Welcome to Part 3 of LifelineExtensions.blog’s “Back-to-School Wish List 3-Day Series” of candid conversations, honest feedback, and simple solutions as described by students, parents, teachers, and administrators.
With that said, we’ll get right into what The Students included on their wish list. We encourage everyone to take the time to completely read all the way to the bottom of the student list…this is not one to rush through…
We want our teachers to keep making learning fun, even in high school. Don’t think that just because we’re older we don’t want to do
“Kiddie Stuff” if it will make the learning fun. You should hear the conversations we have in the cafeteria about how much we miss those kinds of activities.
The fun goes for assessments, tests, quizzes, and projects, too! We know you’re trying to see how much we understand and how much we’re learning, but they don’t always have to be so intense. Maybe sometimes you can even have us create assessments or do projects about a topic you’
ve taught, but the assessment or project would have to be made for an elementary school audience so the little kids can understand things. THAT WOULD BE FUN FOR US, AND WE KNOW THE LITTLE KIDS WOULD ENJOY HAVING US TEACH THEM THINGS!!!
If possible could the teachers try and have like at least one group project a month? This is for EVERY AGE GROUP, TOO!!! We always talk with our friends (and we tell our parents!) about how much we enjoy group projects. They are fun and make everybody’s life a little easier. No one person has to do so much more than another person when the groups function the right way. Teachers can help students by first spending time talking about how good teams work together, and then they can assign the group project.
We think that since teachers work in a school they should at least be kid-friendly, like kids, and be approachable. Students think that some teachers act like they don’t really enjoy working in a school.
Can the teachers somehow communicate with each other so that they at least try not to schedule tests and projects and what not on the same weeks and days? It is extremely stressful for the students because it becomes difficult to study. It’s a lot to worry about especially if you get in a situation where two classes that you know you need to study a lot for are testing on the SAME DAY.
We would definitely want teachers to mark up our paper so that we know what we did wrong and their notes lead us to figure out on our own how to fix something. But,
PLEASE DON’T JUST GIVE US THE RIGHT ANSWER because we still may not understand
WHY that answer is the right answer. We think if more teachers would do this it would preserve more time since we wouldn't have to make appointments to talk to the teacher about our work during recess for little kids, and our lunch period for older kids – we really need our down time during the day and we know that teachers do, too!
Please give basic school supply lists to students of all ages during the summer so that we can get all of the good deals during the summer. We watch the prices go up the closer we get to September and we're trying to learn how to budget our money.
Don’t give homework just to give homework…we actually kind of want to learn new things even when we do homework…
High school teachers, it’s okay if you’re going to try to be funny and humorous with your students; but please don’t confuse sarcasm with humor…we’re old enough to know the difference. We say that if you really want to be funny and make us
lol, study joke books or watch
YouTube clips from famous
stand-up comedians to
get ideas. We got some sample links for you to watch.
We like it when our teachers and administrators get involved in extra-curricular activities, and we really like it when they bring their families with them to evening or weekend school activities!
We like when our administrators say hello to us and ask about what’s going on in our lives. Then, when they see us again and bring up a topic we’ve already talked about we feel REALLY SPECIAL! Please do more of that…it doesn’t even matter if you remember all of our names – there are a lot of us! What matters is that you took the time to talk to us. And, when we’re in elementary school and the administrators give us hugs we love that!
Teachers should try putting lessons into song and singing the lessons while they’re teaching instead of just lecturing. We remember lyrics to songs so we’ll be able to remember what you’re teaching better. For teachers who can’t sing, this would be a really fun way for the class to get closer and laugh a lot! And, for teachers who can sing…we would enjoy hearing the good music AND we would remember what was taught! We sang nursery rhymes and we remembered those…
And, maybe math and science can be made a little more fun if teachers talk to us about famous scientists and famous mathematicians, instead of just teaching formulas and solutions. Then, we could even talk about current scientists, mathematicians, and even technology wizards…now, THAT would be cool! And, how about inviting some in to speak with your classes?
