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Maybe I'm misunderstanding the OP, but when I think about students that leave an impression, have common sense and communication skills...I do not equate that with grades or "genius".
A students leaves an impression on me when they take responsibility for something without being prompted to, when they act in an unselfish way, when they are helpful to others, when they try to be part of the solution not part of the problem, when they do things they're supposed to do without always having to be told, when they have a sharp, quick wit, etc.
These behaviors do not always correlate with good grades. Just as good grades do not correlate with common sense. I teach in an area where excellent grades and high test scores are considered the norm.
Having said that, I still teach a lot of doofus's. But on the flip side of that, I teach a lot of kids that I would CHOOSE to teach if I were given the choice.
I've taught a lot of kids over 30 years and yes, I've taught relay smart ones. One thing that interferes with many are they undisciplined with their intelligence.
What everyone seems to forget is that good students know how to be students. They can prioritize their time, know that learning is a process and they have to put in the time. Not all of them are intuitive learners, which is what I think the original question was about.
We had a valedictorian a few years ago who wasn't what many, looking at her with clear eyes, would consider really smart. A lot of people thought she was because she had incredible work habits and would keep at it until she understood. As a result she was considered smarter than kids who really were smarter but were less disciplined.
I've taught elementary, middle, college and adult, and I've had lots of bright, impressive students. The thing is that people think you can recognize a really bright person (gifted) in elementary around first grade, and you just can't. It's total BS. I used to teach at a well-known state university that drew a lot of students from a very competitive school for the gifted. Only the top top students get into this school, and they have to beat out many thousands to get there, so they should be the brightest and most impressive. But they weren't. Not one. They were totally average in college. Some didn't even do that well. They tended to think they were little geniuses who didn't need to work hard, and then when they encountered something that wasn't easy, they would simply turn in a sub-par performance and blame the teacher or the course or the test. One student turned in a B+ paper and was given the chance to re-do it for an A (it was a writing course - that's how it worked). But the second paper was also just a B+. He kept saying, "but I did everything you told me to do," except that I'd basically told him to come up with some really unique insights and present a new perspective, and he couldn't do it. He just wasn't that bright. And he was so mad, because in his world if he just did what he was told, then he got an A. But that's not how college works, certainly not a top school, and not how the real world works either.
My really impressive students have not been child geniuses. Some really impressive kids in elementary school are totally left out of all the gifted stuff. They don't even get good grades. I remember one kid who wrote books - actual novels - one after the other, and never stopped. And they weren't bad, either. But that was all he did - he didn't want to do his other work, and he didn't want to write on any topic the teacher gave him. So he did poorly in school, even though I thought he was much brighter and more impressive than the kids the teachers loved and wanted to put in gifted classes.
Most of my impressive students have been adults at the CC. Frankly, I'm more impressed by things other than strict academics. A few years ago I had an academically average student who really wanted to go to business school and own his own business. But everyone on campus knew and loved that guy. In fact, teachers still talk about him. He'd invite the whole class out for lunch (that he made himself), he participated in every department event, sent me thank you notes if I helped him after class, and so on. He was a soft skill genius. He went on to a second rate business school, but I'd still put my money on his success over the "gifted" kids who sit with their heads down and do every assignment you give to the letter but never actually think about anything or anyone around them. I recently taught for a foreign school from his country and discovered that students there are actually judged on their "soft skills" as well as their academics. Instructors observe how they interact with other students and teachers, and actually factor it into decisions about grades and scholarships.
Anyway, the point is I have had a lot of really impressive students, but not many of them have been what our school system typically recognizes as bright and impressive. Maybe I'm just too hard to please.
As a College Instructor the thing that leaves an impression on me is how average 90% of the students are. When I talk to them and review their work they are just not very impressive. Average at best. Most appear to not really put in that much effort and lack common sense and strong communication skills. I can see why our country is failing.
I know I come across as harsh, maybe you have a better impression of your students. Tell us more!
Thats not very respectful. I am a bit above average but also get loads of c's. I put my all in sometimes and just come out with a B and there are some lowlife little boys who have the brain of a genuis who do absolutely no work and come out with a*. It makes feel really stupid and want to give up.
I goto a grammar school and there are some very rude and obnoxious teachers who will run down students and call them weak and stupid. (The other day I got an A in my ICT exam but in the class someone got a B and our teacher said "that is a disaster get your finger out of your ass")It is rather rude and disgusting to think that a teacher in this day and age would go on like that. I for one am totally fed up of smart and intelligent people getting praised. I think average people should be praised aswell. Afterall some average students are very dedicated and were as smart and intelligent students put little if any work in because they know "they will get by easily".
I suppose it depends how good you are with exams. I am awful at essays and fantastic at memorising so that is why I get down. In my class for Geography I am at the middle with a B but I know my subject very well and at an A* level. The top person is a girl who is doing A level English. She said the other day "I don't understand the tricellular model? Does it form because of the tradewinds?". She is quite stupid at Geography.
I have 62 this year. One is hyper impressive. Three are very, very bright, but are not academically mature. Another ten or so are pretty good. Unfortunately, that is about it.
I am not sure if a cosmic event occurred while these children were in the womb, that wiped out, intellectually, most of an entire year group, or if moms were dope happy, but this year's crop is stunning in its mediocrity.
Today we had to fill out a transportation form for next year. Two in the so called "honors" class did not know their address and another did not know his middle name. Yep. 8th grade, too!
Thats funny some of the A level Maths students couldn't do spearmans rank and the chi-square statistics when we were doing it in Geography. They had to stay behind until they understood it.
