First, there is the learning of content - amassing the skills and knowledge base of various academic subjects: mathematics, foreign languages, history, literature, etc. After completing four years of high school, it should be said of students that they "know something about" these various bodies of knowledge, and that they have the skills to work within them.
Secondly, there is the matter of earning good grades, accumulating scores from standardized tests, and generally attempting to impress the admissions officers at some college or university.
Thirdly, there is the somewhat more ambiguous matter of developing one's intellect: being able to think critically, being able to explore texts and academic disciplines.
Fourthly, there are the "soft skills" and "life lessons" of being able to work with people: punctuality, politeness, and simply being able to walk into a room, look someone in the eye, say "Good Morning!" and offer a hearty handshake: the social skills of silently allowing offense to pass when one's views are contradicted by another, of honoring freedom of speech, and of finding the appropriate moments at which to express one's views.
Fifthly, there are those skills which are more directly and narrowly related to some future employment, i.e., job and workplace skills.
Sixthly, there is the matter of understanding one's role as a citizen, or as a resident alien, inside the nation-state. What are the duties, privileges, obligations, and rights of a citizen? Of a non-citizen resident alien?
In addition to these six, there are doubtless others.
It is important to note that the relationships, if any, between these are loose. One can learn much, and yet receive a rather low grade. One can learn little, and yet receive a good grade.
While educational systems strive to establish some correlation between grades and content mastered, such a relationship is, at best, always indirect. A student who has learned relatively little can get a better grade by means of "busy work" or "extra credit" or "effort and participation" or simply cheating.
Likewise a student who's learned much, but fails to motivate himself to complete certain key assignments, may receive a low grade.
[Andrew Smith has taught at Huron High School, Pioneer High School, Tappan Middle School, Scarlett Middle School, Clague Middle School, Slauson Middle School, and others. Andrew Smith has served as a German Teacher and a History Teacher, with occasional stints in other academic departments.]
