Any high school regents teachers?

amother

OP ↓

Tue, May 14 2019, 7:55 pm

I know it depends on each particular class, but in general do you find that teaching a regents subject is a motivation and do the girls behave better in classes like that?

hitherehithere ↓

Tue, May 14 2019, 8:12 pm

Hi! I’ve taught the same subject to regent taking classes and non regent taking classes. From my experience each class is a total different experience. I personally prefer non-regent taking classes overall because I tend to be a demanding, motivating and high level teacher anyway even if it’s a non regent taking class. And the girls are very motivated and conscientious despite not taking regents. When I teach regent taking classes I feel the girls get sidetracked by the “regent” and are only motivated to do well on tests and essays and not motivated to actually learn and enjoy the learning. They’re much more tense and stressed out about the material. And the whole goal of the learning becomes about the regent.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, May 14 2019, 8:14 pm

hitherehithere wrote:

Hi! Thanks for that! Interesting... you haven’t found that they are more attentive because of the stress for the regent?

↑ hitherehithere

Tue, May 14 2019, 8:34 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Hi! Thanks for that! Interesting... you haven’t found that they are more attentive because of the stress for the regent?

I found that in the schools that I teach in the girls are generally very motivated to learn and attentive. The regent just adds stress.
I need girls to be attentive and motivated to learn because they have a passion (or I inspire a passion in them) to learn and know more. I don’t want them to be attentive because they are stressed that they need to know stuff “for the regent”.
But I am the kind of teacher that B”H has great classroom discipline. As a student, certain teachers we only paid attention to because we knew there was a regent coming up. So for a teacher that does not have great classroom motivation/discipline the regent might be great.

amother

Blush

Tue, May 14 2019, 8:48 pm

I find that it does pressure them a bit and take it more seriously. However, it doesn’t make them have better classroom behavior. Those that will behave appropriately I.e. pay attention, participate, not talk out of turn etc.. is primarily personality and somewhat interest in the subject matter. I am an interesting and dynamic teacher (my students have told me this over the years as well), so when students misbehave it has nothing to do with me or the regent.

amother

↑ OP

Tue, May 14 2019, 9:30 pm

hitherehithere wrote:

Thanks! Are you teaching a social studies or science type of subject?

amother

Firebrick

Wed, May 15 2019, 9:04 am

I liked teaching my non-Regents class better because I was able to take time on some of the more interesting but obscure facts, show more videos, do more fun things that made the teaching so much more interesting for me and the girls - instead of constantly teaching to the test or taking time to teach the kids the writing skills they would need to earn points for the essays, even though I'm not an English teacher.
No behavioral difference between the two classes.