Godwin teachers discuss changes in overall student performance

One of the rising issues most recognized by teachers is the general decline in high school academic performance. 

While grades may remain high, the collective work ethic and ability of students has changed due to several underlying factors.

Across different subjects, such as history and math, Godwin teachers acknowledge a significant lack of fundamental skills. 

Regarding math, many students “don’t know how to study properly” and are “coming in with less math skills,” according to Miranda Watson, Godwin math teacher. 

Moreover, history teacher Mary Hilton has noticed a sharp decrease in students’ writing skills compared to previous students.

As a result, teachers like Watson and Hilton must spend more time teaching these fundamental skills and less time teaching course material.

History teacher Bobby Knaupp turns to standardized testing as a cause. “The focus on drill and kill doesn’t encourage creative thinking,” said Knaupp. As a result, students mindlessly memorize information to do well on exams without fully learning the content.

Teachers also notice a decreased passion for their classes, particularly AP classes. Hilton believes that the push for students to take APs has led to less passionate participation as many students only take the classes to boost their GPA.

Due to the lack of interest, students tend to dedicate less time to these classes, which is further affected by constant distractions such as cell phones. 

English teacher Lynn Farley remarked on the ease for students to earn A’s, even for effortless work. Doing so diminishes the value of the grade and provides less reward for quality. “A’s for everyone is a crime against a child’s intelligence,” said Farley.

Not only are less rewards given for good work, but less punishments are given for bad work. English teacher Terri King-Forbes described the limited extent to which students can fail before being “scooped up.” The lack of both valuable reward and serious punishment leads to a lack of motivation for students.

Teachers also point out the difference in students’ critical thinking skills. “The immediacy with which students can receive answers has made problems without easy answers more difficult for them to manage,” said science teacher Nicholas Dzienny.

Farley looks to this as a result of social media, stating that it programs students for “instant gratification,” making it difficult for them to handle frustration and failure.

Meanwhile, history teacher Jonathan Lauder views recent societal changes as a cause. Rising trends in pinpointing problems and placing blame rather than working to solve them have created a “grievance culture.”

Additionally, Lauder explained that many parents tend to get rid of a child’s problem rather than encouraging them to solve it themselves. “Removing obstacles isn’t the way to overcome challenges,” said Lauder.

This may also be an effect of the pandemic as believed by science teacher Kelly Ostrom. Students’ tendencies to cheat during online school have not disappeared, and Ostrom has noticed an increase in integrity violations since the return to in-person school.

While not every student displays these traits, the general trends of lackadaisical work ethic puts pressure on teachers to decrease the difficulty of their courses from both students and their parents. 

Teachers, however, have avoided changing their curriculum as much as possible. “Everyone is capable of accomplishing what those before them did, so watering down content does not benefit anyone,” said Hilton.

Minor changes must be made, such as allocating more class time to needed areas, however, teachers still refrain from drastically lowering course expectations. By doing so, they help students improve important skills by emphasizing the value of diligence.