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How is your child's school experience different than yours?

Posted August 31, 2015 - 7:14am

My children are growing up so differently than I did and a big part of that is how public education has changed. I feel like their days are longer, there are more standardized tests, and more competition overall. On the other hand, they have access to topics and technology I could only have dreamed of and also regularly have music and art at their elementary school.

Are your kids having a different experience than you did? Have things changed for better or worse?

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jonbonjovious

My husband and I talk about this alot. The classrooms are bigger now than they were when we were younger. The classroom debates aren't as passionate because they can "google" the answer, rather than form an opinion. Our son is on a Robotics Team (the closest we came to robots was Number 5 and the Jetson's). There's a lot more pressure on testing. Math has changed drastically (and my dad told me the one thing about Math was it NEVER changed!LOL). I remember learning Presidents and state capitals and my kiddos haven't had that. I remember entire years being dedicated to different parts of history (the Civil War, the American Revolution, Greek Gods, Roman Empire, etc.) and that doesn't happen for my kiddos. We could bring baked goods to school, my kiddos cannot. My children seem to be growin up faster and have so much more access to information than I remember having.


CandyOvercaffed

Yeah. I have to say right now I'm not a fan if I'm rating their experience to mine. I'm trying not to be a cranky old geezer about it, but it's hard. I just bought a book called The New First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy that supposedly contains all those things you think everyone should know because I feel like my kids are exposed to that in school. It's like mythology and songs and weird references and things I don't want forgotten because of all of the access to technology we have now. In some ways it gives them more knowledge but I'm afraid that it's at the expense of forgetting other things. ... I'm just going to go yell at some kids to get off my lawn now. ...


Frugal Minded M...

Definitely much more technology today then I had.  In addition, they seem to have more homework from elementary on.  In addition, classes seem to move much faster.  I know that what my son learned in Trig last year far exceeded what I learned my junior year.


CandyOvercaffed

I just don't remember ever having homework in elementary school. I went to elementary school in three different states, so that can't be the difference. I have yet to see the value of homework in elementary.


Frugal Minded M...

My 3rd grader just got home and I sat with him for 1 1/2 working on things.  Apparently the teacher doesn't think he's doing things neat enough so he was told to redo 2 sheets from previous days.  THen we practiced for spelling tests.  The biggest difference I see is the grades in elementary are based on weekly testing so if the kids aren't prepared they will fail.  Since the classes are so big, if your child is struggling at all they don't get the help they need from the teacher and  it's really put on the parent to help.  Between my 4 kids in school I sit for at least 3 1/2 hours every afternoon as a tutor on call.   


jonbonjovious

We have the same issue. I talked to our PTA president and we arranged for college students to come after to school for 1 hour two times a week to help tutor. It was a great experience for all parties last year. I am not fond of homework, but I also know that because of it, I am more aware of what is beting taught in school to my children. 


beachcitymom

My child's is very much different because he is homeschooled. I was not. It wasn't originally my goal to homeschool but when he was reading before 3...I felt it was the best choice. I had prior experience working in schools and as a case manager. I do feel schools are different today and the current area we live in in part of  school district that is way too big and there are too many disadvantages. 


CandyOvercaffed

School days are so long, I just don't see any added value in regular homework for elementary students. Maybe reading assignments, but beyond that if they don't have time in their school day maybe we are doing it wrong? There are some ways my kids' school experiences are a vast improvement over mine, but homework is not one of them.


sunnykathleen

I find that my children had much more homework than I did. There seems to be an overall feeling of get everyone into the middle of the pack and make sure everyone passes the standardized tests. The children at the low end and the high end of the curriculum seem to suffer.


sunnykathleen

One other thing that I have noticed as a teacher is that my school pretty much only hires educators that have Master's Degrees. When I first began teaching more people had a Bachelor's Degree only. The education level of the staff is greater now!


CandyOvercaffed

Wow! Not so at our elementary. I don't know of anyone with a Master's. Maybe the administators?