Major Problem with Higher Education

As I was sitting in class today, I finally made the decision to express a feeling/opinion I've kept bottled up for quite some time, in part because I like to keep myself out of trouble, but also for the fact it's better in certain situations to let some things go unknown. Some might say this thinking goes hand in hand with the ever so popular phrase "let sleeping dogs lie," but I figured in this situation it can do more good than harm, at least I hope.

To shed some light on where this may go, I am now enrolled in my third institution for higher learning and about to begin student teaching. In other words I am almost done, and to be honest I couldn't be more ready to stop playing this "game" that is so important in our society today. You may have noticed the quotations around the word game in the previous sentence, and that's because I feel as though through my time in college I've begun to decipher this ever so preciously decoded message. As some may have wondered, and few may know (actually nobody may know), I made decisions that led me to more than one college based on one principle and that sole principle alone: Boredom. While boredom may have a simple meaning to most, I personally like to look at this word/phrase/idea/mentality through a different light. To me, boredom is far more than not knowing what to do with ones self. It encompasses every aspect of life, and reflects on decisions in ways that other words, phrases, ideas, or mentalities can only dream of. Included in that schema of the word boredom is the feeling of not getting the most out of the experience that I was in. Some may automatically think of social life here, but in reality, for me, it had nothing to do with that, and everything to do with academics. Say what you will, but after a search of three institutions, I've realized the hard way that there's only so much that higher education can offer.

To answer the most obvious question, college is easy, beyond easy, so easy that I'm the person who can skip 90% of classes and pass with flying colors. From weekly quizzes, to finals, to state teaching exams, I never study and always pass with ease. While some may think I'm bragging here, I'm actually not, for it's something that gets me in far more trouble than praise. And this is where I begin my argument in an attempt to explain a major problem with higher education. Ready for the punchline?

WE REWARD THE WRONG THINGS!

Excuse the caps, actually I am a person who hates when people write in all caps, but it's the only way I think I can get my point across as to the significance of that statement. While I'd like to spruce up this part of the argument and make it sound completely politically correct I simply can not and will not. In terms of rewarding the wrong things, it absolutely drives me to wits end that I see very below average students passing college with flying colors because they attend every class, speak nicely and politely around professors like they are gods, and go the extra 5 miles to turn in ten times more "mush" than what is actually required in the assignment description. This is a game I have long refused to play and have just recently started fighting against. Maybe fighting is too strong of a word to use in this situation, but it is certainly one that gets the idea across that I am not happy with what is going on around the country in these "academic" institutions. (Sorry for the extended use of quotations, but I simply cannot help myself in terms of portraying sarcasm)

To me, it makes no sense at all that very mediocre content and assignment performance mixed with very exceptional attendance and politeness towards the teacher far outweighs the other way around. And by politeness, I mean the ability to suck up. It is a strong personal opinion of mine that just because you do all the right things ethically within the classroom that you should get a break on your assignment performance. And just to ramble on about this point, simply because I can, why is attendance even a grade to begin with? The name of this class, Class XXX 401 (insert any class name and number you feel appropriate,) is designed to teach and measure your knowledge of the content within that subject area. If I wanted to be graded based on my attendance and ability to coo you with my blinking eyelids and sweet talk I'd have signed up for something entirely different.

It's like I've been taught all throughout my teacher preparation coursework. If I assign a paper in my 8th grade Science class asking students to explain the rock cycle, specifically concentrated on how igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks change from one form to the other, is it right for me to deduct points for every spelling and grammar error? No! Not one bit, because the specific content standard being addressed would say something along the lines of "Identify that the lithosphere contains rocks and minerals and that minerals make up rocks. Describe how rocks and minerals are formed and/or classified." To my knowledge, it doesn't mention anything in terms of "Make sure your spelling and grammar is top notch!" A possible disclaimer at the bottom of your rubric saying extensive spelling and grammar errors will be taken into consideration, yes, that would be acceptable, but not deducting loads of points because a silent E was left off the end of a word or a comma was used in the wrong place.

Moving forth and further strengthening my argument, people around the country that rank high within these institutions need to spend more time realizing that these students who are getting passes day in and day out are those who are going to be leading our country, manufacturing and designing our future technologies and products, and teaching the children of future generations. I guess it'd be safe to say they've never really wondered about the ramifications of improperly trained future professionals. Say what you will, think what you want, apply whatever stereotype that you may, I just hope that people don't continue to settle for people who can talk sweetly and blink their eyes impressively. In my eyes holding people to standards, not accepting work that is anything less than extremely satisfactory, and making people achieve lofty expectations is what higher education should ultimately be about, while not as much emphasis being placed on attendance and clipping the professors fingernails. If you can't hack it, don't quit your day job.

A special shout out to a friend who just recently entered the blog game and holds nothing back in his messages. Good job JS.