Monday, November 12, 2012
Task 2 (Nov. 12-16)
After having read Samuel Long's: "The American Way of Learning", reflect on your way(s) of learning at school. Some of you were in a French,English ,or even German system with distinct features. What were the shortcomings of the system that you belonged to? Focus on the teachers,students,or the system itself just like Long did when he evaluated the American system from his experience . Looking forward to reading your input on the subject!
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"The American Way of Learning" focused on the shortcomings of the American educational system in terms of teaching, professors, reading ability, and writing skills. Although this was convincing for a certain extent, however, I don’t think this only exists in America. I think this is a common problem in many countries as well, that engage several educational systems. As for me, my school belonged to the English system. From my 15 years of experience, I believe I am able to evaluate that experience and the teaching environment. Let me start talking about the teachers themselves. The moment I try to recall my teachers, my feelings get confused. Some of the teachers were “too exhausted to teach”. I still remember when once, we asked the teacher to continue explaining the chapter because we had an upcoming exam, but he just said:” Read them at home, its not that hard come on.” Teachers don’t really show us the importance of following up with the material, so how do they expect us to do so? But ofcourse, this doesn’t apply on all teachers, since I also recall many teachers who really cared and Im still in contact with them because they were too special, to me atleast. Another thing that confuses me is the system itself! Other than the exams, our grade was also depending on the project we present. Projects were done in groupwork. So far, this is great. But whats not, is that the teacher usually picks the members of the group based on their grades or personality in class. I think this is not effective. The more homogeneous the group is, the more effective output it will give. I still remember when I had to present a project about the disadvantages of smoking, and I worked in a group with students that were different from me. Their personality, behavior, way of thinking, and grades were different. That’s why we were able to manage giving different ideas and view points, different ways of research and presentations. But unfortunately, teachers still prefer on dividing students in “heterogeneous” groups. What confuses me as well, is the way students are “taught” to behave with the teachers. The teacher is introduced to us as a sacred person who we can’t interact with freely. Unfortunately, this caused students to attend classes because of fear and not interest. Although teachers know a lot about the field they are teaching, they should not be seen as people who have the right answer to every question. Students must be active participants and leaders as well! I just want to say, that educational systems in general aren’t ideal. Yet, I can not but admit that my school have strengthened my personality and widened my thinking horizon. It has flaws, but still it’s a very pleasant memory I always recall, and use…
ReplyDeleteDear Shirine,
ReplyDeleteIt is great that you managed to be the first to post for the second time!Your ideas are valuable ,and I totally agree with you about the teacher not being the sole provider of Knowledge;we are all learners in this world and whoever admits that is the most knowledgeable!
One thing was unclear in your post;do you prefer heterogeneous groups or am I mistaken?
Thanks for sharing,
P.A.Habre
Im sorry,I just noticed that I confused between “heterogeneous” and “homogenous”. I meant: “The more heterogeneous the group is, the more effective output it will give.” , “But unfortunately, teachers still prefer on dividing students in “homogenous” groups.”
ReplyDeleteDuring my 15 years of education, I’ve been to three different schools. When I was a kid, I went to Lycee Français in Saudi Arabia where I attended my first four years of education. Later, when I became 7 years old, I came to Lebanon and studied at College Louise Wegman. It was a good school and I was between the bravest in class but my parents and I didn’t like it at all and we both preferred if I go to IC. First of all, my parents didn’t like the fact that the school was far from home because I used to arrive at 4pm which was a lot for a 7-year-old kid. Also, my parents thought that the French system was too complicated and strict to an exaggerated extend. For instance, I remember how the school directors were mean and unfriendly and all they had to do is complain and tell us “Do this, don’t do that”, which made us feel scared when they were around us and affected negatively our personalities. In addition, the teachers were very picky over lame stuff. For example, I recall years ago, during choir rehearsals in Louise Wegman, I was wearing a hat because we used to stand hours under the sun. The teacher, who I used to hate, suddenly shouts at me and throws my hat on the floor because it was hiding my eyes. College Louise Wegman made students hate going to school because of its overly strict ambiance and because of its unfriendly relationship with its students. However, four years later, my parents moved me to IC, an American system school who had both English and French Sections.. It was very different from my old school in terms of ambiance, students, teachers… I remember during my Elementary years when the President of IC used to visit each class and read stories to students. Everyone used to be so excited to see him and he made us laugh the whole time with his weird and funny ties. I also had many wonderful teachers who knew how to communicate with students and whom I’m still in contact with through Facebook. However, my colleagues and I went through problems with different teachers during our Middle and Secondary School years. My history instructor in Middle School, for example, used to waste 30 minutes of the period chatting and joking around and started the lesson the last 15 minutes. He also used to give the highest grades to the daughter of one of the directors in our school. I remember once, when he gave us back an exam, I got a 15/20 when I deserved a much higher grade. I went to him and told him to read again my essay because I deserved a better grade. He read it in one minute and changed my grade to a 17/20 and told me “I corrected your exam on a Friday night, I was tired…”. During my last years at IC, before my French baccalaureate exams, we had new teachers who were school who weren’t used to the school’s system. This was a bad decision from IC directors because students needed to be ready for the baccalaureate exams on time and were supposed to have instructors who are able to provide them with their requirements. Last year, my classmates and I went through a hard time with our social studies teacher because she had a completely different way of teaching which was unclear to us and made us waste a lot of time. Her explanations were brief and she skipped a lot of important materials. We even went to our baccalaureate exam not having studied three complete chapters in class (and one of them came in the exam). On the other hand, we had amazing teachers who made us feel so confident and had an excellent and clear way of teaching.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I am so thankful to graduate from IC with a French baccalaureate because it’s not something easy to accomplish without hard work. I can assume through my own experience that schools in Lebanon require harder work than in the United States. In other words, in the Lebanese and French system, students have tons of chapters and pages to memorize in different subjects for their exams. However, the American system doesn’t need as much as effort and students get succeeding results. We can conclude that Lebanese students are well educated and deserve a successful future and shouldn’t believe that studying in the United States equals perfect education as mentioned in “The American way of learning” by Long.
