What classes should still be taught in high school

I wish my HS had taught us how to do taxes. I even took an accounting class and there wasn't one peep about it.

So when is GRM High opening it's doors? I'd send my kid for sure.

Which GRM'ers will be teaching what classes?

I'm picturing Huckleberry as a gym teacher, alfadriver as a science teacher, wearymicrobe as a financial literacy teacher and Marjorie as the Principal. Too many potential shop teachers to mention.

I'd teach a seminar on advanced applied maintenance skills, AKA: "Don't panic, it's only a machine, they're all just machines" and another on workplace safety, AKA: "your coworkers and contractors really hate it when they have to clean up body fluids".

+1 for how to do taxes. Knowing how to fill out a 1040EZ is fine.

Also, they should all ready THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON by George Samuel Clason.

As an aside, it's interesting to me that with all the extra time (full day kindergarten) and money that goes into primary and secondary education compared to 20+ years ago, it seems strange to me that kids aren't coming out of high school with remarkably higher intelligence compared to 20+ years ago. Maybe they do and I just don't see it?

Lets see, I will go with:

• Finances
• Finances
• Finances
• Finances
• Some basic understanding of statistics (mostly on how not be be fooled by misuse)
• Some sort of critical thinking associated with the above (e.g. how not to get taken / manipulated)

In reply to pushrod36:

1. No child Left behind

2. Teaching to the test

3. Decline of non core academic subjects, it's hard to quantify how much kids learn from art, music, shop and hone-ec, but as this thread shows, they suffer from not having them.

4. Teaching "facts" or "correct answers" instead of reasoning, comprehension and logic. (BTW, collages do this too).

In reply to pushrod36:

Without going down a path that'll have me beaten with a hose then buried under a patio, I think it's a "Throw money at the problem then complain when money doesn't fix the problem" situation.

I find it interesting that the US is supposedly pretty far down on the "Best math and science students out of secondary education" list yet our post-secondary institutions are among the best in the world...

That said classes which promote critical thinking seem to the first ones to be cut at budget crunch time.

Parenting.

I kid you not - none of this garbage makes a lick of difference if parents do not set a SOLID foundation of reading, quality time, curiosity, and problem solving, right from the get-go.

Just my opinion, but I've spent the last 20 years teaching shop in the public school system.

Cooking. Tie in with the nutrition (above) but keep in mind that prepackaged food / eating out are both big budget hits as well as dietary challenges. (Yeah, I eat both WAY too much, but we're raising a LOT of kids who either eat out (fast food / convenience store food counts) or use a microwave at most.

My middle school had an elective "Law, the government, and you" which did cover 1040 and 1040E, things like "yeah, your parents can take all your money - even from any job you have - until you're 18" (this was in Virginia in the 1980's - may have changed since, but if you;'re a minor child and a legal dependent, I think it's still the case)

And I took a 6-week course in Home Economics too. we made a pillow (wow!) and learned basic cooking, how to iron, sewing repair, etc. It's good to be able to replace a button instead of throwing a shirt away ;) (and most of them have a spare at the bottom of the front placket)

Definitely want both of those, or equivalent.

The 6-week sessions were great to get a very basic knowledge. Things like shop could easily have modules for things like: "basic home repairs" "woodworking" "machine shop / metalworking" "automotive maintenance & repair" The main focus on any of these would be SAFETY followed by learning what you can do and knowing when to call for help. (that suspicious clunking when you steer hard to the left should probably be checked out on a lift by a mechanic unless you have the resources to figure it out yourself - but at least you know it's NOT NORMAL and needs attention instead of being ignored)

From a more modern standpoint, I'd definitely look at adding things like - Working as a team: How to be a good leader and how to be a good follower - Identity, privacy, online safety - Fundamentals of finance (investing, retirement, etc) - Physical Health (sort of like the auto one above but for the machine that is your body. Very important to know when to watch & wait, when to schedule a doctor visit, when to go to the ER NOW or call an ambulance) - Effective communicattion, both verbal & written

I'm missing others. I would love to see more externships or working relationships with local businesses to show

Physical education. Having some time during the day to do warmups and physical activity helps with attention the rest of the time and should not be ignored.

aircooled wrote: Lets see, I will go with: - Finances - Finances - Finances - Finances - Some basic understanding of statistics (mostly on how not be be fooled by misuse) - Some sort of critical thinking associated with the above (e.g. how not to get taken / manipulated)

Hey now, I’ve made a nice little career out of the fact that statistical literacy is critically important in the real world yet is given minimal attention prior to graduate school.

I survived getting an undergraduate degree in Physics with much credit due to a junior high shop class. We had an excellent teacher that knew the importance of planning, critical thinking, and not being afraid of asking questions. He put the fear of death into kids handling table saws for the first time. I'm still amazed that nobody lost a finger or worse, but I don't remember a single accident. It also got me away from a purely classroom environment and let me do/build something. I'm still using those skills today long after I forgot how to do triple integration and solve differential equations. Thanks, Mr. Dawson.

Finances- My parents didn't teach me how to balance a checkbook and how to make wise financial decisions and I am paying for it right now. They need to be taught that bills come before buying material things. Also teach them the benefit of coupons and other ways to save money. Taxes as well, it's extremely intimidating if you don't know what you're looking at.

Home Repair- Once again, I had no one to teach me how to fix drywall or sweat a copper pipe or replace a toilet, so in my adult life I have to pay someone to fix my problems. I would have loved to learn this stuff.

