Learning...?

"What is essential is to realize that children learn independently, not in bunches; that they learn out of interest and curiosity, not to please or appease the adults in power; and that they ought to be in control of their own learning, deciding... for themselves what they want to learn and how they want to learn it." ~John Holt

Teaching (or I should say, *trying* to teach) has taught me that unschooling is TOTALLY the best way to learn! lol

I already knew it was awesome...don't misunderstand me...but being in a school setting every day and hearing what the kids say about school reinforces my beliefs every. single. day.

Today (or maybe yesterday) a girl in my 11th grade class said "I used to like to write, until we had to start writing for school." BLEAH! And I'm being a PART OF THIS?!?

The kids are so overwhelmed...some of them have jobs, *and* school, *and* sports, *and* are trying to have a social life.....I can't demand homework from them on top of all the other things they do! Homework in my class is mostly a suggestion...unless someone "above" says I have to start grading it...and it pleases me absurdly when they do it, but I don't take it personally if they don't. ; )

I wonder how long it will be before I get fired? lol

I've felt that I'm not doing a good job teaching, but today left me wondering if it's not me, but that the kids aren't listening....I certainly don't blame them for not listening. My gosh...direct objects and objective compliments and subordinating conjunctions and reflexive pronouns....it's enough to make your head swim! It's extremely difficult for them to listen, too.....people talking, poking each other with pencils, wishing they were SOMEWHERE ELSE, wishing the cute boy next to them would notice, hoping the cute girl *doesn't* notice the zit.... (and of course she does, and it doesn't matter, but who can tell a 15 year old that?)

So they're not listening, and I can't make them do homework, so I give them very detailed study sheets for the tests.....oh. my. gosh. don't even get me started on how many freakin' tests there are!...and hope they can memorize a few answers the night before the test. Then I give the test orally before I give it written, so they can go over the answers. And so far all my students are straight "A" students. I'm so proud. :,)

har de har har