ReplyDeleteDear Nadia,
DeleteI was particularly interested in reading your posts since I.C. is my alma mater also, but I was in the English Section then!
I wondered about why when you shifted from LW to I.C., you remained in the French section and you are now in an American university!
I've been in Al Mostafa High Schools since my kindergarten. With all my respect to this huge educational system, but I have suffered a bit according to Language. My school mainly focused on the scientific issue and forgot about the importance of languages in shaping students' lives. I might not be as good as an LAU student should be in English. But this simple language I have now is done with my personal effort and not by school's effort. I used to read 3 English novels per semester and that's what allowed me to be accepted at LAU.. The system followed by the school was a strict french one. Students were supposed to spend 6 to 8 hours studying at home after 8 hours of school work. I can't neglect the fact that school taught me how to be a hard worker and to be the first to compete and try. However, the relationship between the students themselves and the teacher was flexible. They followed pure "socratic method" in probing questions and analytical answers. We were allowed to share all what we think of freely in class and this is a way of helping the child to learn the rules of arguments and thus being sociable. In fact, I believe that Lebanese educational system is better than a lot of other systems.. But there are some schools who follow the rule of beating children because they believe it's the only way in learning. I would like to change this fact and that was one of my reasons why I chose English Education to study. I chose it first because I was bullied from some teachers and because I lack the fluent English in addition to the extreme strict educational systems that present in our society. I am trying to accomplish my aim of spreading the education I believe in, the one that is supposed to have a life time positive effect on students' lives.. I hope to reach this goal someday..
ReplyDeleteIn modern education, teachers are supposed to listen amd respond to any question a student asks. This is a student's right. Like once my math teacher yelled at me for asking to many questions. So I stopped asking and my grades eventually dropped down from a B+ to a D! The coming educators should pay a huge attention to such tasks. This is an example of a simple reason that could lead to several problems. Like in my case, I haven't asked a teacher since then any question because I'm always frightened of being yelled at.
ReplyDeleteDear Kawthar,
DeleteIt is so sad to hear that someone with such a high intrinsic motivation be put down by teachers who are not willing to go the extra mile as we say!
I feel that due to your frustration with the system ,you will be a great teacher who will create a major change in it !
As I pass through the various stages of life, I formulate many philosophies, ideas and opinions about those stages. Definitely, school is a constituent of the life "hierarchy". School was unjust, long, time consuming, insipid etc... Yet, it was fun, a memory worth remembering, an ecstatic experience. I attended LESBG Baabda Loueize, its based on a British system. In addition, I faced a handful of quagmires and shortcomings. Many times I would be stereotyped as one of the horrific students because of my friends and my behavior in class. Bases on the previous I would sometimes be academically evaluated. I'd stay up nights crafting a brilliant essay, and what i would encounter the next day would be a C minus ONLY! Thus, I was discouraged to try or put effort in any sort of work assigned to me. Shortcoming number one.
ReplyDeleteConsistently, self dependence was almost dismal. we were never coaxed to go out there and learn, search, experience, brainstorm or think analytically. There was no incentive for us to depend on ourselves and what we know or even explore individually. I truly believe that self reliance as a student, is one hell of a way to allow learners to blossom in there creativity and grow.
Parallel, to " The American Way of Learning" our educational system faces a common problem. Indeed, we do need some improvements and "mending" of it.
Dear Khaled,
DeleteI think you are talented in incorporating the right vocabulary words in their right places ,and this is one of the attributes of a crafted writer.So, I believe the C- was probably too harsh!
You are right that autonomous learners can reach independence faster than those who totally rely on their teachers or books.