Basic Automotive Knowledge - Don't read this as being auto shop, because it's not. It's just to teach kids how to look for problems on a car so it doesn't bite you in the ass later. How to change a flat tire, how to check your oil and other fluids, how to replace headlight bulb, etc.

HappyAndy wrote: In reply to pushrod36: 1. No child Left behind 2. Teaching to the test 3. Decline of non core academic subjects, it's hard to quantify how much kids learn from art, music, shop and hone-ec, but as this thread shows, they suffer from not having them. 4. Teaching "facts" or "correct answers" instead of reasoning, comprehension and logic. (BTW, collages do this too).

I get all of this, but my thinking about it is that if kids are not taking art, music, home-economics, etc. I don't understand where that time is being spent. I can't imagine it takes too long to teach test answers. If that's the case then it seems like every student should have some understanding of calculus.

Back to the original question: how about a class where the students watch last night's episode of Jeopardy. Quiz on Monday composed of ten questions from last week and you have to give the answer (opposite of the famous Jeopardy format). Each semester students will turn in a 5 page paper of continued research based on one question/answer that they wanted to learn more about.

HappyAndy wrote: (BTW, collages do this too).

Maybe the should start teaching spelling

spitfirebill wrote:

HappyAndy wrote: (BTW, collages do this too).

Maybe the should start teaching spelling

I aggressively avoid people that have good spelling skills….think of how many orphans could have been rescued from burning buildings in the amount of time spent learning to spell.

Nope, I only associate with people that care about orphans.

Some kind of class that addresses how to write a good resume/cover letter. I struggle with that every time I apply for a job and wish I had learned it before I entered the workforce.

I'll pile on the financial courses idea. I've learned a few lessons in that field the hard way and I'm literally still paying for some.

But but but, how will the rich continue to keep the masses down if the masses learn their financial tricks?

spitfirebill wrote:

HappyAndy wrote: (BTW, collages do this too).

Maybe the (SP) should start teaching spelling

I can teach the proper way to to rebuild a hydraulic cylinder, including how to get it out of the mast of the forklift or arm of the stacker without taking all day, breaking anything or getting hurt. I can also articulate to my clients the value of my skills and services. Further more, I don't have any student loans or fear of unemployment.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it grammar Nazi. You can even use my torches to light it if you can't afford a lighter on the paycheck that your English degree provides.

penultimeta wrote: For instance, a student may be interested in becoming and engineer, in which case they'd benefit both from taking Calculus, AP physics, and, say, CNC machining.

So actually doing something that makes sense instead of the stupid system we have now?

Thank You!

Physics. In my high school, it was a senior year elective reserved only college bound students. It was my favorite class, and I wish I could have taken it earlier. It taught me why math was so important, it could solve just about any problem. It should have been a required class for any student that could not show that they were immune to the laws of physics. The downside is that there would be a drop off in YouTube videos.

We also need a class to teach kids the ins and outs of having and keeping a job. This used to be what first jobs as a teenager were for. Most of those opportunities for teens have gone away, and what is left will be gone soon. Heavy focus on customer service/relations.

thatsnowinnebago wrote: Some kind of class that addresses how to write a good resume/cover letter. I struggle with that every time I apply for a job and wish I had learned it before I entered the workforce.

Going off topic here, but I don't believe these should be emphasized the way they are. They are inherently bullE36 M3. Unless you are applying to your dream job.

Edit: Markdown just wrecked my post.

SkinnyG wrote: Parenting. I kid you not - none of this garbage makes a lick of difference if parents do not set a SOLID foundation of reading, quality time, curiosity, and problem solving, right from the get-go. Just my opinion, but I've spent the last 20 years teaching shop in the public school system.

And that's hard to do when both parents are working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for decades on end, don't get proper amounts time off to spend with kids, and use television and media to satiate themselves and their children from the soul sucking corporate life that is quickly eroding American life.

I still think Americans need more time off so we can get pick up our kids up from school occasionally, or go camping together, spend quality time over Holidays together, and not just with stay at home parent type of situations either.

I'd love to see more funding (or at least tax write offs) for after school programs and tutoring to give kids more instruction, social and learning time, and if their parents are not able to keep them away from media, at least alternative teachers could.

Besides the aforementioned home finance, observing decision biases and statistics cheating. Also the concept of outsourcing risks, liabilities, and responsibilities and how that impacts stats and decisions.

rob_lewis wrote: 2) Project management and working with others. In any job, you have to learn to work with other people and maintain a professional attitude. Too often, people get into the "it's all about me" mode when being more collaborative will work better in the long run.

This x 100000000. This whole thread sums up the mission behind my job. (I work at a little "alternative" school) We try to teach leadership, critical thinking, responsibility, life skills and all that good stuff. It's hard. It's also painfully obvious that good parenting is important. It's hard to undo what kids have learned (or not learned) by following their parental examples and dumping money into school systems isn't going to change that.

rob_lewis wrote: 2) Project management and working with others. In any job, you have to learn to work with other people and maintain a professional attitude. Too often, people get into the "it's all about me" mode when being more collaborative will work better in the long run. -Rob

They tried that when I was in school.

After a while, you get tired of waiting for the dumber students to comprehend and just do the damn assignment yourself to get it over with.

In reply to Trans_Maro:

Are you saying that doesn't also happen in the adult world?