Archive for Sunday, November 8, 2009
Why are we dropping out? By Nicholas Dimmick
November 8, 2009
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It’s common knowledge now that LHS has the highest dropout rate in the entire state of Kansas. Faculty and administration are baffled at this and wracking their brains attempting to find a cause when it’s on the papers they hold.
Being a student (and not exactly a “model” student either) I know personally several people who have dropped out of school. I can list off all their reasons in quotes, most of them are along the lines of “I can’t take such and such teacher’s bullshit anymore”, “It’s stupid, I can just get my GED and get on with my life” and a slew of apathetic grunts and gibberish.
I look at the “teacher bullshit” and think why does this teacher ride your ass? Because they act out, and I know they do. But why do they act out? Why does any student act out? It’s not for attention alone. Teachers say “they aren’t being challenged enough” or “they’re being challenged too much” because when a student has a problem it’s by default an error with the student, right?
I speak from personal experience that students act out because they are bored. The subjects taught in school are indeed essential but they are presented in an out-of-date style of teaching called ‘assembly line teaching’ where through book assignments, work sheets, tests and quotas attempting to get students to fit a mold. Some schools have abandoned this but LHS still follows the assembly line teaching method. This can be traced back to the “I can just get my GED and get on with my life” as well. Students are bored to the point of frustration leading them to not daring risk going to collage for another four years of even more difficult boredom. So they drop out and get their GED or so they say, and end up bumming through their later teens vandalizing stealing and shooting up.
I know this because I can list at least seven people I know personally who have or will follow this path (of course I won’t for their sake). And I can say through personal experience that the only classes I act out in are classes where a “quota” is the guideline and bookwork and assembly line teaching is in effect. And once you start acting out it’s difficult to stop and gets worse and worse (I also know from personal experience).
This generation… MY generation is worlds different from the last, if the school board wants to lower dropout rates, teenage crime, and delinquent activities in schools, they need to drop the assembly line teaching style and adapt to the change in generations. Teachers should discuss material in depth with their students, interact with their class and communicate lessons in a way that a young mind can easily absorb and understand. If teachers taught more and instructed less, school wouldn’t be something to dread every day, students would skip less, and drop out less (though it’ll never really stop 100%).
My own personal experience as a student and as an aspiring psychologist has brought me to this conclusion. This isn’t an opinion, this is a fact, and I’m ready to prove it.
More like this
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8 November 2009
at 8:20 a.m.
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merrill (Anonymous) says…
Hey if USD 497 and parents are not meeting childrens demands regarding education then the community is missing.
8 November 2009
at 8:31 a.m.
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RoeDapple (Anonymous) says…
Growing up in the '50s and '60s I was taught that using inappropriate or vulgar language was an indication of weak language skills and/or limited vocabulary. If I were to use the language in my post that you use in your article, the post could (should) be deleted by LJW staff as inappropriate. Maybe when you grow up you will gain the writing skills necessary to get your point across without resorting to juvenile potty mouth tactics. For now, I doubt it. You are an “aspiring” psychologist, and already lay claim to have more than opinion, the “facts” as you put it. Spare me. I know a few psychologists. They can and are as messed up as any of the rest of us. You, Nicholas, are much too full of yourself. It's a long fall from the pedestal you place yourself on, so pad up.
YOUR generation is different? No. Every generation before you felt the same way. Change the world, make it a better place, fix this dump WE inherited from our forefathers. Right. To some degree I would say we have, but check back in 30 years and see how much difference you have made. Any is better than none, but seldom do we accomplish all we thought we could
Have a nice day.
LJW staff, this article should be removed due to inappropriate and offensive language
8 November 2009
at 8:43 a.m.
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canyon_wren (Anonymous) says…
Nocholas—your attitude is exactly what is wrong with public education and it certainly can't be blamed on the “assembly line” method of instruction. You are a victim of the educational approach that began to develop in the 60s—that assumes a student needs to be entertained and his/her self-esteem built up at the cost of actually learning something. I believe life is going to teach you some very interesting lessons along the way, but you probably won't recognize them for quite a while. Good luck!
8 November 2009
at 9:33 a.m.
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slowplay (Anonymous) says…
Unfortunately, It seems like Nicholas had very little parental influence on the importance of an advanced education. Students who drop out are basically lazy, unmotivated, have no goals and a poor understanding of what life without a solid education means in todays society. On the other hand, someone needs to fill the service industry jobs. “Would you like fries with that?”
My children knew from age 5 that there was no other option. If they wanted a quality life, they needed a college degree. Both earned a masters degree and are doing quite well.
8 November 2009
at 9:44 a.m.
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merrill (Anonymous) says…
Shall we support freedom of expression?
It seems what is being requested is more creative teaching approaches.
My guess is Nicholas Dimmick will excel because this student is thinking outside the box.
More hands on and involved is all that is being requested. An effective approach.
8 November 2009
at 9:55 a.m.
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HenryPeach (Matt Needham) says…
I remember being bored to death in HS and college. 25 years later I have new ideas about how boring daily activities can be. I'd love to go back to school and be bored in class. :)
8 November 2009
at 11:08 a.m.
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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…
I blame Timothy Leary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldSFuE…
8 November 2009
at 11:24 a.m.
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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…
(
“…
I shift the blame
To the worm in the bottle
I shift the blame
To anyone standing before me
…”
)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36JhUf…
8 November 2009
at 4:16 p.m.
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Bronco7fan (Anonymous) says…
meeting childrens demands??? childrens demands?? no. children dont have demands…who is the parent here