Even though it's quite hard for a student to admit this, the role of schools in sculpturing one's personality into a future pilot of his life. Schools supply students with the essential skills, knowledge and education for them to be capable of paving their way into professional lives. Nevertheless, some major drawbacks and shortcomings of our education system must not be ignored. Le Lycee National school had been my school since 1997 till last year actually! Some of my best memories ly in its hallways.Okay,enough with the talk about the good sides. Teachers are de-motivated due to the low salaries they receive which limits their will,creativity,and patience. Perhaps after reading this story,you'll get my point. There was that "vulgar" philosophy teacher that asked my friend to "shut up", so we ended up in the principal's office with him scolding her for her disrespect and then she said "low salaries lead to low ways of speaking". Another thing is the low standard of living which forces poor students to attend public schools. These unfortunate schools are retarded with respect to teaching methods and technology which forms a gap between students attending different types of schools. Language is another shortcoming. Lebanese students know either English or French. This gives advantage to students from other countries that master 3 to 4 languages in finding jobs. The worst of all is when students form up groups depending on racial, economical and social statuses. Their shallow thinking blind them that they never understand that this is not something poor families can control. Unfortunately, some students are forced to grow up with self-esteem issues.As you can see, there are numerous problems in our education system.These require a lot of initiative,hard work, and the cooperation between the government and schools to be terminate the shortcomings of a long running life.
ReplyDeleteSarah's story reminded me of teachers who used to do things and link it to some silly reasons. Like that teacher who once forbade me of going to the toilet. And when my mother came to school she claimed that she was mad because she's pregnant.. What a reason!
DeleteDear Sarah and Kawthar,
DeleteAs much as I disapprove of inhumane teachers' behavior , I don't think it is due to low salaries because there are many low income people who are highly respectful. What do you think?
Throughout my school years , I based my decisions on the self respect I owe myself to walk away from any place that no longer "grows" me into my full potential including my school . As a proud to be RHS graduate , I believe in the righteuosness of my decision , even recalling RHS's drawbacks wouldn't give me second thoughts about it. As a student point of view , it's always easier to spot some of teachers' drawbacks than ours.Out of which i recall first and second hand experiences. Instructors conduct learning as a passive process that does not involve engaging students in thinking ,interpreting and participating. For instance,Mr. D.T. threw me out of class once for my urge to ask a question. I came to believe he's a supporter of the dictatorship political system and pushed me into even asking more questions ! Moreover, instructors and administration are to be accused of smothering each student's individuality in terms of mass teaching of a 30-students classroom regardless of individual needs, profitable policies are always favored. Another time , the instructor mocked and disrespected my classmate , with an opposing view point to her, serving as a sophisticated example of dealing with conflicts. As a reaction to these shortcomings ,my classmates developed loss of curiosity , enthusiasim and interest. Loss of interest isn't hard to detect , they will sooner or later take the easy road of copying homework ,daydreaming during class unconcerned with the consequences and cheat in the exam. The learning styles in our school are uniform , mostly depending on the verbal (linguistic) style and logical ( reasoning and mathematical) , little that has to do with the aural ( musical and auditory) or visual ( pictures and images) physical ( through body and senses) . For the P.E. , music and art classes were canceled in favor of the lebanese bac and scientific classes. Personally, i prefer the American educational system over the Lebanese. The latter pampers students into developing dependent order taking employees instead , the American develops independent leaders via an up-to-date educational system. Sooner or later I realized that my full potential is a matter of these shortcomings, I held on to my childish curiousity and attained an independent character. In other words I took the counter reflex of motivation instead of the demotivation. I quote Stephen R. Covey , "Highly proactive people don't blame circumstances , conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice."
ReplyDeleteDear Narjes,
DeleteYour concluding quotation is closely linked to what you were previously discussing, so you hit the nail on the head as is said.
I feel sad when schools ignore subjects like P.E., music or art to give more importance to other areas of study. Who knows, they could be depriving the world of a potential artist, musician or athlete!
Just like Samuel Long's article, "The American Way of Living", which reflects the shortcomings of the american educational system, many schools, outside the U.S, also suffer from shortcomings in their educational systems. I went to Rafic Hariri High School Sidon (RHHS) and was enrolled in the Lebanese baccalaureate English system program. I completed my whole 15 years of education at RHHS where I gained alot of experience, both negative and positive ones. One of the many negative experiences I recall is the student - teacher relationship, which I believed is a serious shortcoming in the educational system. Some teachers consider themselves "masters" where the students are their "slaves". Teachers were very mean, strict, and unfriendly. Students were not allowed to share their opinion in class. Teachers were always either critizing or shouting at them, which created tension between students and teachers. Not to forget how this affected the students' personalities negatively and made them feel scared to death! Moreover, some teachers didn't spend too much effort in teaching... They only cared about getting done with material quickly rather than making sure that the student comprehended it well. However, not ALL teachers were that bad. Most of them were actually amazing teachers that made us students love to learn. Their aim was to build strong relationships with students. They were very friendly, patient, understanding, and lovable. Because of those remarkable teachers, students became confident and had the ability to interact freely and share their opinion in class. In addition to that, another shortcoming in the educational system is that students do not fully understand and grasp the material taught in class, making them rely on tutors at home. As such, students nowadays are dependent on tutors and dont care anymore wether they understand the material in class or not. In conclusion, although the education systems and schools are not perfect and need improvement, they are very important in shaping students' personalities and behaviors and society for later on... so as such evey individual should benefit from the advantages to the greatest extent possible and try to limit the turmoils.
