Lesson 3: Academic Tracking
It’s a tough call for many teachers because they know their recommendations will affect their students’ futures.

I can read and understand a blog post about academic tracking.

INTRODUCE

In Germany, incoming secondary school students are separated into three tracks. The system is designed to help everyone reach their own potential, but some wonder if this big decision is too important to make at such a young age.

PRESENT

STEP A EXPRESSIONS

Go over the first two expressions with your tutor and answer the questions. Then, guess the meaning of the third expression based on the clues provided.

    1. If something is disproportionately something, it has an unfair difference in relation to other things.

     

    I kept track of how much I spend on food, shopping, and commute for a month. I found out that the amount I spent on food was disproportionately high.

     

    Q: Do you think the money you spend on food is disproportionately high?

     

     

    2. Something is a tough call when it’s a hard decision to make.

     

    I’m still really unsure if I should buy a house or just keep renting an apartment. It’s a tough call.

     

    Q: What was the last tough call that you had to make?

     

     

    3.                                         .

     

    My son’s really bright. He’s at the top of his class every year. I’m really proud of him!

     

    Q: What do you think bright means?

STEP B SPEAK YOUR MIND

Sometimes you want to emphasize a question to show that you’re shocked, angry, or confused.

    Did you hear about Janna? She adopted a dog yesterday. He’s so cute!

    Why on earth did she get a dog? She’s always at work or out partying. There’s no way she’ll be able to take care of him properly!

UNDERSTAND

READING

This is a blog post about academic tracking in Germany.


The Good and the Bad of Academic Tracking
August 15

Next year, my daughter Olivia will enter secondary school, which means that there’s a good chance that she’ll be separated from her friends and have to make new friends all over again. Why, you ask? Because she and her friends might be assigned to different tracks. I know most of my readers are from Australia, so I’ll explain the tracking system here a bit.

You see, here in Germany, schools separate students into three tracks once they finish primary school. Teachers recommend their students for a particular track based on their performance and abilities. It’s a tough call for many teachers because they know their recommendations will affect their students’ futures so much.

The three tracks:

1. Gymnasium: This track is for really bright students who excelled at primary school. It prepares them for German universities.

2. Realschule: This track trains students for entry to mid-level jobs. After graduation, students who did really well can choose to transfer to Gymnasium to continue their higher education.

3. Hauptschule: This track is for students who are expected to go on to vocational training. It teaches the same subjects as the above schools at a slower pace. It has a reputation for having students who are not the brightest crayons in the box.

When done right, I think academic tracking can be very successful because each student will be on the track where they can learn at the pace that’s right for them. There’s no pressure for high achievers to slow down or for low achievers to speed up.

At the same time, though, I worry that this is a big decision to make so early in a child’s life. Yes, there is some flexibility in the system, but the track you’re put on influences your future so much. For example, some people say that students from Hauptschule are disproportionately disadvantaged when it comes to opportunities. If that’s true, why on earth are we making such a big decision so early in our children’s lives?

TRIVIA

The phrase not the brightest crayon in the box is an indirect way of saying that someone is not very intelligent. Other similar phrases that have the same meaning are not the sharpest knife in the drawer and not the quickest horse in the stable.

PRACTICE

Are the underlined expressions used correctly? If not, correct them.

1. Deciding on a name for a baby is a tough call for many parents.

2. Katie is so bright! She was the only one in class who failed the test.

3. The number of girls in the class is disproportionately high.

4. I’m amazed by how bright my nephew is. He’s only three years old, but he can name the capitals of 20 countries!

5. My wife asked me to pick a color to paint our room, and I immediately chose blue because it’s my favorite color. It was a tough call.

CHALLENGE

Challenge 1

You’re in Germany to visit your Japanese friend and his/her family, who moved there a few years ago. Your friend has some concerns about his/her son and German schools. Read a blog about someone’s experience in the German school system. Then, tell your friend about it.

Today's Expressions

  • be disproportionately something
  • a tough call
  • bright

Speak Your Mind

  • Why on earth…?

My Journey from Realschule to University
Stefan Kipping

I wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box when I was younger. In primary school, I just wanted to play outside all day. That changed when my teacher recommended that I go to Realschule for secondary school. Before that, everyone in my family had been recommended for the Gymnasium track, so it came as a real shock. My parents had the ability to override the teacher’s recommendation, but they felt it was a really tough call, and in the end, they decided to send me to Realschule.

At Realschule, we were taught technical and administrative skills to prepare us to work after graduation. But I knew I wanted to go to university, so I studied really hard. Eventually, my teachers told me that my grades were good enough to go to Gymnasium, which was my only way to university at the time.

After graduation, I went to Gymnasium. My first day there was a bit of an eye-opener—the students weren’t all that different from my classmates in Realschule. In my mind, I thought my classmates in Gymnasium would be super bright and competitive. In reality, they were just like other kids who were trying to make friends and get good grades. The only difference I saw was that the students there seemed to be disproportionately rich. So many students I met there came from wealthy families!

Anyway, I finished Gymnasium with excellent grades and got into a great university, where I’m now studying to be a lawyer. I guess my message is this: Don’t lose hope! You can still go to university even if you’re chosen for Realschule.

Challenge 2

What do you think? What does your tutor think? Discuss.

If Time
Allows
1

A TOUGH CALL
2

BEING BRIGHT
1

A TOUGH CALL

  1. What do you do before making a hard decision?
  2. What usually influences your decisions (ex. money, past experiences)?
  3. When faced with a problem, do you try to make a decision right away, or do you delay it?

2BEING BRIGHT

  1. Who is the brightest person you know?
  2. Do you think people are born bright, or do they become bright as they grow up?
  3. In your opinion, are there any qualities that are more important than being bright?

FEEDBACK

I can read and understand a blog post about academic tracking.

LESSON GOAL ACHIEVEMENT

  • 4
    Very Good

    Could complete the task with ease

  • 3
    Good

    Could complete the task with some clarifications

  • 2
    Fair

    Could complete the task with additional instructions

  • 1
    Poor

    Could somehow complete the task with difficulty

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK