[Hillard]

Let me start by saying I have a lot of respect for teachers. My wife is a 2nd grade intervention specialist.
But my daughter asked for help with her physics homework over the weekend. We went through it and got it done. She turns it in and her teacher said that she got it right, and the formula she used works for the problems, but it's not the formula he wants her to use. So from now on if she doesn't use the formula he wants her to use then he's knocking 25% off....even thought it's the right answer

I don't understand the logic. If you can get the right answer what does it matter how you got there? She wrote it all out and showed her work. Apparently the way we achieve the correct answers has changed over the last 20 years, so I guess I can't help my kid any more.

[Kurt Zimmerman]

Welcome to the new math.

It's stupid, and takes twice as long.

Kurt

[Region Warrior]

Probly cause that's not what's in the textbook.
Teacher's used to encouraged to find other ways to get the correct answer.

[tekheavy]

Originally Posted by Hillard

Let me start by saying I have a lot of respect for teachers. My wife is a 2nd grade intervention specialist.
But my daughter asked for help with her physics homework over the weekend. We went through it and got it done. She turns it in and her teacher said that she got it right, and the formula she used works for the problems, but it's not the formula he wants her to use. So from now on if she doesn't use the formula he wants her to use then he's knocking 25% off....even thought it's the right answer

I don't understand the logic. If you can get the right answer what does it matter how you got there? She wrote it all out and showed her work. Apparently the way we achieve the correct answers has changed over the last 20 years, so I guess I can't help my kid any more.

Why can't you just learn the new formula that the teacher wants your daughter to use and help her with that, or better yet, have your daughter learn it on her own so she doesn't need your help?

[Alvin]

"We are the BORG! You must assimilate!"

WO getting political, let's just say that's what The-Govern-Meant when it said "standardized" aka: "one, and only one, size fits all minds"

Seriously - think of how many young minds are going to waste by being restricted in free thinking and problem solving in order to fit the pre-decided methods. How many daily objects, programs, and standards were born from original ideas; aka "what if" dreams?

This just in: How's that school lunch trash heap?

[Hillard]

Originally Posted by tekheavy

Why can't you just learn the new formula that the teacher wants your daughter to use and help her with that, or better yet, have your daughter learn it on her own so she doesn't need your help?

She is learning it on her own...well she is also going to school 30 minutes early to get help from him. So I do have to give him credit for being willing to help before and after school. And I could learn his way, but I'm old, stubborn, and set in my ways. However, if someone comes up with a solution to a problem using a different method than what I'm used to, I still accept it. After all, it's the solution we really want...right?? So why does she have to be punished for using a different method to achieve the same results?

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Hillard

She is learning it on her own...well she is also going to school 30 minutes early to get help from him. So I do have to give him credit for being willing to help before and after school. And I could learn his way, but I'm old, stubborn, and set in my ways. However, if someone comes up with a solution to a problem using a different method than what I'm used to, I still accept it. After all, it's the solution we really want...right?? So why does she have to be punished for using a different method to achieve the same results?

Would be interested in the Textbook Publishers info...Pearson by chance?

[lilabner]

common core

[John V.]

I have little respect for teachers. They whine too much. They must all take a course that tells them to complain incessantly that they are overworked and underpaid.

That said, not sure what grade we're talking about, but I disagree that the solution is always what is important.

Understanding the concept and how to apply it is more critical.

Don't know the context of what this teacher told your daughter, but sounds to me he wants her to grasp a particular use of some formula. Perhaps that is necessary to an understanding of the general material he is teaching.

In engineering, there can be many correct solutions to a problem.

That was as apparent to me 40 years ago as it is today. How you get there is critical to finding the best solution.

But kudos to you for working with your daughter.

For all the talk of what is wrong with education today, the one constant in my view is that kids that have the most success in school will have parents that care about the education their kids are getting and are actively involved with study and homework. Parents that leave it to the teachers will have students more likely to struggle and fail.

Keep up the good work, what you do to supplement her instruction now will surely pay dividends for her.

[Bob Hall]

I faced the same issue with algebra in 7th grade. I got the right answers but couldn't show all the work that he wanted. He docked me 25% as well. That was 1987-1988. So this is nothing new as far as I am concerned


Sent from my iPhone

[Old Goat 67]

There are teachers and then there are Educators! Lots of difference.

[GT182]

Teaching today is like government.... do it our way or we'll punish you. You're not allowed to think on your own. Remember George Orwell?

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by GT182

Teaching today is like government.... do it our way or we'll punish you. You're not allowed to think on your own. Remember George Orwell?

1984, Fahrenheit 451, Upton Sinclair's - The Jungle, Of Mice and Men, etc. were some of my earliest juvenile remembrance's

[1969GTO]

John V. Did you bring work home from your job today? did you get things ready at home to bring to work and teach 28 employees what they need to learn? Are some of the people using English as a second language?
Did you have to remind the young person to pull up there pants when they come out of the bath room? Do you have someone that you are trying to teach some thing to stop crying because they miss there mommy.
Does your boss walk in on your teaching a class to make sure you are at the place you need to be with the people learning new things? Is your job on the line if any of your workers can't write a complete sentence and know there colors or even know how to spell there last names or tie there shoes?
Well all that happens because the students that have lazy parents that haven't taught there own kids the basics and use the school as a baby sitter.
I got more if you want...........
As for the little girl with the math, don't blame the teacher, they give him a book to go by and that's it. He probably learned the math like you did years ago too.
John V, in your job, are you required to do continuing classes of higher learning to keep your job, do you have to prove that you are involved in the community some how? It's a point system that a teacher must maintain through the year.
Do you know what I mean? No? Maybe if You didn't Whine so much and got involved, You would realize.
And if you find the time to reply, be civil about it......don't be nasty.

