Opinion: Directing students away from their studies
October 28, 2015
When I came into my senior year, I thought it would be a good idea to take a directed study. I am taking two Advanced Placement classes, and wanted to make sure that I could keep up with the work load.
Instead, I have realized how much of a waste of time directed study has been because of the ridiculous restrictions that have been placed on it.
The restrictions have been limiting the amount of work I am able to complete leaving me doing nothing. In today’s society most of our work is done online. I am in AP computer science and all my work is done online.
How does the school expect me to do any of my homework if I cannot access my schoolwork?
Now one would think I could just go borrow a Chromebook from a teacher, but, no. Teachers have been told not to let any directed study students borrow the Chromebooks.
Only five students per study are allowed to go to the library. To be able to go to the library or any other classroom during directed study, you need to have a pass from the teacher for which you are doing work, as well as the directed study teacher. The first five students to ask, are allowed to go to the library. It is extremely difficult (and annoying) to get a teacher’s signature every day, and to be one of the five students selected to go to the library.
The placement of these directed study classes are also a problem. My directed study is in the lecture hall where we do not have actual desks on which to do work, nor access to a computer.
Maybe if they placed the directed study in classrooms with access to a computer and actual desks, then I would be able to get my work done?
Being a senior, there is a lot of college work that has to be done. Since directed study is a free block, I thought I would be able to go and get help from my teachers with my common application essay, but, according to my directed study teacher, I am not allowed to visit my teachers if it has anything to do with college.
I am already swamped as it is with homework, and I do not know why we can’t do this. It is as if the school is trying to make directed study as hard as possible for me to complete and do my work, when that is exactly what directed study is for.
