The school I teach at has the worst college students EVER

I don't get it.

 

That's a reference to a poster here on Dinfo who believes that Homeschooled kids are abused and since their parents haven't taken classes in "Education" that the kids are woefully uneducated.

And, this sounds like just about every teacher in the profession. Kids suck, parents suck, underpaid, etc. I still wonder why people teach.

 

Hahaha...right on the money.....

 

Sounds like your teaching adults that grew up earning participation ribbons as children. It's a sad reality we live in . . .

 

Thank you. I am literally only 3 to 8 years older than my students. Most of my students are in their early to mid twenties while I'm in my late twenties. I've had a couple who were a few years older than me. I understand their slang and listen to many of the same songs they listen to. I attended the same types of schools they did that were more than 80% Hispanic and had a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students. I also grew up in a single parent home, and my mother had serious mental health issues. These kids are always making excuses about why they can't do this and that. I grew up on worse conditions than they did. Some of them grew up working class and lower-middle class while my family was homeless at one point. I was taken away and put in a children's shelter a few times. My younger sister was also removed from the home and placed with me. When you've been there, done that, and know these things aren't good excuses, it makes it difficult to empathize. By the way, my younger sister is doing well at a state university.

 

Sounds to me like the institution is the problem...

-Matt

 

It certainly is part of the problem. If it actually had standards, we wouldn't have any of these students. It wouldn't even be in business. I know that some of my students started at community colleges and RA 4-year colleges, but flunked out. I'm sure that if it weren't for schools like this, most wouldn't get through college at all.

 

They have to have some type of student outcomes that are assessed... Surely even the National Accreditation groups have regulations on that.

-Matt

 

Do you mean like graduation rates and employment in the field? It's not hard to graduate when course completion dates are repeatedly extended, the work is super easy, and the instructors teaching major courses aren't allowed to fail the student for not being to write coherently even after taking a writing course. Our students do land jobs in their fields, but these jobs pay a little above minimum wage. There is really not much room for growth for medical assistants and the like. The paralegals might do okay if they can write. The criminal justice program is just completely unnecessary, but it's new. As long as our students get jobs as security guards or what not, they will be counted as successes. If they get hired by a police department that will put them through the academy, we will still get credit even if the department doesn't require or even recognize our degree.

 

No, I mean there must be program objectives. For example, at my college we have general education goals for our associates transfer degree. Students in this degree program are expected to meet the goals. Each course is supposed to assess some of those goals, and then at the end of the program graduates take an assessment to see if they've met the goals. Failing the assessment has no bearing on their graduation, but we have to report the data, and if all of our students are failing, that's a major red flag.

-Matt

 

Of course you do, and you happily collect your paycheck, skipping to the bank on the backs of student debt. Thanks for this odd sharing post.

 

I do not know.

This is not only my first time teaching at a for-profit, but it's my first time teaching at a college. I tried to go in with an open mind since so many people claim that not all for-profits are sub-par. Many people also claim that national accreditation is not sub-par. I couldn't find many negative reviews on the school, so I took the job. I also didn't know the tuition rates were that high since they aren't advertised. I've only been there a few months and am looking for another job already. Whether you like it or not, I'm not going to risk being long-term unemployed and homeless; or, even worse, living off the government assistance that you the taxpayer pays for. I'm not leaving my job until I find another one. And, I'm really not paid that much, seriously. Plus, I only work part-time.

 

The full-time instructors at my college don't get paid nearly as much as full-time instructors at non-profit colleges including community colleges. Of course, those who teach at public colleges are government employees. Their salaries are supported by tax dollars. The exorbitant tuition that is being paid by the students is mostly used to line the pockets of the school's owners.

 

I think the point here is that many young kids are being recognized for simple things rather than outstanding things. I believe you and I are roughly the same age, MC, perhaps not. When I was a kid, at the end of the school year we'd have awards ceremonies where students would be recognized for "Highest average in Biology" and whatnot. Now students get recognized for everything. We had students getting awards for attendance. Seems silly considering you're SUPPOSED to attend. We also had to give out awards to students who passed the state tests. Again, that's something you're supposed to do. It's gotten to the point where everyone gets an award because we don't want anyone to feel left out or hurt. Unfortunately, that's not how the real world works.

-Matt

 

And this is illegal? Every company, school, NGO, governmental agency out there has skeletons to hide. Even churches/religious organizations have skeletons to hide. Last year I did a contract job for a Catholic Church and based on your post I should have not taken it because of their past transgressions, ex. Sex abuse scandals. Your post is odd. :thinking:

 

I'm one of those people that are an advocate for for profit and national accreditation. I think they both serve a niche market of which I'm a member. I'm saddened to hear about bad apples in the education industry, whether for profit or non profit, but I'm also saddened by professionals in other fields that abuse their position and/or authority. Anyone considering post secondary education should be enlightened and educated to consider all their options and then make their own adult decisions accordingly.

 

I don't teach math or reading, but I overheard the associate dean talking about how they raised developmental math and reading up to 9th/10th grade high school material and the failure rates skyrocketed. So they are lowering it back to 8th/9th grade material. When I asked if she was serious she said yes. Amazing. I would have thought you needed to pass 12th grade material to get into college.

How did they graduate high school or get their GED if they cant pass 9th grade stuff??

 

Our state standardized test everyone needed to pass in the 10th grade in order to graduate started out being 2 grade levels below. My class was the first class that had to pass the new one, which was one grade level below in the 11th grade. Some of my friends didn't have to pass this test because their parents got them into lab classes. That was our name for remedial classes which were between special education and regular classes. Even though these students didn't have to pass the standardized exit test to graduate, they were allowed to graduate at 18 unlike the special education students. The other friends, who were really behind but didn't have parents who cared talk their way into lab classes and get them tested, ended up transferring to this charter school that was known for being quick and easy. One could finish a whole school year there in a few months. I don't know if they were exempt from state standardized tests.