know how to prepare their child at home before they even step foot in school.

So you end up with a 7.5-year-old in your class who doesn't know a single color or shape 😲, can't list their family members, can't explain the route from home to school, can't spot seasonal changes in nature, or identify basic animal genders/species... basically, they can't connect concepts and real-life events logically. That is the responsibility and duty of the parent or guardian—not to teach them to count perfectly to twenty or read flawlessly (they'll learn that in school), but to build that foundation. Of course, a kid like that will end up at a disadvantage compared to others and get bad grades—which isn't their fault—and they'll likely lose any drive or motivation to learn.

I'm against letter grades or numerical grading in the first four grades (especially for electives and social studies), but arguing about it is pointless because that's just how the current laws are set up 🙄

But seriously, I have to appeal to parents: spend more time preparing your child for an independent life and learning. Don't just dump everything on preschool, school, or the TV... every year we get worse generations because they've lost the ability to connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.

Don't you think demanding that a freshman master all those classifications is a bit much? 😕

Linda Price5 said:Don't you think demanding that a freshman master all those classifications is a bit much? 😕

No. I'm not talking about technicalities. A six or seven-year-old should at least know an ant or a bee is an insect, a shark is a fish, and a lion is a cat. I don't expect them to grasp biological classifications or families...
But they shouldn't be calling a bee a bird. I've definitely seen that happen before 🙂

Adam Evans62 said:No. I'm not talking about technicalities. A six or seven-year-old should at least know an ant or a bee is an insect, a shark is a fish, and a lion is a cat. I don't expect them to grasp biological classifications or families...
But they shouldn't be calling a bee a bird. I've definitely seen that happen before 🙂

But can you actually understand them, given how you phrased that? 😁

Linda Price5 said:But can you actually understand them, given how you phrased that? 😁

I don't get the question. 🤔
You think I don't know what species, genus, or family means? Yeah, I know it's just how you classify living things—animals, plants, fungi, whatever. It goes from broad to specific: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. I remember all that from high school and college, even if it isn't my field and I don't deal with it professionally.
Besides, they don't even teach that level of detail in elementary school. They just stick to basics like migratory versus resident birds, or domestic vs. wild animals and endangered species.

Adam Evans62 said:All this talk about students being overwhelmed by too much material is total nonsense. I can personally vouch for that. In my 11 years on the job, I’ve seen the exact opposite. Every year, textbooks actually cut back on the sheer volume of data, and there's more time allocated for practice and review than ever before.
As for grading, we still have way, way too many straight-A students in our elementary schools—especially in those first four grades. It’s mostly just parent pressure on teachers and administrators to make sure their kid gets top marks. Then comes the inevitable shock and disbelief when those kids hit high school, where the standards and the workload are actually rigorous.

Personally, I’d scrap traditional grading entirely. Just stick to percentages and descriptive feedback to show where they stand, but tighten the hell up on the actual criteria used for assessment.☕

You popped up at just the right moment.😁
Can someone please tell me if this is supposed to be a required reading for first graders that they need to finish entirely?

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/example-reading-list

Because some teachers assign this entire book as summer reading.😁

On another note, I was looking over a first-grade math quiz recently and was completely lost.😂Terms like "dividend" and "divisor."😂
It’s not that I wouldn't want to help (and I really would), it's just that I wouldn't even know how.😁

Adam Evans62 said:Just lurking here for a bit... purely from a professional standpoint (I'm a teacher) and gathering intel for next year when I'll be back to teaching first graders after a four-year break.

To be honest, I'm nervous 😛. After all this time, facing a whole new batch of kids and parents... getting to know them, seeing how they "operate," figuring out what they actually want and need, and then trying to squeeze all that into the standard state curriculum is a massive responsibility and exhausting work.

Especially since I see every year that grades are becoming more and more important to parents (and I’m specifically talking about parents, because in about 10% of my classes, the kids are the ones who actually give a damn) while they put in less effort or simply don't know how to prepare their child at home before they even step foot in school.

So you end up with a 7.5-year-old in your class who doesn't know a single color or shape 😲, can't list their family members, can't explain the route from home to school, can't spot seasonal changes in nature, or identify basic animal genders/species... basically, they can't connect concepts and real-life events logically. That is the responsibility and duty of the parent or guardian—not to teach them to count perfectly to twenty or read flawlessly (they'll learn that in school), but to build that foundation. Of course, a kid like that will end up at a disadvantage compared to others and get bad grades—which isn't their fault—and they'll likely lose any drive or motivation to learn.

I'm against letter grades or numerical grading in the first four grades (especially for electives and social studies), but arguing about it is pointless because that's just how the current laws are set up 🙄

But seriously, I have to appeal to parents: spend more time preparing your child for an independent life and learning. Don't just dump everything on preschool, school, or the TV... every year we get worse generations because they've lost the ability to connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.

That is absolutely correct.....
Setting aside the fact that there are children with genuine special needs, I believe many parents simply do not engage with their children during those formative early years...... if they haven't mastered the basics mentioned above, it becomes incredibly difficult to compensate for what was missed.... in fact, it is nearly impossible.....
And I agree that we must monitor a child's progress in those lower grades and teach them the necessity of regular review and study....
If that foundation is laid, there won't be a crisis when things get more demanding in fifth grade and beyond, because what was established early on remains established.....

rowdypanther12 said:You popped up at just the right moment.😁
Can someone please tell me if this is supposed to be a required reading for first graders that they need to finish entirely?

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/example-reading-list

Because some teachers assign this entire book as summer reading.😁

On another note, I was looking over a first-grade math quiz recently and was completely lost.😂Terms like "dividend" and "divisor."😂
It’s not that I wouldn't want to help (and I really would), it's just that I wouldn't even know how.😁

Depends on the teacher. Some read it aloud in class with the kids, others just pick a few chapters—either based on what the kid wants or they specifically tell them which parts to hit—and say "read this at home and answer these questions."

If a kid can grasp and learn what a minuend and a subtrahend are, you certainly can too.😉 I mean, the terms are literal; subtrahend (the number you're subtracting) minuend (the number being subtracted)... though honestly, I never actually test for that or grade based on it. As long as the kid can subtract accurately and quickly, we're good. Knowing the specific names for the numbers is nice for an A, but it's not a dealbreaker.

and someone’s actually going to hand out 110 pages of poetry for the freshmen to read 😁

I only mentioned the thing about the reduction because I totally misunderstood the assignment 😂