What forms of teaching are effective vary for each student; but the main question is— are students memorizing for a test or having actual takeaways from school? 

According to Stackexchange, the American education system is flawed with students trying to figure out what will be on the test and what they will need to memorize. Rather than learning life skills, students are learning how to memorize information for a test and then moving onto the next lesson. However there are ways for teachers to stop the “will this be on the test” mindset. 

According to Edutopia, there are numerous ways to make learning culture innovative and fun. Teachers can give students collaborative team projects and, on the flip side, can also give students free range of a topic or idea they are interested in. This may give the student a sense of freedom while making the more experience fun.

While the form of standardized testing in America will likely not be going away, there are ways to help students take tests with ease. According to The Learning Center, causes of test anxiety stem from students fear of failure and lack of preparation. Ways to reduce test anxiety is by talking to a counselor, teacher or trusted adult on how to make test taking more sufficient for the student. Another way to help is by preparing far in advance and studying a little bit each day. 

The University of the People revealed that the grading system is used to evaluate students’ academic performance. Grades can be used as a form of competitiveness among students and oftentimes students will tie their self worth to their grades; however, grades do not define self worth. Grades are used for teachers and colleges to see how students are doing in each class, what their weaknesses are and how to help them. For instance, if a teacher notices a student is falling behind in an advanced class, they may advise them to be placed in  the standard class.

While there are pros and cons to the education system in America, it is debatable if it is sufficient in showing students knowledge in certain areas of school.