How teachers use their time in the classroom very much affects the learning and overall success of their students. For example, if teachers take the time to work with each student one-on-one, then they will understand concepts better and have a better grade.
Some teachers believe they are preparing their students for success, but it only makes the class harder.
This can be seen when teachers load students with slide after slide of information and text with no other explanation of the curriculum. Then it is the student’s job to memorize and regurgitate said information in order to keep their grade up. Most of the time, after tests, students forget the concepts and topics of that unit because they need to focus on new ones.
This method, although widely common, has almost no benefit for the student when they enter college. Of course, it teaches them the skill of memorizing, but not the skill of learning and applying that information to the world. All the classwork done in high school is pointless if it cannot benefit one in their future education.
The classroom setting that consists of strictly quizzes and tests may work for teachers in the sense of seeing students’ knowledge, but most likely they are not seeing the students’ real capacity. Therefore, things such as projects are so important because they allow a student to express their learning in another way than a multiple-choice question test.
Although, when it comes to more free-range assignments and projects, the classroom environment can sometimes get hectic. Students are working on their own, which takes away from the said traditional classroom set up. If done correctly, a projects-based class can be effective.
If this tactic is taken to an extreme, the class quickly becomes less important to pay attention in and loses the students’ day-to-day focus. Many teachers begin to become lazy and just put on a movie while the students have free time. While the students might find this enjoyable, in the long run it is not helping them learning or grow in the class.
Overall, there are two extreme sides when it comes to the classroom not being utilized properly. Being too “cookie-cutter” and only giving tests and quizzes does not give students the ability to expand their mind around advanced topics. On the other side, having a relaxed classroom to the point where nothing is getting done only loses the attention of students. A mix of both scenarios makes a classroom where students feel comfortable and can be successful in the future.