Same here, and then I was forced to to back to public school due to family issues. Now I have to dumb myself down in order for my friends to understand me.
Not all American schools are like this... I don't want you to get the wrong idea. All of the schools I went to were great and the teachers taught us well and encouraged us to do more (with a few exceptions- but really, there is no perfect school.) My math teachers have always urged us to find shortcuts to doing problems, as long as we KNOW how to do it the way they teach it. I assure you, not all US schools are bad.
Since kindergarten my teachers have happily given me more advanced work and have always encouraged me to excel. I go to an American public high school with around 350 people, in elementary there were even less. I don't know where you guys have been going to school but it sounds terrible!
It's probably because you go to a small school. My school has about 1200 people
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· 9 years ago
Same here my teachers always encouraged me to be in advanced classes when I showed the potential for it and I was always applauded for my advanced reading skills in elementary. Yes I went to public schools in the USA. It was in Texas even one of the "worst" education systems in the country, or so I've heard.
I have never had a problem with the American Education System. I am from California, and here, hard work gets rewarded. We are encouraged to try hard and try new stuff. I don't know where that person went to school, but they were extremely unlucky.
I seriously doubt that was the real reason. As an educator, I have learned there is always MUCH MUCH more to they story than what the student tells their friends.
My kindergarten teacher and principal thought it would be a good idea double promote me because I was so far ahead. The school counselor refused to sign the paper because I was "antisocial" and "depressed." I was five. I was not "depressed" I just found other five year olds annoying. That woman is the reason I am still on school. I would've graduated this year, but no.
This is why I don't understand why public schoolers act like homeschoolers are, "missing out". Missing out on what? You get to go at your own pace. You get to focus on the things you're really good at. There isn't any bullies. And let's not mention getting to eat amazing lunches ;)
Because you are "missing out" on one of the largest portions of learning there is, Social interactions. You might (I hope anyway) have a few friends as a homeschooler, but you don't have the constant interaction with friends, non-family teachers, upperclassmen, lowerclassmen, enemies, etc. So later in life, you might know more about 18th century architecture than that publicschooler, but you won't know as much about how to network and talk to people. Then you'll be mad when that kid gets the job you were both applying for and you'll decide its because everybody hates intelligent people and the government/school system/big business is trying to dumb everybody down. When in reality, that kid just knew how to interact with people. Knew how to cover up his weaknesses and show off his strengths. You can learn these things later in life, but most people learn them during school, so in that respect, you are behind.
It's not just America that does this, quiet a few teachers of mine didn't like me one bit that goes for my primary 4 teacher who hated it when I got ahead of the class and would also blame everything on me she would mark my work wrong even though it was right it was one of the most infuriating things ever.
Edit: there was still more teachers that encourage me to do better though.
I've never had an issue with my education. All of my teachers have encouraged me to excel and to succeed. I don't know what kind of teachers these people had, but none of mine have ever even remotely acted like that. I can't speak for everyone, but I can say that our education system sometimes isn't as bad as some people make it seem like. I feel like people just criticize the system and the teachers because they might not like it.
In third grade, I was reading at a high school level. I was really into Harry Potter and I was told that I couldn't read it anymore because it was too advanced for the other children and it wouldn't be fair to them. I told my mother immediately and being an avid reader and writer herself, she was furious. My teacher compromised with my mom in that I could continue reading the books in secret and I was not to "brag." In fourth grade, I was told that I could not read the "Spooksville" series anymore because it was below my level. I couldn't understand it because I just like the stories and didn't give a damn about the "reading level."
Something along the lines of that happened to me in seventh grade, my first year back in public school. They made us take tests to find our reading level, and we weren't allowed to read below it. I got stuck reading Sense and Sensibility and Frankenstein at age 12 while everyone else read the rest of the library.
I was a higher reading level than the rest of the grade, my teachers didn't tell me not to read higher level books, but it was a hinderance that they didn't have those books at the school library. Most of them are surprised I have read such high level books and think I didn't comprehend them, but I did. Andiwombat, the situation with the teacher and your mom reminds me of when Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird was told that she should not read the newspaper and stay on the rest of the kids' reading levels. It makes me sad that your teachers are/were holding you back, I hope you realize it's only damaging your education if you stop reading those kinds of books, and get Clifford and Amelia Bedilia from the class library. Sure, you can read a short book, as long as you think you like it, or for any other reason besides the fact that you "have to." It is 100% acceptable to read whatever you want.
I totally agree with you. This was about ten years ago. I've been reading the same types of books all of my life from elementary, middle, high school and college, never giving a damn what "reading level" they were at. A good book is a good book and no one should be able to tell me what I can and cannot read.
I am moving my son from a school that discourages individuality to one an hour away that fosters creativity. Kids are not robots. I want them to be smarter than I am because I will not always be around to answer their questions.
I'm from Canada. In 6th grade, everyone had to write a algebra problem and the teacher picked the best three, mine wasn't one even though mine were harder than the ones picked. I ask my teacher why and he said mine was too hard, no one would get it. I was so sad. On the other hand, this same teacher let me clean the overhead slides and keep every 5th one. I got to do it during class time which was pretty chills.
There will always be bad incidents at school, but there will also be good ones. People forget to talk about the good ones sometimes.
