QR Chapter 10

This chapter seems to relate to chapter 7 in that it is trying to give students a reason to learn. It also talks about giving students goals to achieve and helping them set their own goals. It pains me to see that this isn't a practice that students take upon themselves anymore. When I was in school my goal was to graduate and get out of there so I could get on with real life and college. Now Students goal is to just get out of there by any means necessary, whither it be dropping out, getting expelled, or just stop showing up. This is a problem because systematically the system eventually gives up on students who can't pass, once students reach a certain age they can't participate in sports, they can't attend school any more and they have to pursue their own education. But why would they pursue that education if the educational system has already given up on them? this makes it very hard for teachers to take the needed time to insure learning and not memorizing.

QR Chapter 9

This chapter talks about pushing students to succeed and not giving up on them. It seems to me that shouldn't that be common practice? I've always been the type of person who stands up for what they believe in and I can't see how someone can just give up on another Human being where they have taken it upon themselves to see that that person succeeds. Although this idea is foreign to me it has become common practice. Hearing teachers say "some kids just aren't smart" frustrates that hell out of me. even though part of me may agree with that statement that doesn't mean that student can't learn, but when you, the educator and possibly the only role model that kid has in their life gives up on them why keep trying? Think about if your mentor or role model growing up had just given up on you because you had some rough times, would you be where you are today without the help of that role model?

QR chapter 8

This chapter does make some sense in that we need to find a way to teach students who don't speak English, but I don't like how it goes about it. It talks about ways of moving around the problem or finding a way to teach around that fact. Thats fine to do for awhile but it can't be a permanent solution. Because then these students won't be learning English and they will have a hard time getting along in the country. This is that same issue as when we say we understand that you don't want to do math, but we're going to teach around that, well thats fine in a history class, but you can't teach around math in a math class. Thats just redundant. Then we lower the standards that you don't need math to be successful in school then we have an entire nation of adults who can't do math who teach their children that you don't need math and before you know it the language that is math is gone when it is an essential skill. The fact of the matter is to get along in every day life in most parts of the country you need to have at least some grasp of English so they need to learn it eventually.

QR Chapter 7

I do agree with having students do something different, too many classrooms today are read the section/ take a quiz format. These classrooms aren't about learning their about memorizing enough to get by and forgetting it as soon as possible after they take the quiz. It seems that the more accurate measure of learning would be not how well they did on the test but rather how long it takes them to forget the information.

QR Chapter 6

This chapter makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways. It takes a realest approach to the education system and that students don't want to learn for the sake of learning. They don't care about the knowledge they care about the grade. When it comes down to it thats what people look at. A future boss doesn't care if you knew what happened at the invasion of Normandy, but your future boss will notice you got on the honor roll all through high school. It is up to us as teachers to convey that knowledge and tell the kids yea you may only care about the grade but you need to LEARN this information to get your grade.

QR Chapter 5

This chapter is about taking as many students in your class into your perspectives as possible. This becomes very difficult when your trying to look at each student as an individual. In a way it is self contradictory because on one hand it is telling us to look at everyone, and on the other its telling us to look at the individual. It seems to me that making a 50-50 split between the two would be extremely difficult. It is important as a teacher to know your students on an individual basis, but at some point you know that student too well and it stops being a teacher student role and starts being a friend role. This is the type of relationship that hinders educational development. So I think that it is important not to focus on a few students but to focus on the overall learning in the class.

QR Chapter 4

This chapter is about letting students know you care about them and whither or not they succeed. This very difficult for a lot of teachers because their used to being completely separated from students and human contact scares them. This is yet another thing on the list that makes the learning experience so difficult. Teacher is a "people" business and if you don't like dealing with people you shouldn't be a teacher. Simple as that.

QR Chapter 3

This chapter is about respect, a problem that is in a lot of schools on the parts of both students and teachers alike. Students don't respect their teachers because they think they don't get them, and teachers don't respect their students because they think they don't care. It's a problem that is really hindering the learning process and there needs to be a solution to it. Showing students respect is critical to them respecting you. Respecting your students needs will avoid a lot of behavioral problems.