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Honestly the whole "we rank lower then China or whoever" debate might as well be the dumbest idea ever. Check out the video attached and let me know what is wrong with America. Comments on Caught on tape: Teens bully grandmother on school bus | New Jersey Real-Time News - Page 2 -
The problem is we (parents) are raising a generation of _ holes that are allowed to do and say whatever makes them feel good. This attitude and lack of respect shown that elderly lady on the bus runs rampant in schools and society as a whole. Teachers and administration have no choice but to deal with it because of politically correct laws that state we have to educate all children. I am not sure when this all happened but it just seems that parent now a days allow their monsters to run the show and act as if they are the certain of the world. I honestly think we have fallen too far in terms of respect and values to ever catch the other countries of the world in educational levels. Without those two things you can never ever hope to be the best. Watch a documentary on Chinese education and tell me what % of children could ever deal with the rigid education they provide. Yet we want to compare ourselves to them. When we were at our best, our children had fear of adults and respect for adults. Sadly this has all been lost along with out place at the top. Blaming teachers is just about as dumb as it gets because they cant do it alone. Kids go home to either broken homes,uncaring parents,drug addicted idiots or on the other end parents who think their kids are Baby Jesus and are perfect. We are doomed. I am 37 with two kids and trust me when I tell you if any of my kids ever did anything like that a grounding would not even be close to what they would get.
China has fair deal of problems with their children, don't trust a documentary.
What do you think happens when the whole country is filled with children with four grand parents to spoil them?
Please do not idolize China or their education, they have their problems too, just like our systems.
I agree that how your children end up has much more to with the parents than teachers.
I don't put too much stock in the whole international rankings thing. Mainly because the tests are slanted. For instance, the Chinese students that scored so high recently were from the Shanghai Technical Academy. This is akin to an elite private school in the US. Similar schools in other countries are what is used for the testing there. For instance, in Germany, they only test students in the Gymnasium's which are basically schools reserved for the best students and are run as intensive college prep programs for students going onto universities. When they do the testing in the US they do it in regular high schools throughout the country. For this reason, we are essentially testing our average against most others best. I honestly believe that the best and brightest in the US can compete with anyone, we just often find ourselves expending more time and resources dealing with the worst since everyone is entitled to a free and equal education. IMO, if you want to fix education in this country it starts by not being afraid to more aggressively track students by their skill levels and not hold to the belief that educational success begins and ends with a college degree.
As far as behavior goes, what happened on that bus was reprehensible, but I don't think it was incredibly unique or rare. It is also not something that is a solely modern day issue. People have been complaining about how horrible kids are for millenia. Here are some of my favorite verbatim quotes and while there may be questions of their origin, they are all decidedly from a long time ago:
This one is attributed to Socrates:
Quote:
"The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for
authority, they show disrespect to their elders.... They no longer
rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents,
chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their
legs, and are tyrants over their teachers."
This one is attributed to Plato:
Quote:
"What is happening to our young
people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They
ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions.
Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?"
This one to Hesiod (6th century BC):
Quote:
"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on
frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond
words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and
respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise
[disrespectful] and impatient of restraint"
This from Peter the Hermit in 1274AD:
Quote:
"The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have
no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all
restraint. They talk as if they alone knew everything and what passes
for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for girls, they are
forward, immodest and unwomanly in speech, behaviour and dress."
Perhaps it is just something inherent in youth and not in whatever ills our society has cultivated in the kids of today.
I don't put too much stock in the whole international rankings thing. Mainly because the tests are slanted. For instance, the Chinese students that scored so high recently were from the Shanghai Technical Academy. This is akin to an elite private school in the US. Similar schools in other countries are what is used for the testing there. For instance, in Germany, they only test students in the Gymnasium's which are basically schools reserved for the best students and are run as intensive college prep programs for students going onto universities. When they do the testing in the US they do it in regular high schools throughout the country. For this reason, we are essentially testing our average against most others best. I honestly believe that the best and brightest in the US can compete with anyone, we just often find ourselves expending more time and resources dealing with the worst since everyone is entitled to a free and equal education. IMO, if you want to fix education in this country it starts by not being afraid to more aggressively track students by their skill levels and not hold to the belief that educational success begins and ends with a college degree.
