day fifty-five: no-music monday

Today will have to be a musicless Monday, because I have been buried in . . . various things. A test on Saturday, two drives to SLC this weekend, boundary changes in my ward this weekend (which required me acting as consultant to my bishop-husband for, hours), a rehearsal last night for a chorus I am in, and an observation I had to prepare for today from my principal.

QUESTION TO MY READERS:

At what level of your education do you think teachers should allow you to make your own educational choices? Such as, disregarding attendance as part of your grade, being less surgical in the grading of assignments, etc. I will fill you in about my thoughts after I have received yours.

And remember, this is not for a grade.

8 comments

Connie | October 12, 2009 at 10:57 PM

I bet you're glad the observation is over! Let's see, to answer your question, how about the last semester of high school?
Miss your music but I understand.

April | October 12, 2009 at 11:00 PM

I think it depends on the class. I have known of friends who have NEVER attended a class in their masters program and received an "A" in the class. As long as the work is getting down and assignments handed in, I don't see the problem. You have already "paid your dues" so to speak by getting your Bachelors. You are a grown up now. You know how the system works. It seems that if your attendance is necessary for this class then some ego may be involved on the part of the teacher. My theory.

Heidi | October 12, 2009 at 11:27 PM

Hoo, boy, this is all way over my head. Can you tell I never got past junior college? On a different note, those boundary changes are killer. I'm glad the bishop brought in an expert to help on that one. (I miss Musical Monday.)

Melanie Jacobson | October 13, 2009 at 12:07 AM

Upper division college classes. Seriously.

Sandra | October 13, 2009 at 7:05 AM

I would say high school, but then I probably wouldn't have graduated. :)

In college, I learned real fast that the instructors (usually) didn't care if you were there or not. And so I wasn't nearly as stellar in my attendance as I now wish I would have been.

Most of my assignments (my degree is in math, so a lot of math classes) were of the "pick a random problem to grade so you're forced to do them all" variety. I hated that because often I would do all the assignment except for the one problem (always the tricky problem) that was chosen. Then I'd get a zero for the assignment.

This is dredging up bad memories...

I'm interested in hearing what your response is.

Luann | October 13, 2009 at 8:14 AM

Tricky question. Education is about more than the classes you take. It's about learning how manage yourself and to productively function in society. My initial reaction was to say anything post high-school, but thinking of those 18 year olds stepping onto campus for the first time, I think it would help to have a little bit of transition time. I'd say that by the last half of their bachelor requirements, their destiny should be in their own hands.

Barbaloot | October 13, 2009 at 9:12 AM

I think it should be like that in college. You've done the work to get there and know how to learn/study...hopefully. If you want to continue being responsible, getting good grades, improving---you should know well enough how to do it. If you want to get to college and be a dud and skip class, you should be able too cuz you're old enough to understand and accept the consequences.

charrette | October 13, 2009 at 10:23 PM

I've always been a fan of freedom. I couldn't wait to get out of high school for that very reason.