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| GT Tick wrote:
> Alex comments....."Ah well, I've rambled on enough, I'll get off my soap
> box now. Who wants it next?".....
> ---
> ---
> For this once you'll find me succinct...
>
> Maybe it's because we're running out of heroes. You know, the ones that
> demonstrate the golden rule, and hand out grades, and keep score, and
> scold and maybe even spank.
>
> *****Don't Cry Because It's Over...Smile Because It Happened.*****
>
>
I agree. I think that the current practice in schools of promoting the
attitude of "everyone is ok". Sorry, I can't think of better way to
describe it right now. Isn't MS great?
I can understand equality based on race, religion, etc. But, not
everyone is equal intellectually and when they fail to meet the
standard, they need to be told so in no uncertain terms. No, its not ok
that you got an 'F' (or in todays terminology, 'unsatisfactory') in a
particular class. It means one of two things. You did not apply
yourself or you had problems and you did not seek help.
I also happen to think that Attention Deficit - Hyperactivity Disorder
is being way overdiagnosed and leads to an excuse for poor performance.
Its either that or something in the air or water has drastically changed
in the last 20 years. I just don't recall it or that kind of behavior
being an issue when I was in school. If a kid wasn't paying attention,
the teacher usually got their attention in no uncertain terms. And yes,
it might be embarassing, but that was motivation to not do it again. It
wasn't something that was a widespread problem.
It seems that today, the answer to behavior problems is not discipline,
but medication, which doesn't address the behavior, but instead excuses
it. "Its not your fault, you have xyz syndrome. Here take these
pills." The problem is that it doesn't address the thinking, the
thought process. "Should I listen to the teacher or should I carve my
initials into the desk?" If I carve my initials into the desk, its ok
because I have xyz syndrome, so its not my fault.
I think that this is part of the problem with the lack of personal
responsibility these days. Nothing is anybody's fault. There's always
an excuse. No one wants to stand up and take responsibility. Not to
blow my own horn, but by way of example:
Before I got "laid off" due to MS, I had a position in engineering. I
had been working most of the day on a circuit board design on the
computer when something went wrong & I lost it. I foolishly had not
saved frequently, as I should have. I lost most of the days work.
I immediately went to my boss and told him what happened. Now I could
have easily just started over and if he asked, I could have just said
that it was taking longer than expected. He probably would not have
questioned that. But, regardless of whether the program/pc
malfunctioned or I hit the wrong keystrokes, it was my fault for not
saving/backing up as I progressed. So I admitted it.
Why did I do that? Because it was *my* fault! I have learned that it
is far better to be honest and admit your mistakes/failures up front,
than to try to hide it and have it come out later. (I also learned to
backup important files frequently!)
Was my boss upset? Well, maybe a little, not too much, but definitely
not as upset as he would have been if I had lied about it and then he
found out later.
Of course, I'm old enough that when I went to school, an 'A' really
meant 'A' material and teachers weren't afraid to hand out 'F's.
I take my son to school and pick him up in the afternoon, provided the
alley isn't covered in snow & ice. So I have an opportunity to listen
to other parents discussing their kids.
It amazes me that when a kid does poorly on an assignment, homework or
test, that a majority of what I hear is along the lines of "Who does she
think she is? (Referring to the teacher), "What does she expect from
our kids?" "I'm going talk to her and tell her what I think".
What is the message here? Is it that the child is not performing up to
standards, or is it the teachers "fault" and my kid is doing ok? It
really amazes me to hear some of these parents talk. Its the old "My
child can do no wrong" routine. Hey, that sounds like a good title for
companion legislation to the No Child Left Behind Act! :-)
My son knows now that if he doesn't do well on a particular subject,
that we will be doing extra homework on our own to make sure that he
understands the material. I don't punish him for it, but I make sure
that he understands that he has to work harder at it, that *he* is the
only one that can change the outcome and that means extra studying at
home. Fortunately, overall, he does very well in school and has few
problems.
Ya know, if I had the energy to put in to it, I would seriously consider
running for our local school board. I just don't think I could put the
proper amount of time/effort in to be effective. :-(
Dammit, someone let me back on the soapbox. I must have way too much
time on my hands, must be a side effect of MS! :-)
Next!
Alex
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