ReplyDeleteDear Aya,
DeleteYou have raised two very important issues; one, the damage that criticism can do to anyone and that goes beyond the present. Sadly, it can sometimes be worse than corporeal punishment.
Second is the point you raised about the reliance on tutors which shouldn't be the case if the class teachers are doing their jobs well.
Lebanon suffers from many shortcomings in its educational system just like the American system does according to Long. We find many unaccredited universities, schools that the government does not even know about their existence. Many of the flaws found in our Lebanese system are unfortunately related to religion; the discrimination of students according to religion is found thoroughly in our educational system. A friend of mine was judged with a bias because of his name that resembled a certain religion sadly in of our high standard universities in Lebanon. Another shortcoming is the "old way" of learning that Long described in the American system, yet our Lebanese education system lacks innovation in many schools a 60 year old teacher that has been in the field of teaching for 30 years still uses the same way of educating that he started his first years with, in addition to a school found in the south in which teachers abuse the children physically, sadly the children never speak of, ending up with psychological disorders. According to my personal experience in my school Saint Mary's Orthodox College this educational system is rich with great educators and very high standards. After being exposed to life outside the walls of school and home, I am full of pride being a graduate from such school. None of the shortcoming Long talked about are found in my school and this is me being honest. Similarly, we find some educational systems that are with high standards of education, yet the toxic cloud covers most of our educational system. "Academics pretend to teach and students pretend to learn" says Long this is a huge problem which stops our society from growing and improving, a of the bribery that is found in our system. If the educational system teaches this way to students, then definitely the society will suffer from this problem. Mass media brain-washes the youth and misleads their minds into believing in the "fictitious" world pretending that this is “education”. Parents must become aware of the problems in our educational system, ultimately the system itself must be reconstructed. The educators must have high integrity towards their children, hence towards the future of the country. Working together for the sake of our future is a must; therefore we should abolish the flaws of our system. The educators must take responsibility and act accordingly; hand by hand we will improve and become a country with high standards of living.
ReplyDeleteDear Adnan,
DeleteIt is sad to hear that there are still few schools that use corporeal punishment to discipline or control their students.
I believe it is a crime that whoever commits it needs to be severely punished .
It is insightful how you see the whole picture; you make all concerned think twice about it whether students, teachers, or parents.
It is interesting ,how you managed to relate the flaws of our educational system with the future of our country.We're failing miserably at both. I'm not yet sure which causes which , whether the deteriorating state of our country,takes responsibilty and blame for the flaws of our educational system.Perhaps the low standards of living causes low-salary system that negatively reinforces the flaws in our educational system(demotivated teachers ,working at 2 jobs).. Or the drawbacks of our educational system that cause instability in our country as you stated.The good news is no matter where our starting point begins, it'll help us the other way round. On the other hand, I was discriminated against because of religion, my name speaks for itself and apparently my teacher didn't like the fact that we're different. Sorry for the inconvenience but I found your post the most interesting to elaborate on :D
DeleteMy Family and I have moved from a country to an other several times which lead to me moving schools quite a lot.I have been French educated most of my life . I studied at the French school of Dubai for three years and then after that at the French school of Amman for two years.My family then moved to Beirut and I studied at the College Protestant Francais for six years and was able to obtain my Brevet Libanais certificate.Later that year i had to move schools again and i attended the French school of Ryiadh.I was very worried about what option i was going to take for the Freanch baccalaureat as at that school in Riyadh they did not have the option of studying Litterature and the Arts.As i knew i was rather week in Science subjects i decided to finally move from the French system to the English system.Throughout my french education i can say that the only problem i faced was the teacher's authority in class.I felt as though in the French system ,the teachers created this barrier between them and the students and did not listen to much of what they thought about what they were learning or the way they were learning it.The teachers considered their selves always right.Also , i always felt as though the teacher was leading her or his class as a whole , they wouldn't always take the time to figure out the strenghs and the weeknesses of the students as indivudals , they treated us all indifferently and judged the average of the whole class to see weither the class was progressing throught the school year or not.In contrast when i moved to the English/British school in Riyadh i was able to explore a system that allowed me to chose my classes more freely and according to the major i will then want to study in university.Also,the class never had an average and the students's grades were never judged according to that average. Maybe the only shortcoming the British system has is that your final exams are not necessarily graded by your own professor , they are usually sent to the UK to get graded there and so you don't get your paper back to check your mistakes and you are obliged to accept the grade you are given.Going back to the French system and what Nadia said about the Baccalaureat being something hard to achieve , i agree with what she said as i experienced this intensive examination style during my year of taking the brevet.The baccalaureat was one of the main reasons why i decided to change systems as i felt very pressured and limitted with my options.
ReplyDeleteDear Mira,
DeleteSometimes we feel alienated as we change many schools and countries ,but in the end I think this is what makes us well-rounded humans open to all kinds of people and systems of learning. Along the way, you have learned to adapt which is an important survival skill and I think your past experiences make you the mature ,confident girl who you now are!It is a pleasure to have you among us.
I know the feeling when you change from one school to another its like your traveling from one country to another you dont know anything about the new country their culture,traditions,behavior.
