How'd this happen?
How does something so basically effective and character-building change and how's this speak for us and what's it do for our children?
Z
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24 comments:
I don't tolerate the 2011 Treatment because I'm working with groups of homeschoolers.
Oh, sure, there is the occasional dust up, and I had a big one last year over one child's grade on a research paper. She earned an F, and she got one.
I informed the administrative committee that I would never again work on a research paper with my homeschool classes if the woman who jumped all over me weren't reprimanded for her outrageous behavior and confrontation with me.
Now, guess what?
That same parent, who put her child into a public school for this school term, wants to hire me to tutor her child over the summer because she now sees the benefits of my holding the line on academic standards: her daughter is pulling straight A's in English this year, and her teacher there praises her to the heavens because this child is now "way ahead of the curve."
Students can learn valuable lessons from failure. I certainly did -- and still do.
I gripe a lot about teaching standards in the public school system. But I'll also say this: teachers can become beaten down when they are harangued for holding the standard.
Z - That's a good cartoon. It is not good that the parents hold the teacher accountable for the mistakes the students make.
Across society as a whole, parents have abrogated their duties and responsibilities as parents, as role models. We see that in our schools, in our parks, in Wal-Mart. We see 'parents' who are self engrossed, self absorbed and just plain selfish.
A big part of that is the distraction of the cyber world. Not a day goes by when we don't see a case of neglect or abuse due to the 'parent' spending more time with Facebook games than their children. Hardly a family of civil court case convenes without e-mails, 'friending' or computer/console games being a key component of the drama. Instead of that one person, everybody is now the town gossip, fueled by contrived drama.
In short, many of our 'parents' are devolving into children, easily distracted by colors and sounds on the screen. When this reality meets the educational needs of the children, the parents completely surrender the education to the government system, and are perturbed when their spawn do not meet even the soft standards currently set, because it requires them to accept a role of responsibility and accountability. This does not go over well, when the 'parents' wish to merely be left alone to their own whims, and allow the distractions of familial duty to be left on cruise control.
While I blame social media writ large, it is merely the symptom of the larger issue; abrogating individual liberty to the State, in every aspect that will theoretically make ones life easier and less demanding.
I agree with CI regarding this being a result depending on the state. The state can only do so much to make sure kids study and do their homework.
"How'd this happen?"
That's a darn good question, given that the 2011 group is the progeny of the 1961 group. When did the epidemic of mental illness, known as Liberalism, start? The 2011 group is certainly symptomatic of that terminal disease!
How'd this happen?
We saw as "funny" the many sitcoms and cultural touchstones that mocked standard values.
Then we bought into the antithesis of the standard values because the standard was mocked.
Question Authority!
Teachers are authoritarian figures.
We did not back them.
Their adherence to a union that protected the worst of them didn't help matters.
"Question Authority!"
This is a fine line that we have failed to negotiate well, for while figures of authority should be obeyed in many cases [such as school], the authority of the teacher and school administration, has been undermined by liberal ideals at the expense of intellectual growth.
But we must also instill within our children that questioning authority is an essential element of a free nation.
Possibly of interest...Kindergarten teacher: My job is now about tests and data — not children. I quit.
I think you're all probably right but we need to remember THE PARENTS. Without encouragement, support, BELIEF in the children, they're not going to do well.
I think Ed's right about what happened...we just weren't paying attention.
And, when Ed mentions that today's more lax generation of parents came from the more involved, expectant parent, we have to ask ourselves how many times people today say "My parents were so strict... I knew I didn't want to ever be that kind of parent."
And the world's bought into that.
We need a lot more of that kind of parent that cared, that was strict.
Thankfully, I know they still exist...
I know two Hispanic boys whose families have very little...parents are still married...one couple has two children, the other has four; they struggle, they work HARD.
The boys have love and encouragement at home, and faith in their abilities from those at the private school they graduated from last year; the tuitions were greatly reduced for these boys.
One is now on a full scholarship, including lodging, food, etc., at Carnegie Melon.
The other is at Case Western...full scholarship.
They knew their parents cared (parents who I doubt graduated from high school), they knew their parents sacrificed (needing to get the kids to school at 6:30 or 6:45 am because one father had to drop off and get to his work which was far away; the boy waited outside until the 7:30 opening of the gates for everybody. When I'd be there very early, I'd say "come in and sit down...it's cold!" And he'd say "Mrs Z, if I do, everybody should be able to."
He put egg on my face in a most honorable way, tho I hated for him to not come in!
success stories WILL BE HAD, if the kids feel they're cared for, supported and believed in.
