It only takes a minute
… or ten, every day until the school year is over, plus one additional day tacked on to the end of the year. This is how our school district (and many others in the area) are handling making up numerous snow days taken this past winter.
Honestly, I don’t have a problem with 10 extra minutes plus a day of education for my children – for ANY child, especially since this is time being made up. I think the education system in Wisconsin and the U.S. as a whole is severely lacking compared to other countries. I would like to see longer school days on a permanent basis. My kids won’t be competing with some someone from Neenah or Milwaukee for jobs – they’ll be competing with people from Tokyo and Munich. I can’t help but wonder if they’ll be as prepared as their foreign counterparts.
Now, of course my children are acting like they’re going to the salt mines for an extra 3 hours a day, but they’ll get over it. Funny how an extra 10 minutes at Grandma and Grandpa’s house is not enough time!
I do wonder how those 10 minutes are filled, is it with an extra recess, more computer lab time, another class trip to the rest rooms? Or do the teachers simply add 2 minutes to each subject, 28 minutes of math becomes 30? And what about that extra day at the end when EVERY one including the teachers is ready for summer start? I don’t recall any educational or intellectual epiphanies taking place on the last day of school.
Do you think the school days are too long, too short, or just right?
Laura Feit is the mother of two. She lives in Walworth County and works full time for Gazlo.com. Laura is a community blogger and her opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.
Apr 26, 2011 at 5:58 a.m.
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My whole idea of homework is mowing the lawn, laundry, cleaning...etc. Schoolwork should be done at school, not home. School ties up enough of the day, it should all be done there.
Apr 26, 2011 at 5:30 a.m.
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I know of some parents that would like longer days to cover after school day care. I feel that my little boy has a long enough day because in addition to his school day, his teacher sends home a full evening of homework. The only way I would go along with a longer school day is if the teachers used the extra time in class to actually do some of the work rather then just assign it as homework,that way when they get home they have less homework and more "family, evening time." I think these kids put in a long enough day as it is and when you have a child that gets all A's they deserve a "break" after school.
Apr 25, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.
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You're correct, I had no self discipline and very little from my parents. I never did one ounce of homework ever. Rarely completed assignments. I passed simply by doing good on tests. I felt as if I knew how to do it, I was wasting my time repeating the process with assignments.
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BeenThereDoneThat - Ignorance is not looking at something from every point of view. The majority of society is ignorant because they are inept to change. No one can do anything different because it has been done the way it has been for so long.... long before we had the technology we have now.
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Question - Who taught the first teachers? And what made them right? Dont you realize in every generation you'll have people that see things differently and new? I showed my math teachers how to solve problems easier than they did.. I got yelled at and got D's in math, because I never did the stuff their way and aced my tests... thats the only reason I passed. To educate someone there is no set in stone way... we think there is and its from the stone age. There's more than one way to skin a cat. And im far from ignorant for showing people how.
Apr 25, 2011 at 3:13 p.m.
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Sigma - I agree there is some discipline issues with regards to certain aspects. However, not to the extent that I feel the length of the school day or year has anything to do with it.
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You said, "I never did homework because I didnt have time. I spent all day in school, the last thing I wanted to do was go home and do more school work....no way."
You didn't want to do your homework? Doing your homework requires discipline. Discipline at home. You see where I'm going with this?
Apr 25, 2011 at 2:48 p.m.
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yes stigma40 I agree, to quote the late/great Harvey Korman in the movie High Anxiety. "Less bondage, more discipline." ;>)
Apr 25, 2011 at 2:25 p.m.
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Sigma, ignorance must be bliss in your corner of the world.
Apr 25, 2011 at 1:40 p.m.
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They should totally separate the kids by the grades they get. If A students only had to be in school a half day... how inspiring would that be for everyone else to try and get A's??? Then the A students could be given the option to stay in school all day, but move on to the next grade classes. Making it possible for an A student to possibly graduate 2 years early, or learn college classes in HS.
Apr 25, 2011 at 1:36 p.m.
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On top of what I said below about cutting hours. Those that need extra help would have a ton of extra time in the day to get help. And those that are getting A's and can breeze through things dont have to sit there and get bored to death.
Apr 25, 2011 at 1:32 p.m.
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Spark - Its called discipline. We dont have that....at all. No one in the USA is taught self discipline, most wont even know what it is. Any method of discipline here is shunned upon. Little suzy or timmy cant sit in the corner or go without lunch, or get a swat on the rear because parents get heartbroken or arrested. Failure is an accepted option here for us. If we made it mandatory to have a HS dimploma when you turn 18 to become a US citizen... I bet you'd see a major improvement in the education system... not really the system but the students behavior.
We US citizens are lazy creatures of comfort, If you give us a 10 hour day we actually learn 3 hours out of that. Why? Because there is no discipline to stop anyone from fading off after 3 hours. I went through the education system, I know that 90% of all my classes only 20% of that class time was teaching, the rest was studying, reading, and the last 10 minutes socializing. We could cut that class down by 50% and it would make it more desirable for kids to stay in school, keep it more interesting, and save money. And also allow more time at home for homework. I never did homework because I didnt have time. I spent all day in school, the last thing I wanted to do was go home and do more school work....no way.
Apr 25, 2011 at 12:37 p.m.
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nscr- Exactly........One-hour classes are assinine......a kid no more than gets settled in to learn something and the class is over.
How dumb is that?
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And EVERY subject isn't needed EVERY day....DUH.
Apr 25, 2011 at 11:38 a.m.
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I agree that students do not have the attention span that they probably should, but when my kids were in middle school they had 2 "period" classes on an A and B schedule. This solved a lot of problems with their schooling. Yes they were longer classes, which would make one assume that they would even get more ansy, but realistically, it was a much better process than what they have now. It gave the teachers time to teach the class and have questions answered and then gave the students more time to work in class on assignments. Then if they came across an issue the teacher was there to help them. The class day is fine in length, but how everything is taught needs to maybe be reevaluated.
Apr 25, 2011 at 11:36 a.m.
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Than how do you explain the countries that are way above us with regards to education and intelligence that have longer school days and full time school calendars?
Apr 25, 2011 at 11:24 a.m.
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Are you people (Sigma & CardTrader) serious? You've left me speechless that you can be so ignorant of the importance of an eduction. I will just shake my head and walk away.
Apr 25, 2011 at 10:35 a.m.
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Well said sigma40 I agree with you 100%
Apr 25, 2011 at 9:11 a.m.
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WAY TOO LONG! Kids dont have the attention span to sit all day, they'd learn more and easier in lesser time instead of dragged out. The main reason school is so long is parents have to work and its convenient. aka... babysitter. So to balance the parents schedules, the education is compromised and so are the tax payers that dont have kids in school. But it will never change because all the people in charge and running things have kids, have jobs, and of course teachers dont want their hours cut and parents dont want their kids home 2-3 hours before them.
The time kids are in school has nothing to do with education.
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