Problems with 'alternative style teaching'

• No motivation to do work daily because the due date could not be for another three months.
• They can do the work at home, so it sets the students up to be lazy in class.
• There are no consequences for not doing work in class, like a zero on an assignment.
• Homework on the computer makes it more likely for students to find the answers using the internet.
• There is not as much social interaction between the students, or networking, which is considered very important for finding a career in today’s society.
• The lax system of discipline and structure might provide a student with problems later in life when needing to follow detailed instructions.

Back to School

My memories of high school:  

A boring teacher with an abnormal musk. Students sent to the principal’s office for talking too much.  Being stuck in a classroom and forced to listen to a teacher talk about useless information that I insisted I would never use in ‘the real world’. WEARING A UNIFORM.  Endless work at school and hours of homework after finishing volleyball practice around 6 o’clock.  If a cell phone was seen, it was taken up by the teacher and returned with a $10 fee.  Life was full of activity, whether it be dramatic, fun, or sad, at the end of the day there was always something to tell your parents about. Well…that was what the small, strict private high school I attended was like.  Now, I am 21 and subbing at an ‘alternative style high school’ for the first time and, after the first period, I am beginning to realize that returning to the ‘classical high school’ system might be for the better.

Expectations:

Around 20 students would walk into class, the bell would ring, I would introduce myself, and then, tell them the assignment their teacher left for them to complete. Because of my inept experience at being a high schooler, I knew that their were two types of classes I would experience, and I was prepared for both kinds.

1st Type: The one with class clowns that fully believed having a sub is basically a gift from God, a free day.  They insisted on doing anything but the assignment. Unruly. Immature. Talkative.  

2nd Type: The  ’on task’ type of class that had an awfully strict teacher with punishments for every trivial infraction.  I would do nothing besides browse the web.  **IDEEALLLL**

Outcome:

NOPE.  First period: My first student, Tyler, walks in, and we have small chat. The bell rings, only seven people are in my class. After The Pledge of Allegiance is recited over the intercom, they are dismissed for breakfast…uhmmm..that happens?. Three came back. Four didn’t. One of my students, Tyler, says that happens and its okay.  Hopefully, he thinks I am smart and wouldn’t dare lie to me…or maybe he knows I don’t have a clue what I am doing…Maybe that’s why he asked me if I have ever subbed here before..Shoot. Already taken advantage of by my first student. Second period: This time nine people are here. My stats are going up! Three girls brought their own laptops.  Two are on Pinterest. The other is doing work. Go her! All of their classes are online, and they just have to do 2% of work a day…Literally one person out of nine worked on their assignment the entire period. One girl even crocheted a beanie.  This is how the rest of the day goes.

Weird things going on:

People are wearing sweat pants…even the dean of students

Much cussing is occurring.

Students leave the classroom and come in at all times.

You are able to complete the class in the middle of the semester and transfer to another class.

All of the assignments are online and taught online.  The teacher monitors and helps when needed.

You can graduate in two years.

Google is the source of their answers.

Cell phones are being used to call pizza for delivery.

Someone needs to help these students get the motivation to do work.  They would appreciate that later on in life.

 

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