DeleteDear Neemat,
DeleteI love the analogy you made between moving to new schools and exploring new countries! Both are similar processes of adaptation from different aspects.
We cannot define the way of learning as just one unique way. In the world we belong to there is infinite way schools use as their way of teaching. But 2 distinct ways top the others and are the most used in the educational world. The american way and the french way. From my experience I can somehow define every way and give my opinion on it. I used to live in France for 8 years so i think i have the ability to describe and criticize the "french way of learning". i also went to a lebanese system school but it was very close to the french way except that we needed to do the Lebanese Bac. first of all i don't have a great memory of the french way in both my french school and the lebanese one. It is a closed system in which the student plays a second role. He is not involved in most of the educational decisions and is not asked about his opinion, choices , and even if he agrees or not. Most of the time it is the directors or provisors that make the students schedule and give it to them whether they like it or not. It is like a task we need to do no matter what. Talking about the relations between students and teachers I can say that it is not the best way of teaching, because there is always a distance between both sides and they don't get to know each others. It is often because of teachers sitting back and not making the first step towards the students. There is always a cold relation in the french way of learning. On the other hand the french way can be seen good from a certain point of view in which it doesn't build differences between students , they are all the same, taking the same material and it can prevent conflicts. In contrary , from the little things that I heard about the american system , it is a more open and flexible system in which the student is the most important person in the organization , he is given a lot of freedom. For instance , he can choose the courses he wants to take and not be obliged to follow one unique schedule. From my LAU experience so far i think that the american way of learning is way ahead of the french one because the student is more comfortable and therefore can achieve a lot more.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDear Hassan,
DeleteIn your post, you have answered my question that I posed to Neemat and to all of you who come from French schools,but you are more of an authority since you spent some of your school years in France itself. The American system promotes learner autonomy but this freedom is coupled with responsibility; for instance, by engaging in discussion on this blog you are independent and responsible at the same time.
Good Luck at LAU!
" American way of learning'' showed us how Americans teaching is based on how professors do their jobs, and the way they teach. However I don't think this educational thing only exist in America but in all over the world, in each and every school.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Africa for about 6 years and then we moved to Lebanon and I was in two different school. The first one, Lycee Verdun, it thaught me another culture, the french culture; I learned about the history and geography of France. It was kinda hard to learn about two tatally different cultures, the Lebanese and French. I think knowing other cultures is interesting but it was really bothering that we were obligated to know every little detail of this other country. However, the teachers and students interacted well, and the teachers had their way of making the materials interesting. The second school, College St elie; I personally got the chance to get to know more the Lebanese system which I preffered more.. It made more sense to me and I was related to it. The students were friendly but i had missed the diversity i knew in the French system; The teachers were less strict then in the french system, and i think that their teaching message were easier than the one other school. Now I speak three langages fluently, arabic/french/english. & Finally, i am greatfull for the changes that occured and they made me the person i am now.
Dear Neemat,
DeleteIt is interesting how you were exposed to three different systems and now you have joined an "American" university but not a French one! I have always wondered why!
Lebanese educational system is similar to the American one in the way of shortcomings. We have all heard about teachers badly treating their students and dominating the class for hours. Fortunately, nowadays the educational system is updated based on scientific and psychological studies. New terms and policies are applied concerning teachers and students.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience as a Lycée Verdun graduate, I had the chance to have French and Lebanese teachers. Honestly, in my whole 15 years, I faced some important and some negligible shortcomings from teachers from both nationality. Most popular shortcomings were: ignoring required lessons and dominating students with their dictator communication and behavior way. But the surprising shortcoming was by a Lebanese teacher who sales books in exchange with grades. And here I found the chance to get a high average by buying 2 copies of the same book and getting 3 additional points on my average in return. Every school and university all over the world suffers from shortcomings, we can relate this subject to politics where teachers are the ministers and students are the poor people. The only way to end these shortcomings starts from a revolution lead by students against tyrant teachers.
I totally agree with what you said. I was in Lycee Verdun too. and the teacher you talked about taught me as well and i was very surprised by what he was doing even though he was very strict and mean in class, he was making business out of it. But I think, in every school, we find bad and good teachers.
Deletewhat made me read this post more than one time, the fact that a teacher in this school actually sold books in exchange of grades!! i think this is a MAJOR problem that should be fixed by going back to the reason that made that teacher exercise this business without any fear of the school, which means that the system that the school holds is loose and lacks good supervison.
DeleteDear Amir,
DeleteThe metaphor you included in the end of your post is interesting and scary at the same time. I think you are influenced by the political atmosphere around us,aren't we all?
I just want to be the devil's advocate,so could the teacher you mentioned have been doing that to make you read books?
When first he started selling books, we thought he really wants us to read. But when things go to sell many copies of the same book to the same student, his goal becomes clearer, grades in exchange with money.
Deletei am trying to comment on one of the posts, but its not wroking.
