Trouble with AP chemistry teachers

[jetmonkey]

Not if the socialists have anything to do with it.

AP= Advanced Placement.

These are the kids who are supposedly college-bound, where the professors will not hold their hand and coddle them through class. When they say an assignment is due on Wed. by 5pm, they do not mean 5:01pm. And if you "didn't hear" what the deadline was, that is your problem.

These kids and their Mommies are in for a rude awakening.

 

[Cowgirl]

Great teacher, and I can tell you, they do expect you to learn MOST of the stuff on your own. They lecture, like a college class. They will help you if you don't quite get something. There is deep discussion in class...but in the end, you are expected to learn/reiterate what was generalized by the teacher, on your own (or...ok, with a study group if you choose).

That's the same with EVERY class.

 

[theArtistFormerlyKnownAs]

If your only AP class was World History, then why do you keep speaking about how the AP Chem class works?

I was at the school...sorry you folks feel you need first hand experience to get a grasp at something. Ever think maybe I sat in on an AP class to see how difficult it was and if I could handle it?

I almost forgot..I took some AP Bio too Didn't finish that class though because I was out a lot that year and it wasn't going to happen :shrug: I took/passed Bio2 instead...could have definitely done AP if I hadn't been ill.

That's the same with EVERY class.

These are the equivalent of college classes...so in general, yes.

 

[kwillia]

I was at the school...sorry you folks feel you need first hand experience to get a grasp at something. Ever think maybe I sat in on an AP class to see how difficult it was and if I could handle it?

I almost forgot..I took some AP Bio too Didn't finish that class though because I was out a lot that year and it wasn't going to happen :shrug: I took/passed Bio2 instead...could have definitely done AP if I hadn't been ill.



These are the equivalent of college classes...so in general, yes.

I understood you the first time... you have no first hand knowledge of what actually happened in the Chem AP classes.

 

[Cowgirl]

I was at the school...sorry you folks feel you need first hand experience to get a grasp at something.

Is it odd to want to hear from someone who actually knows what was going on in the class? You're just speculating! You don't know how it was, because you were not there. Teachers also act differently depending on which class they're teaching.

 

[Cowgirl]

These are the equivalent of college classes...so in general, yes.

No, Johnny. I mean every single class is that way. The teacher teaches material, and students study it on their own. When kids take "regular" classes, they still have to study the material on their own.

 

[theArtistFormerlyKnownAs]

Is it odd to want to hear from someone who actually knows what was going on in the class? You're just speculating! You don't know how it was, because you were not there. Teachers also act differently depending on which class they're teaching.

Agreed with the acting different.

I'm telling yall that there is a VERY low chance you're going to get many people from this SPECIFIC year in question who took the class, who also post here. :shrug: You are aware of the age range on this site...who post...I was giving insight as to how these teachers were a couple years ago. It gives a basic understanding. Nothing more, nothing less. I knew plenty of people who passed, worked their asses off, as well as those who failed or dropped the class. The ONLY thing different (from my perspective) this year, is that one of the whiny kids had a parent who decided to go on a mission for their little darling :shrug:

 

[theArtistFormerlyKnownAs]

No, Johnny. I mean every single class is that way. The teacher teaches material, and students study it on their own. When kids take "regular" classes, they still have to study the material on their own.

Oh.
Then you lost me :shrug:
These classes equate...in the most part...to lectures and labs. That is what the teacher does. Lecture and overlook you to make sure you don't totally eff up...they will even let you mess up an experiment if they feel it will give you a greater understanding after they explain your mistake (and it doesn't endanger people ) :shrug:

 

[awpitt]

pcjohnnyb[/B];3025122]
Great teacher, and I can tell you, they do expect you to learn MOST of the stuff on your own. They lecture, like a college class. They will help you if you don't quite get something. There is deep discussion in class...but in the end, you are expected to learn/reiterate what was generalized by the teacher, on your own (or...ok, with a study group if you choose).

...but from what was described, no lecturing, helping, or deep discussion took place. If that is true, the teacher(s) in question were nothing more than room monitors.

 

[fredsaid2]

I was honor roll too...those classes are nothing compared to AP Chem :shrug: I took a single AP class in my highschool career, World History. Great teacher, and I can tell you, they do expect you to learn MOST of the stuff on your own. They lecture, like a college class. They will help you if you don't quite get something. There is deep discussion in class...but in the end, you are expected to learn/reiterate what was generalized by the teacher, on your own (or...ok, with a study group if you choose).

By honor roll I meant they maintain a high gpa. Their freshman and sophomore classes were not 'at grade level' they were honors. They were quite capable of AP classes as juniors. Is it so difficult to contemplate a teacher not performing up to standard? Just as in the rest of the workforce; some are exemplary, some adequate, some mediocre.

 

[theArtistFormerlyKnownAs]

...but from what was described, no lecturing, helping, or deep discussion took place. If that is true, the teacher(s) in question were nothing more than room monitors.

