What would make high school core subjects more interesting for students?

i always find it interesting when teachers connect it back to YOU. give YOU a reason for using it.

my US history teacher went in depth into the stock market when we were studying the great depression this year because he used to be a financial service provider. i also liked how he got into the 21st century. all the history teachers SAY they'll get to the present, and never do. we did a chapter a week and i finally got to learn about wars like Vietnam that i wasn't around for, but still knew nothing about.

same with math, find something for ME to use it in my life.

for English, read more interesting books. I'm a big reader myself already, but for kids i know who aren't find some recent book that has the same qualities of older ones so kids are more interested.

I always liked competitive activities. My french teacher used to have us play this game where she'd write a bunch of vocab. words on the board and we'd break into 2 teams. Each team had a flyswatter and the teacher would read off a definition and whoever smacked the word first got the point.

I also enjoyed open ended assignments where you were allowed to be creative. You could write an essay, a poem, a song, whatever you wanted.

But the thing I absolutely despised was group activities. Nothing drove me more crazy than having to pick up the slack for 5 lazy group mates.

The things that stuck out the most to me were the things that were really unique, that no other teacher had done before. Like when we were learning about slavery and my teacher duct taped the whole class together by the ankles and wrists and made us lay in a row on the ground. She read to us descriptions of what the inside of a slave barge would have been like. I was cold and uncomfortable, but I was also paying attention. I don't think I will ever forget the experience.

I had a social studies teacher in 8th grade that would play classical music during tests, and give out packs of elvis cards to people who did well in class. Little things like that really help. I had another teacher who would go down to the library, and maybe even as stupid as speaking clearly and intelligently about what she was talking about. I mean, when she spoke, you could easily listen to her, and it was easier to find the answer to her questions. Other teachers could start rambling and they just get boring, like a really poor speech. I think there are a lot of good examples out there of good teachers. a lot of them go out and speak to other teachers but if no one is listening then no one is listening.

I think that this election is really bringing our education system to the national level. its not just a state and local problem anymore. We have a problem.

i could agree Chemistry being fairly significant and biology an intensive second. i could drop a short e mail to the admissions branch of a school (that you're in contact in going to) and ask them that question.