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(1) JuliaMJK is right about most adults not knowing how classrooms are different from when we were in school. There is a major focus on EVERYONE learning right now -- not for the joy of learning, but in order to succeed in college, or in high school, or in middle school, or in the next grade.
(2) Shop classes, family studies, personal finance, civics, and other courses with real-life relevance are too rare. The strongest students AND the struggling ones could benefit from having more options.
(3) In the years since I began teaching, people's support for public education has declined. It's crucial to our democracy, but seems invisible to those who don't currently have children in school. It is disheartening but pervasive -- schools and educators are criticized from many angles.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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