“The agreement between teacher and students to exhibit a façade of orderly purposefulness is a conspiracy for the Least, the least hassle for anyone” – Ted Sizer, Horace’s compromise (cited in The Passionate Teacher, Robert L. Fried).
The constant dilemma that we see with students that come into the office is the amount of mind numbing class tasks that they are given to complete by their teacher and the lack-luster desire to complete these. What is the point of them, How will they help me? Are often the questions we are asked in regards to the thought of having to summarize a 50 pages chapter into notes to be handed in and ‘marked’ by teachers.
There is a growing conversation around the ever-growing obstacles that face teachers and students in a classroom environment. Some of these obstacles include:
- authoritarian administrators who try to run the classroom from the main office
- inadequate time for planning and a hectic school schedule
- parents who do not seem to care about what kids learn at school or at home
For many teachers these and many more lead to a situation in which nobody seems to care what’s going on intellectually in the classroom and the idea of stretching and challenging students is replaced by the mindless duty of ‘getting through any way you can’.
The “Game of School” involves two players, the teachers and the students who have increasingly adopted a situation in which ‘we pretend to teach them and they pretend to learn.’
This idea is of great concern considering the HSC and its outcome is relied so heavily upon for entrance into tertiary education, a student’s outlook on their ability and is often the result of a huge financial investment.
HSC Coworks recognizes that the job that teachers do is on the whole an excellent one and their shortcomings are often a result if the system itself. The ideas that are fostered at HSC Coworks aim to complement that which occurs in the classroom.
Our intention is to stretch and challenge our students to their highest capabilities in order to ensure that they ‘play the HSC game’ to the best of their abilities whilst also establishing life long skills within them. Through systems such as Basecamp that make students plan with goals in mind, accountable, assessment oriented with actions that work to last we aim to ensure that what they learn at HSC Coworks doesn’t stop with the HSC but is equipping them with life skills.
The ‘Game of School’ is very pervasive and it is easy enough to play. However, if we want to foster within students life long learning ambitions then the actions and expectations of schools should and must be changed.
HSC CoWorks offers HSC Tuition and HSC Coaching in Sydney across a number of subjects. Our team is made up of a team of HSC experts. Experienced HSC teachers, HSC markers, high achieving ex-students and certified life coaches. We have been a part of successful HSC campaigns since 1996 and in this time we have worked with 1000s of students as they have made the climb up Mount HSC® to get into their dream University course.
