I very much liked what this article had to say. It described many things I have been concerned about. There are too many regulations on what and how teachers should teach and too much emphizas on what students should know.

First I would like to bring up the point that all students learn at a different level; it is possible for all students to learn what they need to know, but not always at the same age, which is what these regulations and tests are requiring. Students who may be a little slower but have the capacity to learn, only loose confidence in themselves through these tests, setting them up to fail. I have many friends who are perfect examples of this.

Second, as the article said, if we teach by rote memorization and lectures, students will gain nothing from it. I personally became bored with school and saw no value in the information I was supposed to be learning, therefore I did not try and gained nothing from my highschool education, not to mention the bad grades I recieved. I personally believe the best way of teaching is through doing, and if it is a subject which can not be taught this way, I feel it is important to explain or show the students why the information they are learning is valuable. I also believe teachers should play on a students strengths in order to boost their self confidence, which is very much connected to their performance. I know I'm going a little off the topic of the article here, but these are things the article made me think about.

One quote I loved from the article said, "those (students) who lacked certain strengths I myself was struggling to learn as an adult. I taught these kids best because I was really teaching myself." It made me think that another good method of teaching is to learn with the students. Reseaching things together and allowing students to see your weaknesses allows helps both the teacher and student. Also our experiences and lack of certain character traits can help those students who lack the same (such as social skills for example) and both can better from it.

In short, I believe it is better to throw away the regualtions and tests and focus on the more important thing: teaching students the material through lessons of life and playing on their strenghts to make them more self-confident in everything they do (which will show in their studies and their lives). I would take the chance of being fired if it worked.

I agree that it is important to explain why the information being taught is valuable. I think practical assignments that will teach students life skills such as writing, etc. are good ways to help them practice what they are learning. The more they see the relevance of the information to their everyday life, the more apt they are to be positive learners. I do not think this means that all tests should be eliminated, however. Certainly every student has specific strengths, but if students are really learning concepts discussed in class, then it will show on a test (preferably varied in format). Students definitely need to learn life skills in school and how to survive in the world after they graduate, but part of that is being able to understand different subjects in school. When I teach history, I want my students to grasp historical concepts so they can understand the world better as it is today. Some students are only motivated to learn if they know they will be tested. I know that I learn a lot more in studying for a test than I would if no test was going to be given. Tests also give the teacher an opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses so students can receive better individualized help. I do not think that tests should be the only form of assessment in a classroom, but I think that they do serve an important purpose.

I agree with both of you on certain points... I went to a very unique and awesome elementary school which is based on a philosophy called Foxfire, essentially meaning that it is best to teach through hands on experiences; instead of sitting in the classroom reading about how a seed grows, the teacher and students actually go outside and plant a garden and learn by doing the REAL thing. Learning by doing allows students to appreciate WHY they are "made" to learn whatever it is they are learning, it gets kids excited about learning and school in general. I agree that testing is sometimes neccesary, but is used way too much in the school setting now a days. If you are a successful teacher and make learning fun then students don't need a test or grades for their motivation, it will come naturally.