I think before you condemn them to the ranks of the chronically misinformed, perhaps some ( teaching ) strategy can still save a few of them?
Also I think if you gave me that test, I probably would not fair as well as your students, being that English was not my best subject at that age either. However we cannot discount life experiences for the choices we make.
If you really take a look at what a teabagger is, you would note that he/she is Caucasian, at least 45 to 60 plus, and have a right wing fringe ideology. Your 18 to 20 year olds are still malleable. They can still be reached. I don't think one test around one discipline can be a measure that defines the next bunch of ignorant malcontents. However it could be a measure of the next Glen Beck or Rush Limbaugh successors?
Plain? Sorry to say it, but I question the teaching techniques. Have you made them WANT to learn? Or have you been doing this for so long it has become rote? Had you told me you were getting these statistics from young children recently immigrated, I might more understand your post. But you are talking about the education of young adults. Something seems amiss. As this is a difficult forum for clarity, let me say this: I am not being judgmental, but truly inquisitive. If this was happening to me, I would ask myself the same questions.
I remember in Yr. 7 having to stay in at lunchtime until I got all those fucking diagrams of sentences correct. Verbs, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, prepositional phrases....man that really gave me the shits. Little lines running helter skelter all over the page this relates to that etc. All I wanted to do was get into the chow line before it all ran out or time ran out and I wouldn't have time to eat it. My teacher was an old blue haired sourpuss who hated kids. I still can't really identify a dangling participle.
I had the same English teacher for 5th, 6th and 7th grades. She drilled sentence structure into us until we could diagram sentences in our sleep. She was a silver-haired, bent-fingered task master but she knew her stuff and by the time she was done with us, we knew her stuff too.
I went back to school later in life and I was so nervous...but I tried like hell and I graduated very well...I want to thank all of my teachers...they made me work and for that I am very appreciative...thanks Plain...I myself am glad for good teachers.....College is not like high school and I too had to take a class like yours ...thanks to a good teacher I went on to receive two scholarships based on my writing ability and one other based on academics....It is the effort we put into our studies that makes all the difference. Like merlins said, study, study and study....
posted by Pamela4
about 1 month ago
Have to run off to work . . . work two jobs to survive . . . did not finish Boxerchick's comment but . . . boy . . . have you jumped to conclusions!
This is my first semester as a college teacher.
These kids were placed there by a test.
I should think that is enough said.
BTW, what these kids are being taught is what was completely accomplished for my elementary school by the sixth grade.
Well you have to understand that these kids are the product of " No Child Left Behind". They were taught to pass state test. Maybe that is the problem? Teaching and education are light years different to what we had. In fact raising kids today is light years different.
The challenge is finding away to connect. Coincidentally, my niece is in town. She is the first member of our family to graduate from college. I have a cousin who is the first to get a Doctorates. My wife's niece has a Masters in Nursing, and striving for the next step. I do think we should be aware of the difficulties our kids face. But we should also note that there are successes to.
Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. These students really need a good teacher like you to acknowledge them, and help them realize that even though they aren't the best now, with your help they can do as Pamela did (Kudos, Pam!) and be a lot better off. Get them enthused :)
