What Happens in the Classroom...Stays in the Classroom?

class·room

[klas-room, -room, klahs-]

–noun

1.

a room, as in a school or college, in which classes are held.

2.

any place where one learns or gains experience.

 

     The Classroom, I spend about...7.5 or 8 hours in a classroom. Class Discussions, taking tests, quizzes, etc. To be completely honest, I don't even mind being in a classroom! I love listening to what other people have to say and I love learning. There are so many things in the world that we have yet to even think about, and the classroom helps us think about that.

     Along with classwork there comes **queue the horror music** the homework. Oh the Homework. The crazy **or sometimes invisible** amount of outside classroom work that takes over what I like to call my social life. Now, don't get me wrong, sometimes I enjoy doing homework. There's a feeling of success and pride when you finish a 15 step proof or complete a science fair paper. Homework is necessary, though many of my peers would challenge me on that. Homework is here to reinforce what we've learned and prove that we understand it...but what if we don't?

      I think that teacher should set aside maybe once or twice a weeks to spend fifteen minutes or so doing homework IN class. If a student doesn't completely grasp a concept, then goes off and does the homework, then they're just reinforcing the wrong things. If time is set aside to do homework in class and thoroughly go over homework, I think people will understand the ideas better. And plus, if you understand a concept, isn't it so much better doing the homework because you ACTUALLY know what you're doing?

     Also, I think that every once in a while, taking a break from the typical classroom surrounding will benefit the students. If you look at the definition (above) you will notice that a classroom is ANY PLACE where one learns or gains experience. Teenagers get tired and bored easily, especially of the same things all the time. If teachers maybe tried to spice up class a bit, take us to another classroom, the tech center, ANYWHERE, it will keep us interested.

     I have a bittersweet relationship with the classroom. But then again, can I really blame the classROOM on what I think is wrong or should be change...or should I blame the class itself?