Society/Culture To what extent are Universities to blame for the current children's literacy crisis?

[kickazz]

Again, nothing In the article casting an eye over what is being taught to University education students despite continued substantial problems in primary and high school student literacy and numeracy.

One in three students failing to meet English and maths standards, NAPLAN data shows

One in three Australian school students is not meeting literacy and numeracy benchmarks, and more than one in ten need additional support, the 2024 NAPLAN results show.

www.abc.net.au

It's parents, not teachers though.

All the study of pedagogy in the world won't help when you spend half your time on behaviour management.

 

[Cmarsh]

It's parents, not teachers though.

All the study of pedagogy in the world won't help when you spend half your time on behaviour management.

Don't know how you can be so definitive. Maybe if kids aren't behaviouraly regulated in a classroom environment then it says something about that environment.

 

[the_interloper]

Don't know how you can be so definitive. Maybe if kids aren't behaviouraly regulated in a classroom environment then it says something about that environment.

It's probably more to do with the home environment and parenting imo

 

[Gethelred]

Don't know how you can be so definitive. Maybe if kids aren't behaviouraly regulated in a classroom environment then it says something about that environment.

...

Tell me you've been in a classroom for a while without saying you've not been in a classroom for a while.

Let me introduce you to Lil John*. John has ADHD which prevents him sitting still, and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD); when you tell him to do something he is immediately inclined to do the opposite, and when you tell him not to do something he's immediately inclined to do it. John is rather clever, too; he's got two older siblings and performs above level as well as being socially very adept; he'll know when you're trying to manipulate him using reverse psychology. John has also got issues around not respecting personal space, and other students - everyone except a single friend - refuses to sit near him because of it.

Scarlett* is from a broken home, badly broken. Her father and stepmother are emotionally manipulative, and she cannot emotionally regulate at all. When she starts getting stressed, she behaves akin to an old school boy; her emotion expresses itself in depressive silence or furious outbursts. One of her triggers is raised voices, as that happened a significant amount before her parents divorced. She will walk into a classroom as happy as the sun, or apoplectic in fury and you're not going to know until it happens.

Robin*'s parents don't believe in schooling. He has been heard saying, "Those that can do, those that can't..." in class. He is extremely clever, but behaves almost completely like a troll; if he's not annoying someone - you, a friend, a classmate, the principal, someone in a neighbouring room - he's absent; probably due to suspension again. He has a behaviour plan and does just enough to stay on the right side of it, but he knows precisely which lever to pull to derail your lesson at any given time.

He'll probably needle Scarlett.

Finally, let me introduce you to Marion*. She has three older brothers, and her family is supposedly deeply religious. She will say openly homophobic things quite deliberately to get out of doing work, knowing that when you call home to tell her parents they will take her side. She knows precisely what she has to do to get exited; getting exited gets her out of doing work, you see. She will refuse to do any work whatsoever and she will fail every assessment you put in front of her purely because she refuses to do them. You give her attention at all, she'll ping you from corner to corner with misbehaviour around the room from other students - she's very clever when it comes to knowing who is misbehaving where - to take your eye off her, and will work you over until you're off.

You're the teacher, Cmarsh. You've got all four in the same room. You've got all that behaviour to control, what'd you do?

Go.

*Names changed.

 

[skipper kelly]

Shoot them in the legs.

 

[Gethelred]

Shoot them in the legs.

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