I've taught a lot of kids over 30 years and yes, I've taught relay smart ones. One thing that interferes with many are they undisciplined with their intelligence.
What everyone seems to forget is that good students know how to be students. They can prioritize their time, know that learning is a process and they have to put in the time. Not all of them are intuitive learners, which is what I think the original question was about.
We had a valedictorian a few years ago who wasn't what many, looking at her with clear eyes, would consider really smart. A lot of people thought she was because she had incredible work habits and would keep at it until she understood. As a result she was considered smarter than kids who really were smarter but were less disciplined.
Exactly. Alot of my classmates used to come across as super smart. But when I learn't how to properly revise they would get the same grades as me.
There is definitely a difference between the intuitive learner who comprehends, generalizes, applies, and retains what is learned with minimal effort, and the student for whom it doesn't come as easily or naturally, but has learned to apply various tactics to bridge that gap.
I've taught elementary, middle, college and adult, and I've had lots of bright, impressive students. The thing is that people think you can recognize a really bright person (gifted) in elementary around first grade, and you just can't. It's total BS. I used to teach at a well-known state university that drew a lot of students from a very competitive school for the gifted. Only the top top students get into this school, and they have to beat out many thousands to get there, so they should be the brightest and most impressive. But they weren't. Not one. They were totally average in college. Some didn't even do that well. They tended to think they were little geniuses who didn't need to work hard, and then when they encountered something that wasn't easy, they would simply turn in a sub-par performance and blame the teacher or the course or the test. One student turned in a B+ paper and was given the chance to re-do it for an A (it was a writing course - that's how it worked). But the second paper was also just a B+. He kept saying, "but I did everything you told me to do," except that I'd basically told him to come up with some really unique insights and present a new perspective, and he couldn't do it. He just wasn't that bright. And he was so mad, because in his world if he just did what he was told, then he got an A. But that's not how college works, certainly not a top school, and not how the real world works either.
My really impressive students have not been child geniuses. Some really impressive kids in elementary school are totally left out of all the gifted stuff. They don't even get good grades. I remember one kid who wrote books - actual novels - one after the other, and never stopped. And they weren't bad, either. But that was all he did - he didn't want to do his other work, and he didn't want to write on any topic the teacher gave him. So he did poorly in school, even though I thought he was much brighter and more impressive than the kids the teachers loved and wanted to put in gifted classes.
Most of my impressive students have been adults at the CC. Frankly, I'm more impressed by things other than strict academics. A few years ago I had an academically average student who really wanted to go to business school and own his own business. But everyone on campus knew and loved that guy. In fact, teachers still talk about him. He'd invite the whole class out for lunch (that he made himself), he participated in every department event, sent me thank you notes if I helped him after class, and so on. He was a soft skill genius. He went on to a second rate business school, but I'd still put my money on his success over the "gifted" kids who sit with their heads down and do every assignment you give to the letter but never actually think about anything or anyone around them. I recently taught for a foreign school from his country and discovered that students there are actually judged on their "soft skills" as well as their academics. Instructors observe how they interact with other students and teachers, and actually factor it into decisions about grades and scholarships.
Anyway, the point is I have had a lot of really impressive students, but not many of them have been what our school system typically recognizes as bright and impressive. Maybe I'm just too hard to please.
To the bold, that doesn't sound "genius" to me. Anyone can sit and write pages of drivel. According to you, it wasn't "bad". Which sounds like it wasn't particularly good or above average. It sounds like obsessive behavior that can actually be attributed to other things. I wouldn't put a child like that if gifted classes. What a child who had other compulsive behavior and like him didn't do the work?
I think you are hard to please. While agree the student with the essay isn't a genius neither are the boy examples you listed. The other man (at the CC) sounds charismatic. What's so smart about making lunch or remember birthdays?
Isn't it funny how all year groups seem to have distinct personalities? I will never forget my group that graduated high school in '06, they were smart, hard working, well behaved, and sought excellence. They were a teacher's dream - lots of bright, impressive kids there. Then the next year ('07 high school graduates) we paid dearly for our easy year before.... bunch of devious little imps, most of who could care less about academics at all, let alone excellence. Even the smart ones were sneaky little boogers who were always trying to figure out a way to create chaos. It was an exhausting year. I had more than a few friends decide to retire after that year. It was so remarkable that I still remember what year those two groups graduated high school and I taught them almost 15 years ago while they were in middle school.
My daughter graduated from high school in 2006. It was hard to believe some of the stories that she told about her classmates (until I verified the stories with staff), one poured poison in a science teachers fish tank during class & right in front of the teacher, another tried to start my daughter's hair on fire, another killed the guinea pigs in a different science teachers classroom. There were fist fights and boys beating up their girl friends in the school hallways and kids bullying cognitively disabled classmates. Inner City School? Nope, upper middle class, suburban high school. Just a horrible, horrible mix of students.
I started substitute teaching in that district in 2009. Whenever, teachers remarked on their absolutely worse group of students time and time again it would end up being that class. Same as in Oldhags post, even now, middle school teachers will say "remember that group that we had 15 years ago?" and others will nod their heads acknowledging the horror. I'll count back the years and discover that it was the class that my daughter was in. Even a few elementary teachers have remarked about that group. They must have had a disproportionate amount of "bad seeds" starting way back from kindergarten.
The irony is that schools cannot teach real world. There are children that are very bookish, but out in the real world they have no idea what to do. IT'S BECAUSE SCHOOLS TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO REGURGITATE.
Schools/teachers teach you what to think, not how to think. There are plenty of successful people in the world that did either poorly in school or never went to school. School has no bearing on success, it can, but not always...just remember that teach.
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