Also, we would like it if teachers made sure that we were prepared for the SAT. We hear that a lot of the things on there need to at least have a quick review because it’s work from a long time ago. While some of us do take the SAT Prep class, and have SAT guides and tutorials, it’s only supposed to teach you how to take the test better and help us practice for it. We would really like to remember the concepts. We’re not asking you to teach us how to do the content on the SAT all over again – we know that this isn’t possible. But, maybe there could be a Study Hall or after-school SAT Prep club. High school students really stress over this test regardless of what level classes we’re taking. To be honest, if elementary and middle school teachers could start doing an “SAT Question of the Day” with questions they make up based on the format of the actual SAT, students would start getting used to the idea when they are young and it wouldn’t come as such a shock in high school.
Don’t embarrass people in front of the whole class or a group of students– please pull us aside to speak with us privately, whether we’re in elementary, middle, or high school. Students talk about how we’re sure teachers would get upset if their administrator embarrassed them in front of the entire faculty at a faculty meeting. It’s the same thing to us.
Another thing would deal with absences. If the teacher (especially a high school teacher) is going to be absent, it would be really great if they could at least leave some tips for the substitute teacher about how to start the new chapter that they have assigned to be done in class the day they are out. The notes should be written out so that the sub can first read them with the whole class, and then each student would get a copy to refer to during the class period; so it should be written so students can understand the notes. The notes would just include little tips or hints to help us finish the work we have to do independently.
Teachers of all students, should sometimes have parties and little celebrations in class JUST BECAUSE…to celebrate life, each other, the work teachers and students do, when an entire class understands something that has been taught and EVERYONE passes a test or quiz, etc.
We don’t understand why teachers try to teach so much in one day, or in one class period. Our brains go on overload after a while. Maybe just stick to one, two, or three ideas and then keep doing different activities with us during the class period so that we really get to understand those things. We just can’t remember everything if too many things are taught in all of our subjects.
In history, when you have court cases and other events like this – please use “Now and Then” examples so we can relate current events to past history. Hearing about a lot of people who may not even be living any longer doesn’t always make sense to us. But, if you can tell us about those people AND some people from our lifetime we would understand what you’re talking about a little faster and a little easier.
Have students teach lessons sometimes. This helps us learn the material even better. We would all volunteer because most kids like to be on stage -- just ask our parents.
Why are some teachers always so intense when they teach? We want you to smile more and have a less serious face when you’re teaching. We get more nervous about learning when teachers are so intense, and we start to think that maybe you are not sure of exactly what you are teaching and just don’t want students to ask too many questions. So, we just sit there.
Administrators, when you walk around the hallway please don’t look too intense, either…smile and say hello or compliment what we’re wearing, or something…stop by and sit in classrooms for a few minutes sometimes, too. When you do this we forget you’re there. When you just poke your head into the room everybody loses focus and gets nervous thinking you are there for them.
Sometimes teachers seem to get so caught up with the power they have that they become like bullies to the students. Students who don't get in trouble just take it. Students who don't care about getting in trouble give it back to those teachers.
PLEASE talk to high school students more like they are going to be adults soon. You tell students to act like adults, but, then you talk to us like we’re still in elementary school. Huh???
Prepare us for something important – like college…teach us how to do things, and then let us try it out for ourselves.
Please don’t just write things on the board and expect students to learn it all themselves, even in Honors’ and AP classes. We want and need you to teach us first. Then, we want to practice with a group or on our own to make sure we understand.
When students tell teachers about something they are concerned about in the school, we want them to communicate our needs to the administrator, not to other teachers in the faculty room. The administrator can probably do something to help correct whatever it is, and if not, at least he or she knows about the concern and can talk to the students about why things are the way they are. At least then we know someone is listening to us.
Teachers should have some school spirit for their schools. If teachers don’t show school spirit the students won’t have or want to show school spirit. We copy what we see you doing. Who cares if you look silly wearing pajamas to school on Pajama Day? That makes us connect better with you as a person.
Please don’t make us miss out on fun school activities like pep rallies or assemblies because you want us to get other work done during that same time.
Know your profession, please. If you are a math teacher, please teach math and let the science teacher teach science. It would be cool if sometimes you can switch students if you want us to learn how science is connected to something we’re doing in math class, and vice versa. So the science teacher who teaches during the same period you teach math can report to your room to teach science to your class, and you can report to that teacher's room to teach math to that person's class!
And, please don’t tell us that you failed a class that you are now teaching to students. OMG!
We really do not want to hear your detailed personal business – TMI! Just tell us basic stuff about your family, vacations you’ve taken and things like that. Just like we don’t want to hear TOO MUCH about what our parents do, we really don’t want to hear about what you or other adults do.