Just because its the hardest or most complex, wouldn't necessarily make it the "best" anyway. I wouldn't consider this anything like being told to stop reading or stop practicing things at home, even though it made you sad that it wasn't picked. Sounds like the rest of the class had to solve those problems and it wouldn't have made sense for him to pick one out way too advanced for the rest of the class. He sounds like a good teacher to me.
I'm from canada and When I was in the 6th grade my teacher hated me and told my mom that I was academically challenged and so she made me switch schools and turned out I was an honour roll student.
A lot of people don't realize what that video, Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared, means. A lot of it centers around this sort of stuff. It's a lot to type, and I'll put up a link of the video later, but basically... Be creative, but you're only allowed to do it the way we think you should.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBbos9yn8JI Found the video.
In 3rd grade I was reading at a high school level, the teacher told my parents and gave me simpler books because I was "too advanced and needed to be at everyone else's pace"
In 4th grade when we learned cursive I went way ahead of everyone else and go my entire cursive booklet done, my teacher ripped it up and made me start from the very beginning again and made me stay with the class.
In 7th grade I was very advanced in history, instead of putting me in a high level class (such as the 8th grade class) they told me that I need to stop being so intelligent and get with the program and that nobody likes smart asses
After that I have never actually expressed my intelligence because I'm scared of being ridiculed
This isn't an issue with the school system being bad, its an issue with specific teachers being horrible, lazy ass, shitty teachers. They don't want to have to teach multiple things, or deal with extra work, so they want every kid working on the same thing. Think about it, if they are all doing the exact same thing, its less work for the teacher to produce pages of stuff to work on, less explaining the subject, easier to grade since its all the same. They just don't care and want it as easy as possible. Now if you want to go into how things like tenure are ruining the American school system, I wholeheartedly agree. You want to know why that lazy ass, shitty teacher thats stifling kids educations is still a teacher and not fired? Because they have tenure and have to do something "bad" to get fired, otherwise they can keep half assing it, stifling kids learning until they finally get old enough to retire.
Also, and I know I'm not alone in this as I saw lots of similar comments, this is by no means representative of the entire American public education system. Throughout my entire schooling, I never had a teacher that I would rank as low as most the ones in the post. I've had a few lazy ones that talk about their personal life more than teach, and a few strict/dumbass ones that would mark me wrong for "cheating" on math for not using a calculator or not showing my work how they thought it should be solved. But you know what? I barely remember those teachers. You know which ones I do remember? My 3rd grade teacher that saw my copy of The Hobbit in my backpack and excitedly talked to me about it and ended up giving me their copies of LotR so I could read them when I finished The hobbit. I remember my 6th grade teacher that would do the extra work to hand write a separate page of math problems that were harder because she knew I was bored out of my mind doing the stuff the other kids did.
I remember my music teacher that pushed me to try it out even though I thought playing an instrument was dumb and ended up gaining a love for music. I remember my high school English teacher, that at the time I always thought was a bitch, that constantly pushed me to do better because she knew I could. My Science teacher, that kept pestering me to join several "nerdy" clubs that I felt too lazy to join and ended up loving.
You shouldn't keep remembering the shitty people that obviously didn't care about you. Remember the ones that did, and took that extra effort to help you, even if it meant more work for them.
Thank goodness my elementary school librarian wasn't like that. She let me read well passed my grade level after a little convincing.
(Our elementary school organized the library books by grade level)
My school was the complete opposite. My teachers werent cunts. I wanted to be lazy but they made me excel. So I guess they were cunts in a way. But im smelling some bullshit. Just saying.
Not all teachers or schools are like this. It is not fair that public schools are bashed. Not all parents can afford private schools and not every family has the luxury of homeschooling their children.
Also FYI, students stand the best chances in public schools because it is there that students are given 2 hot meals, snacks to take home, and one on one tutoring or help. Most schools in my state are now offering free not reduced breakfast and lunch to our students. We are making sure our students are getting what they need to excel. How dare some of you judge public schools for your lack of understanding.
--a person who used to live in Asia
Edit: there was still more teachers that encourage me to do better though.
There will always be bad incidents at school, but there will also be good ones. People forget to talk about the good ones sometimes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBbos9yn8JI Found the video.
In 4th grade when we learned cursive I went way ahead of everyone else and go my entire cursive booklet done, my teacher ripped it up and made me start from the very beginning again and made me stay with the class.
In 7th grade I was very advanced in history, instead of putting me in a high level class (such as the 8th grade class) they told me that I need to stop being so intelligent and get with the program and that nobody likes smart asses
After that I have never actually expressed my intelligence because I'm scared of being ridiculed
You shouldn't keep remembering the shitty people that obviously didn't care about you. Remember the ones that did, and took that extra effort to help you, even if it meant more work for them.
(Our elementary school organized the library books by grade level)
2 worthless comments. 1 worthless post. Only on FS.
Also FYI, students stand the best chances in public schools because it is there that students are given 2 hot meals, snacks to take home, and one on one tutoring or help. Most schools in my state are now offering free not reduced breakfast and lunch to our students. We are making sure our students are getting what they need to excel. How dare some of you judge public schools for your lack of understanding.