7 Myths You Still Believe About School!

via connectionsacademy

School. We all attended it and we all, pretty much, couldn't wait for it to end. But, education is important for a better life. However, as anyone will tell you, once you graduate, you quickly start to learn that many of the things that you learned in school really don't apply in the real world. In fact, some of what we learned is just plain wrong. So, in this video, I'm going to take seven of the most commonly believed myths that came from school, that you likely still believe, and explain the truth behind them. Being an infotainer, or edutainer, educreator, whatever, I feel the obligation to clear up a lot of these, especially because many of you are still in school. So, let's jump right into it.

Here are 7 Myths You Still Believe About School.

1. More homework equals higher grades.

This one's gonna bring a smile to every kid who hates doing homework. So, everybody, the system teaches us that doing copious amounts of homework, for hours every night, is the best and only way to improve your grades. Well, sorry to burst your academic bubble, but studies actually show that the amount of homework that a student is given actually correlates to the amount of stress that the student is under, more than anything. And, to take it a step further, it's been proven that stress directly hinders a student's ability to learn. And while, in some cases, homework can improve grades in some students, in most studies, performance in the amount of homework that students do after class share a little connection. In fact, in a number of countries, students show higher academic achievement with almost no homework. Really, it's all about paying attention in class and learning while you're there. Don't be wasting your time by throwin' spitballs and doing fart jokes. Well, okay, do some fart jokes, Fart jokes are great.

2. The friends you make in high school are friends for life.

Think about it. Were all the friends you made in elementary school still super tight with you when you made the transformation to high school students? Well, maybe a few, but you quickly started gathering new friends, right? The truth is, growing up often means growing apart from your old friends, especially as your time becomes more and more filled and your personal goals change. Speak to any adult, only a very lucky few still keep in close contact with their childhood friends. And the same goes for high school friends. The odd one will still be your friend through adulthood, but most of them will become acquaintances. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing as-as you grow as a person, you attract new people who share your new vision and often are better for your life. So, for example, you wanna get a Ph.D., but your friend Mike, Mike just wants to play pogs. Time to let go of Mike.

3. The smaller the class, the better the education.

This myth is most often spread by political ads and even makes logical sense when you think about it. Well, surprisingly, the truth is, believe it or not, counter-intuitive. In a series of studies done by economists, teachers, and University graduates, it was found that the number of students in a standard classroom had little to no effect on the scoring that those students received on tests. Now, to be fair, in some places, classrooms are well over capacity, which can hurt a student's achievement. But, in general, the biggest factor is the teacher and the presentation of the material. So, in other words, it's all about having a fun teacher. Not the one that drags his ass into class and is like, "Hello kids. "Alright, sit down, don't have any fun." Ain't nobody has time for that.

4. Student grades have gotten worse in North America.

Now, while there are many reasons why parents and politicians talk about this so much, the truth is that it's actually quite untrue. According to research conducted in classrooms over the last decade in North America, we actually see an increase in performance levels. In fact, Canada and America both score above the international average.

5. Zero-tolerance schools are safer.

Your logic probably tells you that schools with more rules and harsher punishments against things like violence and dangerous behavior would decrease those things, right? Well, as it turns out, not necessarily. David C. Berliner, an Educational Psychologist, and Gene Glass, a Senior Researcher at the National Education Policy Center, looked into violence and other dangerous activities in schools. What they discovered is that schools with lots of rules and punishments may actually be doing more harm than good. There is no evidence whatsoever that such policies reduce violence on school properties. What the research has actually shown us is that educating students on social skills and crisis management has a much greater effect than simply making the consequences of rule breaking more severe.

So, instead of being like, "Johnny, you're suspended "for a month." Be like, "Johnny, here's how you supposed to handle "that situation. "Don't throw a glass at girls." See the difference? Yes, it's nicer, isn't it?

6. Student's education comes mostly from school.

Most of us think that our teachers in school taught us the majority of what we know, but that's not actually the case at all. Research shows that less than 30% of a student's success, academically, is attributed to what teachers in schools teach them. It's actually external factors, such as socioeconomic status, the neighborhood that the student lives in, and the quality, both physically and psychologically, of their home environment. Those are all much more impactful factors on how well a student does. That's not to put down what teachers do.

7. High school years are the best years of your life.

As someone who has graduated University with a Master's degree and has lived in the real world, I promise you, that your high school years are not the best years of your life. Alright, well, while this might be true for a very select few of you, the truth is, you do the most growth, learn the most, and meet the most interesting people when you leave high school. Often times, people report that the best years of their lives, by far, were when they entered University or College, or even after they graduated. So, if you didn't like grade school or high school, I promise you, life gets a lot more fun once you graduate. In other words, there's a lot to look forward to.

Thank you guys, so much, for reading this. If you enjoyed it, I would very much appreciate it if you give a comment below. And as always, if you wanna learn more, be sure to check out my sources. And as always, subscribe to our newsletter so that you can catch my next article. Have a great day. Bye!