ReplyDeleteThroughout my school years,i attended 3 different school. One of the schools i went to was Choueifat International School. They're teaching system 'Sabis' was known to be one of the hardest teaching systems among schools. I felt students were like robots. We had tests every single day. They were very strict also. The first day of attending Choueifat and also my first class, i got a detention literally after a minute of walking into my class because i sat not according to the given seating plan. I was a real troublemaker at my young age. I broke the record of detentions in Choueifat among my class mates when i was young. I stayed everyday in school till six because of detentions and i came in every saturday for detentions too. But all teachers loved me.The system was really hard at first because i was not really used to it. I saw all students were like robots and they only knew what was taught to them and nothing outside they're school books. Then i got used to their way of learning and i really think now it was the best learning systems i ever experienced.At the end each school has a good and a bad side.I'm really grateful for Choueifat for making me the person i am today and preparing me for the future.
ReplyDeleteDear Omar,
DeleteYou have used the term "robot" twice just like your classmates Basel and Kawthar and this is alarming! One would think you were in the military!I would also like to learn how it was positive.
Yes it is well known that Choueifat international school is a tough one. However, in the end, the graduating students are not like any students. they are smart and highly educated to levels above their age... I'm sure you realized this outcome and what a positive effect this system has carved on you.
Delete15 years spent in the same school . I have never thought of changing my school but that's not because i don't want but because my father knows that it is the best school in south lebanon which is "LYCEE HANAWAY" . but i do not think that it was a good school.the system in my school was very hard everyday we have a new task and hw and exams we spent our time studying in school and at home and also dad is happy he says " my boy studies all the day ".Students in my school where like robots , fifteen minutes break for eating,no drinking during the class ,and no one can go to the bathroom . That's not fair.But what's good in such school that our grades are always high they focus on having high grades and no matter about the feeling of students. The teachers in this school were strict in class and teach in a way that allow the message to deliver in 5 min , but outside the class they are someone else we joak with them , we play and even have trips outside the school at saturday. And finally friends , whom i cannot say anything about them because the whole 15 years that i spent in school there are 20 students of them who continued there way with me in school till grade 12 and we are now like a family.I am not upset for being in such school because i got used to it's rules and it taught me how to study for long hours and how to get the grade that i deserve and that's good for the university today.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand what you're talking about! I was in a such strict school too. Where there's no time for fun. I think students in such schools are intellectually beaten and destroyed. It doesn't always have a good impact on them eventhough they achieve the best grades. Because as mentioned we're not robots..
DeleteDear Basel and Kawthar,
DeleteI can sense your frustration; I believe if the teachers are test-driven ,then they become like robots themselves leaving no room for enhancing their students' talents and creativity.
I would like to know whether you would enroll your kids in the same school in the future.
Reading your post made me smile only because I remembered taking lessons in Sociology about the benefits of playing and that students forbidden from playing do not excel intellectually as the students who play.Why teach us the benefits of playing when we can figure them out ourselves? I think I serve the best example of what school teaches us to be: having to read the word play, sociology lessons about playing first came to my mind :(
DeleteI wouldn't mind if I go teach in my old school or send my kids there.. Its a huge and excellet educational institution. My aim isn't criticizing my whole school. I just feel pitty for a couple of teachers who don't deserve to transmit such values to kids. I consider my school one of the best schools in Lebanon. And I think there's no school without such cases.. They're found everywhere.
DeleteAs opposed to others, attending school was actually something I liked. Starting from the teachers to the students, principle to suppervisors, I loved everything about it.
ReplyDeleteI have been in Melkart since kindergarten and have had my friends who became today family. My school followed the French and Lebanese system as I had to pass my French and Lebanese baccalaureate. Being forced to pass both baccalaureate made me think many times of changing schools because it was a lot of work and in my opinion useless. But my mother thought i should stay in it since i got used to it and to its environment; and she had a point. After I got my Brevet certifcate, I had to choose in which section I wanted to get in; I went into economics. My grades weren't amazing but math always used to boost my average. Getting to my senior year, homework and study hours have increased and it got hectic. We had school 6 days per week, with only Sunday to rest in order to be able to finish both programs. It was very demanding and hard but what really helped us get through it was mostly our teachers. They were all so nice and always there whenever we needed any help in any course. I don't really know if it's because it's a small school and everyone knows everyone and they always have time to take care of their students, but I really felt like it was a second family.
As for sports and activities, i never was a fan. Its probably because my school wasn't well prepped for these kind of things and they never really pushed us towards them which made it really hard for me when i was forced to do gymnastics and basketball. Probably worst experience of my life.
Finally, school and especially my last year and the baccalaureate were amazing experiences(besides the sports part) from which I have learned a lot. Not only knwoledge and the material of the course, but ethics and mostly how to love.
Dear Joanna,
ReplyDeleteYour positive attitude dominates your experience except for sports! Your frankness is appreciated and this is proof that your school experience nurtured an assertive girl very much ready for university life! I'm sorry you had only one day off; we used to have courses scheduled on TTS basis at AUB and I used to avoid them.
Jamhour is known to be the best school in Lebanon. My parents did the impossible for me to be accepted. At Jamhour, they provide you with all the informations and knowledge you need to become a better man(woman) in the future. The don't only focus on academic materials, but they push you to go further and acquire a vast general knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThey furnish the best decent environment for students (classes, vast recess, cafeterias, gyms,...) with new technologies to help them assimilate all the informations. Further more, its geographic position, on a hill, in the middle a forest, helps students relax.