[400 4spd.]

Their you go.

[RAIVJUDGE]

69 Gto you hit a lot of things right on the head that parents should be teaching their children like pulling up their pants and Learning English. If you would take the time to read and understand our immigration laws that exist now you would understand that all immigrants should renounce their country of origin and learn our customs and English so that they can succeed and that includes their children. If you don't believe me go to your local county clerks office or immigration office and read the paperwork that immigrants sign and ignore. I have been working and engaged in the k-20 space for over 15 years. If a teacher is honest with you they will tell you government has been a hinderance to our education system. Teachers are forced to teach to the test not to a students learning abilities. As far as the ops complaint if there are two ways to get to the right answer and it is correct every time, why is one way more correct over the other? And while I have a lot of respect for teachers they are not accountable for doing a bad job. There are many good ones that hold themselves accountable and they do a great job and they should be compensated at a premium. Until that happens our public school system will lag behind.

[Hillard]

Originally Posted by John V.

I have little respect for teachers. They whine too much. They must all take a course that tells them to complain incessantly that they are overworked and underpaid.

I used to feel that way until my wife became a teacher. She works tirelessly, never has an 8 hour day, usually 10+ not to mention weekends. When school's out you would think she's done...nope. Starts before school opens also. Has to deal with parents, other teachers, higher-ups, little kids, and lots of government bureaucratic @#%&*. I make more than she does and when I go home after 8 hours I get to leave work at work.

Originally Posted by John V.

That said, not sure what grade we're talking about, but I disagree that the solution is always what is important.
Understanding the concept and how to apply it is more critical.

Don't know the context of what this teacher told your daughter, but sounds to me he wants her to grasp a particular use of some formula. Perhaps that is necessary to an understanding of the general material he is teaching.

In engineering, there can be many correct solutions to a problem.

That was as apparent to me 40 years ago as it is today. How you get there is critical to finding the best solution.

I do understand what you're saying about grasping the concept. However, she did show her work and that she did understand how she arrived at the correct answers. She could have used his formulas and she would have only known his ways to arrive at the solution. After she turned her work in and he showed her how he wanted it, she then knew two ways of obtaining the solution which would give her a better understanding of the concept. But I think penalizing her 25% for this is a little extreme. Maybe he wants her to go another direction for a reason. Ok, penalize 5% or 10% max in my opinion.

Originally Posted by John V.

But kudos to you for working with your daughter.

For all the talk of what is wrong with education today, the one constant in my view is that kids that have the most success in school will have parents that care about the education their kids are getting and are actively involved with study and homework. Parents that leave it to the teachers will have students more likely to struggle and fail.

Keep up the good work, what you do to supplement her instruction now will surely pay dividends for her.

I definitely agree with you there. Parents are not involved as much as they should be. Many don't understand the impact it can have on their child's life.

Just one thing I want to note here. I did not give her the answers. I helped her figure out how to get to the solution. She came up with the formulas on her own and wrote out all of her work. So she did understand how to get there.

[1969GTO]

Originally Posted by RAIVJUDGE

69 Gto you hit a lot of things right on the head that parents should be teaching their children like pulling up their pants and Learning English. If you would take the time to read and understand our immigration laws that exist now you would understand that all immigrants should renounce their country of origin and learn our customs and English so that they can succeed and that includes their children. If you don't believe me go to your local county clerks office or immigration office and read the paperwork that immigrants sign and ignore. I have been working and engaged in the k-20 space for over 15 years. If a teacher is honest with you they will tell you government has been a hinderance to our education system. Teachers are forced to teach to the test not to a students learning abilities. As far as the ops complaint if there are two ways to get to the right answer and it is correct every time, why is one way more correct over the other? And while I have a lot of respect for teachers they are not accountable for doing a bad job. There are many good ones that hold themselves accountable and they do a great job and they should be compensated at a premium. Until that happens our public school system will lag behind.

Please don't say teachers are not accountable for the job they do, unless you know some thing that I don't.
At least in the upstate NY area a teacher is accountable for there students progress.
Long story short is, if a teacher gets what they call 3 Taps, they are looking for a new job.
It's the new thing the NY state governor has set up and it's real and there is not much the union can do about it.

[74Grandville]

same thing happen to me in algebra 2 in the mid 90's. teacher failed me on a test even though all the answers were correct. I was using algebra 1 logic, which took longer to solve the problem, but she still marked everything wrong. She said I needed to use the newer methods she taught in class. I understand her frustrations, but I still got the answers right...

[71GP76TA]

They are trying to squash out freedom of thought... Its all about control... This is how sheeple are created... I could get political...but won't...

BTW - I'm a high school dropout and do not have a lot of respect for teachers...or should I say... brainwashers...