Teach for Comprehension, Not Grade Point Average by Holly

Teach for Comprehension, Not Grade Point Average by Holly - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

A paper placed on a desk containing an entire language of familiar shapes and vocabulary, yet somehow, the numbers just don’t add up, and the difference between a negative cotangent and complex formulas are lost in transit. A slightly confused student who wishes the review for the test had been just one day longer, so she could truly grasp the concept is left overwhelmed and washed over, like a massive wave of mathematics has pulled her under and left her to wade ashore.

Struggling in high school is not an uncommon experience, and as I am leaving for college soon, I wish to tell my teachers that, although I know they must follow a strict schedule of curriculum, a more personalized, hands-on approach to teaching would have been much more effective to not only myself, but students with similar stories.

Material taught in classrooms is designed for tests, whether school-wide, state-wide, or nation-wide, and in my experience, the material covered is briefly, given on a test, and then moved aside, as more information is treated identically. Rather than tackling a new section or lesson each day, a more fluid approach should be considered. I wish this advice amongst all of my teachers, as I think that overall instead of graduating with honors and a condensed knowledge of my courses, if the time were taken to develop the course to the needs of the students, allowing more time for each classes weaknesses, I would be able to walk the stage with a complete comprehensive understanding of what I have learned in the past four years.

I understand that educators cannot devote all of their time to each and every student, but I urge teachers to consult with other departments in their grade levels and correlate test dates. As learning is my personal priority, I found many important tests to all be scheduled on the same day, and although I studied extremely hard for all tests, I felt as though I was shortchanging myself, and my knowledge on a subject. As I plan to leave for college, I wish to advise all of my teachers to pay close attention to the needs of the individual student, and to teach thoroughly for knowledge is essentially more important than a grade point average.