Its oh so quiet Shh Shh

[ConcinusMan]

I have a whole new meaning for the statement "my school failed". I was in San Diego for my early high school and all of my Jr. high years.(grades 7-11) I failed US history and many other classes while I was there. It really put me far behind on my credits toward graduating. No matter how hard I studied at home or tried, I just couldn't learn in those classes at that school and I swear to you that I learned more by not going to class at all. It was a complete waste of time to even show up.

I eventually moved back to Washington. I was always interested in history and other subjects in which I was failing, but there was something about the way things were taught that I just couldn't learn in San Diego. After moving back to WA, all the sudden I'm getting A's and B's and it wasn't just because of the way things are graded. It's because I was actually learning and engaged in the classes. So, in that sense, my failing grades in San Diego was really not my fail. My school had been failing ME. Not everyone can learn in exactly the same way and I wasn't learning jack ship.

I hear you. It's just that often classes get so crowded an teachers are overwhelmed. I say if most of the students are failing in a class it's time to consider that the problem might not be the students. Everyone has different "teaching styles". If most of your students are failing well...

[kibakiba]

Thats how it was before I went into online schooling. My high school was crappy. I loved middle school, I never wanted to leave. I loved my teachers. In high school I was always picked on and all that crap, I was used to it but in high school guys are more violent. I got hit in the face by a senior. Luckily, me running out of the room crying made him feel bad and he told the principal what he did. He had hit me so had that I literally thought that he ruined my eye, I couldn't see and I couldn't open it. The teachers there could have cared less that I had a learning disability and they failed me just because. I did an essay in honors English and failed even though I did everything I was told to do... because I didn't "try hard enough."

[ConcinusMan]

Yeah, whatever. Don't believe a word of what they say. I'm sure you did your best. If that's not good enough then fluggem.

I failed english too time and time again. Apparently being born and raised as an english speaking human is not enough to pass english. Problem I had is that english was not just english, it was literature which I don't give one darn bit about and find it to be beyond boring. Cant stand the stuff. It's hard to read and retain information which you are not in the slightest bit interested.

For example "to be, or not to be.." I mean what the hello is that? Who cares?

[kibakiba]

Yeah, I know I did my best. My English teacher in middle school was completely convinced that I was going to be a famous writer or poet. She even had me sign my work for when I did become famous. Lol. I don't get most of that literature that honestly, you don't need to even know about. Knowing Shakespeare isn't going to get me a job.

[Stefan-A]

That's reading comprehension. The point is to teach people to better understand the things they read. Quite useful for those, who'll need to read big books with small print and few pictures later in their lives. Being able to do that, is sort of a requirement at higher levels within most fields and if you're good at it, you'll have access to better jobs.

If you can't see the benefits of knowing Shakespeare, surely you understand the benefits of understanding Shakespeare?

[ConcinusMan]

That's reading comprehension. The point is to teach people to better understand the things they read.

I totally agree with that. I understand what the goal is and I even understood it back then. Teachers actually thought I had a problem with reading comprehension and put me in a "special" class just for that in the 9th grade. I actually didn't have a problem with comprehending what I read. For cryin' out loud, I had a 10th grade level vocabulary in the 5th grade. The problem was, I didn't give a hoot for the material. Give me something to read that is in the slightest bit interesting to me, even if it's a bit higher than my vocabulary or understanding, and I'll take the time and effort to bring my vocabulary and understanding up to speed.

You just can't force me to read a shipload of material that doesn't interest me at all. It seems like the more I comprehended the material the less I wanted to continue reading it - Shakespeare for example. Of course I won't recall the material because I wasn't interested and didn't want to read it in the first place.

I never was in my entire life interested in reading written fiction and yet, I was constantly forced to read it. Not cool at all. Of course, if I had one fiction writer that I could tolerate it would be Beverly Cleary, not Shakespeare.

Being able to do that, is sort of a requirement at higher levels within most fields and if you're good at it, you'll have access to better jobs.

OK, now you're sounding like the teachers. I gotta call bull on that one. "Access to better jobs" yeah right. I understand where you're coming from and I understand the logic behind that but honestly, give me a field of study that I am genuinely interested in and give me the reading material I will excell and comprehend the reading even if it's far above my "grade level". Then you can toss shakespeare and all that horse pucky in the trash. It was serious waste of my time and effort just to get a grade.

So, no. I don't understand the benefits of understanding Shakespeare. I do understand the benefits of putting effort into reading, comprehending, and learning a subject that interests yourself or at least learning and understanding a subject that supports your learning. Damn English literature has no part in my successful learning. I just hate it. I thought someday I'll understand it's importance and regret not learning it. That didn't happen.

[Stefan-A]

give me a field of study that I am genuinely interested in and give me the reading material I will excell and comprehend the reading

Of course you wouldn't just happen to genuinely lose interest if you didn't comprehend it.

So, no. I don't understand the benefits of understanding Shakespeare. I do understand the benefits of putting effort into reading, comprehending, and learning a subject that interests yourself or at least learning and understanding a subject that supports your learning.

It's just a tool. You don't have to be interested in it.

[ConcinusMan]

Of course you wouldn't just happen to genuinely lose interest if you didn't comprehend it.

I did give genuine effort to all material presented, and once I began to comprehend, it is then that I lost interest. Very good point though. You definitely brought up a very good point. That does happen. You're right. I wouldn't genuinely lose interest if I didn't comprehend it. Unfortunately, grades were based on not just comprehension but we had to keep reading the junk and keep discussing and writing about it for weeks on end. That's where I was left happily in the dust and failing grades.

It's just a tool. You don't have to be interested in it.

Yes, Shakespeare certainly is a Tool.

Definition of tool | The Online Slang Dictionary

[infernalis]

So I guess learning Latin is a waste also?

[ConcinusMan]

Certainly not. I always had a genuine interest in science and biology. How could I possibly learn those subjects which I am genuinely interested in, if I didn't familiarize myself with Latin.

But no, never took any Latin whatsoever. The only Latin I have cared to learn was the words associated with my genuine interest in said subjects. For example "concinnus"

One definition is in my custom title. That's about all I've learned about Latin. No, not really. But you get my point I hope.

I only care to learn Latin as far as necessary to pursue learning in subjects that genuinely interest me. To study Latin, or any other subject beyond that end is a waste of my time and effort IMHO.

If I wish to make a fire, I will put forth the effort to learn how to make a spark. I don't need to study the complete field of advanced pyrotechnics in order to make a fire. Get my point?