I promise.
AOW, thanks for that heart breaking link.
She's right, she actually illustrates my thoughts about kids wanting SOMEONE to acknowledge they are simply THERE and that someone cares for them; if they're not getting much at home, they're desperate by the time they're at school; how can one teacher in 35 students answer all those needs and teach?
We need to get OUT of the classrooms; let the teachers teach. if there are any good ones left in them.
We were TRYING to get people to pay attention, but they just scorned us and went on their merry way, making our school system a shamble of disorder, disunity and miseducation.
When will we ever learn that the higher up in government we go, the less ept they are at dealing with life issues?
Congrats, AOW. Teachers are not the reason many of our school systems are under-performing. I believe it is a combination of the local cultural environment, and the school administrators.
In the school district where we live, an outraged parent can get a teacher fired a lot quicker than anything. The administration cannot fix the parents, or the local cultures, but they can intimidate the teachers.
This is the reason I am for teachers unions, and the only reason. Having had a wife and a daughter as school teachers, I have heard a lot about how teachers are abused.
I recall a caller I heard on radio who interviewed as a nanny for a very upscale household. It was going well, seemed to be a positive environment with good chemistry and so on. Until the mother said "there is one hard and fast rule. My children are never, under any circumstances, to ever hear the word 'no'." The hopeful nanny was wise enough to know to decline their offer on the spot.
I suspect it's that mother in the last cartoon.
Joe, right...
Bob...I suppose teachers unions have done some good; I see a shambles here in L.A. because of them, mostly. Absolutely NUTSO stuff goes on...protecting them at all costs when they should NOT be.
Baysider; I'm not surprised.
This is what many young parents are doing to their kids. GOD FORBID they should feel scolded, a little shame, sorrow, responsibility for their actions; Can't let them feel BAD! :-)
One of the worst stories I heard was from Prager...I remember sitting in the Ralph's parking lot listening to him complete the story ...In NY, many parents send their children to summer camp ALL summer long. Not sure if this is the way now, but Prager said they didn't see their folks for 2-3 months. Parents were not to come up unless there was a tragedy or something.
Talk about character building and learning independence and fun on one's own! wonderful...
Recently, the law is NO CELL PHONES. Well, the parents today can't bear not being in daily contact with their sweetie-pies, so they pack cell phones...and if it's confiscated, they've packed another cell phone in the luggage and shown the kid where it is just in case. In other words "That's the rule, but BREAK it because we need to stay close!"
I was horrified...talk about life lessons.
AOW: Well done!
CI: I agree, but I think the challenge is to get them to obey authority and question the rules.
You'd never disobey an officer, but you might, aside, ask why.
Bob: That's quite the exception tot he rule. Most teachers never being terminated.
I believe this is mainly a family unit (lack of) and parental participation and proper focus issue.
And of course it is all part of the communist activism started back in the 60's
Btw, OT. Today is Vietnam Veterans Day. Thank you Vets for your service.
I can't remember who here all served during that time, but I thank each of you. (I know you did Imp. Thank you Sir. )
@Rita:
Thanks Rita...and many more to Mr. Rita too.
Mustang? Marine4Ever? CI? Skudrunner?
Baysider,
the mother said "there is one hard and fast rule. My children are never, under any circumstances, to ever hear the word 'no'."
I've encountered student parents who might say, were they completely honest, "There is one hard and fast rule. My children are never, under any circumstances, to receive a grade lower than an A. I want to protect my child's self-esteem."
The student to whom I gave the grade that she had earned fully understood and did not resent the grade. Her mother, on the other hand, couldn't handle either reality or accountability.
The sense of entitlement pervades our society.
The crazy Conservative Trolls are still out there, and when they infect conservative blogs, it is assumed that liberals are behind the infestation--this assumption is made because apparently the conservative bloggers believe only liberal bloggers are capable of this behavior. But it’s not true, these crazy Conservative Trolls imitate Liberal to make them look bad!
In addition to the above, we have the phenomenon of unhappy and vengeful trolls who are so eaten up with envy and rage that they waste their precious time on this earth by making up phoney blogs.
anonymous...that was noticed a few months ago here.
Thanks.
Yes, attempts to make conservative blogs look bad; they forget 'deletion' available to the blog owners :-)
So true Z and so sad!
The "TEA PARTY" commenter who had no blog needs to know we don't call Obama that kind of name here and nobody I know in the Tea Party would do that.
Do it again, you'll be deleted ASAP again.
Thanks.
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