It’s okay to want to still be young like a student, but please don’t try to try to BE one of our friends. You are not. We know you want to connect with the kids and we like that, but we are uncomfortable when you try to do what we do or say what we say. We may not laugh in front of you, but we might laugh when you’re not around.
We want our administrators to not just know students who are always in the office because of trouble…Kids who are never in trouble want to talk to administrators, too.
Please just let kids be kids while we’re still young. Maybe middle and high school teachers can meet with elementary school teachers to talk about things that work for students in elementary school. Then, some of those same ideas can be used at a higher level.
PLEASE don’t come into classrooms to talk to other teachers to gossip about things in front of the students…WE CAN HEAR YOU…and, then we have information about other teachers, administrators, or parents that we really shouldn’t and really don’t want to have.
Kids don’t like it when the same teacher teaches more than one subject and then complains to the students about their workload. Kids have their own workloads to worry about.
Students are not teachers’ mentors or counselors, so please don’t load us down with your problems…we're the ones who need help from all of you! You’re all good at something so please let us see you focus on that and help us work on what we're good at.
Teachers, please don’t tell your students the day before you’re going to be observed by an administrator to “remember to be good tomorrow because I’m being observed.” We can't stand that. Let us be surprised so that we are just doing what we always do in your class.
Please make sure any consequences given to students fit the behaviors.
And, don’t automatically assume that when high school students are grouped together they are getting into trouble. We like to cling to each other. Didn't you do the same thing when you were a teen?
Don’t play “good cop - bad cop” – please be consistent every day. Just be who you are so we can respect that person…when you are at least consistent we know how to deal with you even if we don’t always like what you do or say. Believe it or not, most kids say that teachers and administrators who are just themselves (even if they are firm at times) are the best teachers and administrators – we usually like them as people.
We like the fact that teachers are trying to help students, but if you really don’t know how to do something please don’t pretend that you do. This makes us not want to ask you for help at other times. So, if you’re not good in math please don’t try to show the class how to solve a math problem because there is probably at least one student in the class who is really good in math who will debate with you about the problem. Let that student show the class how to solve the problem. Your students will respect you more for that.
When students are asked for their opinion about something and it’s a really good idea, please give the students credit for the idea and don’t pretend that teachers came up with the idea.
In the beginning of the school year, let the students know who you are…let us know what ticks you off from the beginning of the year so we can adjust our behaviors in your class if we need to. But, when teachers let things go on for months and then somewhere in the middle of the year they start yelling about the same behaviors that seemed to be okay before; the students are totally confused and don’t know what to do except get mad and tell all of their friends. Then, all of their friends get mad at the teacher even if they don’t have the teacher for any of their own classes.
And, there you have it from the students…
LifelineExtensions.blog encourages all of its readers who are students in elementary through high school to take this opportunity to post an uninterrupted wish list item in the “Post Comments” section below this article.
***Please note that any posted comments which name individual students, parents, educators, schools, or school systems will have to be immediately deleted from this blog site.***
We are, however, CALLING ON ALL STUDENTS to take this time to give helpful and honest feedback to your teachers and administrators.
Students ~ remember you are what schools and school systems are all about.
Everyone really does want the best for you, but sometimes the adults who are working with you need you to tell them exactly what you need that will help you out the most.
Sometimes this requires a lot more candid and uninterrupted conversation, a good blend of collective creativity, and true understanding on the part of the adults. Once they know exactly what is being asked of them by the students they will be in a better position to then help them.
You ~ Students, can help point everyone toward some simple solutions to continue perfecting what’s being done right at your schools; or to immediately and realistically repair what’s being done wrong at your schools.
Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader & Consultant
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Feedback:
“Ongoing and honest data that gives relevant and meaningful information about what’s being done the right way, AND about what’s being done the wrong way as it relates to a particular individual, group, or environment. Feedback also provides proactive and targeted solutions for immediate, realistic, and appropriate corrections; and for sustained progress designed to enhance the performance and the overall achievement of every stakeholder group represented."
NOTE:
The intent of these candid conversations is to provide an uninterrupted opportunity for stakeholders to anonymously share honest “wish list requests” with other stakeholder members by avoiding sharing the feedback in the form of a complaint. Also, note that some of the feedback provided by this random sampling may or may not apply to your particular school or school system; and this sampling in no way represents all of the “wishes” students might have for a great school year…
