Field Blog-Cleveland Heights HS

  Going into Heights High School, I wasn't quite sure what exactly to expect. I attended a very small, private high school and Heights High is much larger and it is a public high school. I was always curious and it was cool to see what this school was like because this would have been my high school if I had chosen to go public.
     One thing about this school that really interested me was the R.E.A.L Early College Program. This program gives students the chance to take more advanced classes in high school and start college courses two years earlier. I've never heard of a program like this before and it was really fascinating to hear about it from one of the students who is in the process of completing the program. I think it is a great idea to have a program like this in the school systems. The students are separated from their other classmates, both academically and socially, but if they know what they are getting themselves into in the beginning, I think it would work out very nicely. It is such a great opportunity for the students to have this as an option in their high school career. If they are willing to work that much more in order to fulfill the requirements of this program, that is great and gives them an advantage. I think that a program like this should be available in more schools so the students are given the chance to start their college careers earlier and help them prepare for the challenges that life throws at us at a younger age.
     While at Heights, I sat in on an advanced math class--Algebra II. It was actually being student-taught by a current senior at John Carroll. It was very interesting to see how a student-teacher taught and see what he did right and wrong. There weren't very many students in the classroom, maybe about ten or so. I think that smaller class sizes work better and are much more easily managed than a larger, more chaotic class. Mr. Oakley gave his students a few problems to complete, and while they were doing so, he walked around the classroom, making sure that the students understand the concepts and material on the worksheet. If one did not understand or had a question, he would sit down with the student and walk him or her through the problem, making sure they know what to do and how to complete the process next time. Another thing he did that I liked was give the students example problems that were incorrect. It showed them exactly what not to do and how it can get confusing and why it does. At my high school, a few of my math teachers did this and I remember that it worked well and really helped me when it came time for the exams. Along with giving examples of incorrect problems, he demonstrated a couple different ways to complete the problems. The students would then use whichever method they felt most comfortable with. Mr. Oakley did a great job teaching the students these concepts and really making sure that they have a good understanding of the material.