If it happened is the question. Sounds to me like bitter students and nothing more.

By honor roll I meant they maintain a high gpa. Their freshman and sophomore classes were not 'at grade level' they were honors. They were quite capable of AP classes as juniors. Is it so difficult to contemplate a teacher not performing up to standard? Just as in the rest of the workforce; some are exemplary, some adequate, some mediocre.

of course it is possible.

I am telling you, though, that I took the "not at grade level" honors classes. They still came easy to the people, like the student who wrote in one of those articles described themsevles, who have had things come easy to them throughout school. AP is WAY different than honors. I do know THAT from experience. I don't care if you got As in honors...that does not give you a guaranteed B even in an AP class. Totally different.

 

[awpitt]

If the teachers really said they weren't going to teach the material to the students because college professors didn't teach, then they're wrong. I don't much care about this situation, but that part stood out to me. College professors most certainly do teach. They go over material in class, and expect you to study to really understand it. They most certainly answer questions, and they are usually always willing to help after class, etc. if a student asks. They don't hold students' hands, but they're usually willing to help if the student seeks it.

This is the part that got me as well. IF the version of events described in the letters to the editor are true, than those teachers need to get up and teach. I talked with one of my summer hires (who goes to LHS) and they basically comfirmed what was said in the letters.

 

[LateApex]

By honor roll I meant they maintain a high gpa. Their freshman and sophomore classes were not 'at grade level' they were honors. They were quite capable of AP classes as juniors. Is it so difficult to contemplate a teacher not performing up to standard? Just as in the rest of the workforce; some are exemplary, some adequate, some mediocre.

Playing devil's advocate here...

It's entirely possible that the student just 'didn't get it' and now the parents are up in arms because their golden child will have a C or D on their report card. Thus maybe hurting their chances of getting into that Ivy League school.

I used to coach a lot of youth sports. Private clubs & high school teams. Sometimes I'd have parents come to me and complain that their child is not getting enough play time. I could sympathize with the parents and would have a hard time telling them that their son/daughter just wasn't good enough - and that we play to win.

Sometimes some people just aren't good enough etc...

 

[vraiblonde]

...but from what was described, no lecturing, helping, or deep discussion took place. If that is true, the teacher(s) in question were nothing more than room monitors.

That's hard to believe, consider that NCLB requires teachers to have a certain measurable performance. If *all* of this teacher's students are flunking, it looks bad on the school as a whole, and admin will certainly have a word with her.

I'd more readily believe that kids are receiving grades they haven't earned, not getting bad grades for good work.

 

[vraiblonde]

It's entirely possible that the student just 'didn't get it' and now the parents are up in arms because their golden child will have a C or D on their report card. Thus maybe hurting their chances of getting into that Ivy League school.

As Johnny said, any guidance counselor will tell you that a C in an AP class looks better on your college application than an A in a regular class. It shows you reach and don't just sit on your butt taking the easy classes.

 

[fredsaid2]

Playing devil's advocate here...

It's entirely possible that the student just 'didn't get it' and now the parents are up in arms because their golden child will have a C or D on their report card. Thus maybe hurting their chances of getting into that Ivy League school.

Sometimes some people just aren't good enough etc...

If it were the one lone student, then perhaps. The number of kids having an issue with the class does not support the idea the teacher was adequately doing their job.

There's always the teacher you try your darndest to get and the one you'd do anything not to have a class with. The kids who got Ms. McCarthy before she left were the fortunate chem students.

 

[awpitt]

That's hard to believe, consider that NCLB requires teachers to have a certain measurable performance. If *all* of this teacher's students are flunking, it looks bad on the school as a whole, and admin will certainly have a word with her.

I'd more readily believe that kids are receiving grades they haven't earned, not getting bad grades for good work.

Yes it is hard to believe but, so far, the account of what occured in the classroom in this case is undisputed so I'll be interested to see if any rebuttal letters (from students) show up in the Enterprise. A couple of kids in our nieghborhood told me they have difficulty getting help from various teachers during clasroom work time because the teacher(s) are too busy surf'n. I've been lucky so far. All the teachers my kids have had so far have been hard working and fair, even to the point of calling and emailling after hours to keep the communication open.

 

[onebdzee]

I would like to hear from those who survived the class.

*speaking for my 18 yr old*

He "survived" the class with a high "B" during his junior year

 

[vraiblonde]

Yes it is hard to believe but, so far, the account of what occured in the classroom in this case is undisputed so I'll be interested to see if any rebuttal letters (from students) show up in the Enterprise.

No way will this be disputed in public. Kids don't do things like that - buck their peers to stick up for a teacher. Can you even imagine that happening?

 

[theArtistFormerlyKnownAs]

No way will this be disputed in public. Kids don't do things like that - buck their peers to stick up for a teacher. Can you even imagine that happening?

Agreed. It is going to take a damn daring person to speak out against the class president and expect to be taken seriously. :shrug: