Today's lesson allowed students a great deal of flexibility. Most needed to finish gathering data for a lab, others worked on the analysis questions, and the rest worked on other homework.
Today was also sophomore registration. This proved to be an unexpected distraction, but it was a great opportunity to talk to and learn about my students. They are beginning to wrestle with how they're going to get to college.
Student teaching in a freshman honors biology class means most of the students are very driven. Next year looms with their first AP courses sprinkled within a sea of honors classes. I am firmly convinced that students need to challenge themselves and take as many honors and AP classes as they can manage. The students themselves are very driven to take the advanced courses, but sadly, are unclear as to the purpose. Sure, to get into college; everyone knows that. Then what? None of the student I talked with knew what they wanted to do when they grew up.
A good college, a good career, a good retirement, and a good twilight of one's life is all very nice, but, for students, these are very distant and impersonal.
Students have time. Rather than give advice on what will get them into a better college, I recommended things that would help them appreciate the world around them. And, if that means taking a bunch of AP and honors class, then they should do it. Sparking student interest seems more valuable than leaning on them to follow a particular career path or get into an elite college.
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