The one inconvenient that I found was the student-teacher relation.
They still have this line that its impossible for them to be flexible with.
I had to change schools due to my grades. I went to Elysee Hazmieh. Its a small school, very few classes, not very will organized, no cafeteria, just a small kiosk in the play ground where 300 students gather on a small window to buy. It was a mess! Teachers there were less professional, they just give the informations needed for their course, nothing more. But the relation between students and teachers was the thing I liked in this school. The limits were very flexible, and you really feel that they are close to you.
Dear Tarek,
DeleteIt is the sad truth that we realize the value of someone or something only after we lose it,but we also learn that there are others who are not as privileged as we are and are still content. Because you experienced another school, you have a reference to your points of comparison.I hope your experience at LAU will be more positive than your school experience(s).
Tarek, I respect the fact that you included women with men when you mentioned the result of your initial schooling system;that makes you not a sexist writer!
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ReplyDeleteI have been to one school only throughout those fifteen years, "Saint Mary's Orthodox College". Even though "SMOC" followed the Lebanese system, it was always known for being strict on students. They made us follow too many rules and I'm talking about the unbearable ridiculous ones. For Instance, I recall this incident in elementary when they once came up with this absurd rule that wearing colored socks was not allowed. In addition to that, just a few years ago, our school made us wear the same matching shoes that they made especially for us as part of our uniform. I remember students where being sent home and missing sessions because their pants where too long. This is both sad and funny isn't it? The endless rules kept on flowing and all we did was follow them afraid we might get punished if we don't. Despite the fact that we felt like prisoners in our own school, SMOC never failed to provide the best education for their students. The sad thing is, students are being more concerned on how to impress the teachers rather than the main reason why they attend schools in the first place(education).
ReplyDeletethe shoes rule is too irritating that i had to mention it in my comment. but you are right despite all the rules the school provides one of the best education and it toughens the students.
DeleteI do agree with you about the very strict rules, but after experiencing life outside SMOC i guess the educational system that they adopted is what made great people just like you:).
DeleteDear Yasmine,Jamal and Adnan,
DeleteIt is evident that your school had a positive effect on you despite its strict rules; I can see that you bond very well in class! On another note, the school uniform is a debatable issue throughout the world; some opponents feel that it restricts one's freedom and individuality whereas supporters think that it makes people equal in rank.
The school that I went to is well known for being strict because of its rules and regulations, which is reflected on its educational system. These rules are sacred to the administration as they are unbreakable and nonnegotiable,for breaking even the smallest of them is a sin. These rules limit the students' interaction between their fellow colleagues and even their teachers, as it is forbidden to discuss any matter in class other than the material. Other rulesfocus on the outer appearance of the students to the extent that the school board has added custom-made shoes to the uniform, make-up for girls except seniors is forbidden, boys should have short hair styles that have to be approved of, which leaves the student nothing to express his/her individuality. Students are thus affected negatively when it comes to the development of their personalities. The school's educational system pushes the students to the limit as they are bombarded with assignments and exams. Students are expected to become self-reliant and to limit their questions, because the teachers would rather finish the material on time instead of having the majority of their students well informed. The school pressures the students so that they would have no difficulty when facing obstacles in the future. This is rather what they believe in, however I believe that even though it may be effective on a small number of students, many might suffer of its negative impact.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Jamal, not to mention your new physics instructor that didn't know anything about the lesson. So the students all together decided to study with a private tutor on saturdays because the school won't listen to what the students are trying to say.
DeleteI spent my scholastic year in two different schools. First I was at American community school (ACS) where I spent 5 years then I changed to Lebanese preparatory school(LPS) where I spent the rest my scholastic years there. LPS was a small school we didn’t have many sections in each class that means that there weren’t a lot of students .I knew all the students by that it was more than a family than a school that lead to a better relationship with the teachers and the classmates. I felt more comfortable in LPS if I had any problem I could easily go to the principal’s office. Students were involved in educational decision and were asked about their opinion .For example if we had two exams in the same day we would ask the teachers to postpone the other exam for another day and they would agree. At that time it was a positive aspect but now I am finding the university system much harder .In some cases in LPS teachers of certain major for example computer were asked to teach mathematics for students of elementary classes and this is a problem if the student bases are weak in elementary classes this will affect their whole education .In addition, LPS is not a school of activities students weren’t involved in educational and entertaining activities like other schools .I am proud that I graduated from LPS although it has some negative issues but it was a big family rather than a school and many of the problems were solved because of the friendly relationship between the administration and the students.
ReplyDeleteDear Neemat and Habib,
DeleteIt seems that both of you have emphasized the importance of a friendly atmosphere supported by teachers; it truly affects how students perform in class and it certainly has long term effects.
After my long experience in my school for 15 years old, i can compare it to many others by asking my friends who studied in those other schools. Well first of all, the relationship between student and teacher which is a very important in the educational system, it can affect a the phsycological things on the students which can blocked their mind in that subject, so the teachers who are giving them the lessons, they should be friendly with them and to try their best to help them absorb the material. Sometimes teachers do not allow students to share opinions, so that will make them feel as if they are in an army school or a camp and they will become afraid because some teachers if they dodn't like a student, they can put a lower grade just cause they don't like that student who did a mistake by wrong, also some teachers didn't spend too much effort in teaching, they only cared about getting done with material quickly rather than beeing sure that the student comprehended the material very well. On the other hand, there are also teachers who are very friendly with students and who give the material from their hearts, and they do a lot of efforts to help students. In the end, i think teachers are the most influencing factors on students, although the eductioan systems is still not perfect, but it still very important in growing students personalities in the society for the now and for later, because schools is the base of our life.
ReplyDeleteI studied at I.C for 15 years. I was in french section but presenting the Lebanese baccalureate. To be honest, I enjoyed my time at I.C but at the same time I faced some difficulties. The Lebanese system is too hard because we had to study and memorize a lot. Some subjects needed much more time than others that were essentiel. Memorizing 90 pages of history is not easy, with other subjects like geographics and civics that need too much time also. Philosophy was one of the most hard and hated materials from students. It was too long, and we studied different point of views of philosophers. Some changes must be made because students find difficulties in these materiales, they don't really help maintain a higher grade and we forget them directly, I don't really remeber what I memorized in history except some important points. One other difficulty that I faced in I.C was the teachers. Last year, a new teacher came and she didn't know how to control a class so the students didn't take her class seriously and we didn't do anything except watching movies and talking, and when the exams came, we opened our books and copied. We all got high grades the first semester, but later we were surprised to see that everyone's grade decreased. The teacher said that the administration asked her not to put high grades without any reason. Another teacher used to get the most hard exams, and he was very strict while correcting, like if someone forgot to write his name, he will loose some points of his grade. Another problem at my school was that we used to have like three weeks without any exam and the fourth week we had to study for five exams or more. Sometimes it was unorganized, and it didn't help us. I am happy that I am an I.C graduate with a Lebanese degree, but I wish some corrections will be made for the next generations.
ReplyDeleteDear Noman and Michael,
DeleteIt is interesting to read both of your posts since you studied at the same school even though in different sections.Unfortunately, you can be exposed to different kinds of teachers just like we get different levels of students!
I had spent 15 years at IC. I honestly think that it’s one of the best schools because it doesn’t focus only on your academics but on your social abilities, interacting with others, athletics abilities which makes their students well rounded students with various abilities that helps us in life. IC has a huge campus that fits a lot of students in which you could make tons of friends. The students at IC are really cooperative and fun to hang around. As a student I used to be non compliant which made it hard to have a student teacher relationship. IC offers various programs such as the leb bac, IB, French Bac., and high school. I chose the leb bac, and the ES program. As a school it offered a good education and prepared us not only for the leb bac official tests but to college since most of the material I’m taking in my first year at Lau I have already taken in school. Moreover what I liked about IC is that they support athletic teams since we had the basketball, tennis, football fields. Generally I had a good 15 years at IC
ReplyDeleteSpending 16 years of my life in Melkart made me realize how much this school means to me and how it provided me with everything I needed to become what I am today. Starting with the relationships between the teachers and the students, this type of relationships is the main reason my parents chose Melkart for me and my brother, i'll never forget my teachers, their faces, their names and surprisingly they won't neither; two years ago i ran into my "grand jardin" teacher (i was maybe 4 when she used to teach me) i was surprised when she called me and started reminding me of things i used to do in class how she would always find me playing with this boy doll, wearing my mom's hat... But mostly in secondary after getting our brevet certificate we started feeling different, mature. Our teachers started giving us more responsibilities by preparing us for the two baccalaureates. Even though we all thought of changing school we finally didn't, we couldn't. I chose the S program first, I really wanted to be a plastic surgeon I was really good in everything except math, I couldn't understand a thing they tried everything to help me understand it but it was hopeless, I worked hard on everything else and I curiously passed and got accepted in SV, it wasn't what I wanted anymore so I transferred to ES and it was really good for me, I excelled in everything i even got a 19/20 on my math exam in the french baccalaureate, I found then my love for economics and everything related to business.
ReplyDeleteDear Sally,
DeleteI'm glad you finally succeeded in posting on our class blog!
You have memorable school years that show stability in your character and a sense of direction. I hope you find what you are searching for in your major .
School is a long journey that everone pass through it because it plays a major role in our education progress, though it differs from one person to another upon situations. During school stage i changed twice my school because i thought that the second is better,unfortunately were the same. I spent my first 12 years in the European Lebanese School,the administration used to treat us as soldiers in army, because we were obliged to wear a costum everyday that is ugly with a very low quality. In addition to that issue, i discovered that the language level is zero, i remember the english teacher used to communicate with students during class in arabic. After this school i went to the Lebanese American School for the last 3 years. Students used to come to school to have fun and spend time, this school offers a lot of sport and fun activities regarding the trips they do. Thankfully i passed the official tests in brevet and LS bacalorus successfully.
ReplyDelete