As far as behavior goes, what happened on that bus was reprehensible, but I don't think it was incredibly unique or rare. It is also not something that is a solely modern day issue. People have been complaining about how horrible kids are for millenia. Here are some of my favorite verbatim quotes and while there may be questions of their origin, they are all decidedly from a long time ago:
This one is attributed to Socrates:
.....
Perhaps it is just something inherent in youth and not in whatever ills our society has cultivated in the kids of today.
Teachers are greatly responsible for what kids learn and how they grow within the classroom but the parents have a far greater responsibility. What can you expect from a generation of children where single parents consist of almost 40% of families? Children need time from their parents and enormous patience - both of which are almost non-existent. How much time does a parent spend with his/her child when they are picked up from daycare at 6 and are put to bed at 8:30 with dinner and cleaning in that 2:30 hours duration?
I am a parent too but I spend 100% of my time with my kids when I get home and until they are asleep. I do watch tv and spend time reading or whatever I do for fun/hobbies but only after my kids are alseep. If that means getting less sleep, so be it. My sleep is far less important than the bond I have with my kids which grows stronger every single day.
If you don't genuinely believe in spending time with your kids and building their character & educating them one day at a time, you can only force yourself to do it for so long. You will run out of patience sooner than you think. Kids deserve loving parents who nurture them to be fond of education, self development and civil sense.
Teachers are greatly responsible for what kids learn and how they grow within the classroom but the parents have a far greater responsibility. What can you expect from a generation of children where single parents consist of almost 40% of families? Children need time from their parents and enormous patience - both of which are almost non-existent. How much time does a parent spend with his/her child when they are picked up from daycare at 6 and are put to bed at 8:30 with dinner and cleaning in that 2:30 hours duration?
I am a parent too but I spend 100% of my time with my kids when I get home and until they are asleep. I do watch tv and spend time reading or whatever I do for fun/hobbies but only after my kids are alseep. If that means getting less sleep, so be it. My sleep is far less important than the bond I have with my kids which grows stronger every single day.
If you don't genuinely believe in spending time with your kids and building their character & educating them one day at a time, you can only force yourself to do it for so long. You will run out of patience sooner than you think. Kids deserve loving parents who nurture them to be fond of education, self development and civil sense.
don't break your arm patting yourself on the back. (i truly am kidding)
don't break your arm patting yourself on the back. (i truly am kidding)
some parents may actually think my 'style' of parenting is insane. but well i was raised that way as well and that's the style of parenting i appreciate!
Kids growing up over the past 20 years are spoiled, lack discipline, and have severe instant gratification problems. Parents don't have the time or energy to raise them properly, so it's just easier to give the kids whatever they want in order to shut them up.
Growing up in the 60's and 70's, my mother and all of my friends mothers did not work. Here is where it all went down hill. Women wanted careers instead of raising their kids. Then the divorce rate triples since the '50's, and technology comes along ruining the attention span of kids so they can't even think for themselves.
Sad state of affairs for American kids, and it's not their fault, they are simply products of their environment, as is everything.
And yes, kids in other countries are smarter. I have students come here from other countries and they are two grade levels ahead of our kids. Our priorities are extremely messed up in America these days. Other countries still see the value in education and raising children properly. America, not so much, we are more concerned with our cell phones and snooki. Sickening really.
Kids growing up over the past 20 years are spoiled, lack discipline, and have severe instant gratification problems. Parents don't have the time or energy to raise them properly, so it's just easier to give the kids whatever they want in order to shut them up.
Growing up in the 60's and 70's, my mother and all of my friends mothers did not work. Here is where it all went down hill. Women wanted careers instead of raising their kids. Then the divorce rate triples since the '50's, and technology comes along ruining the attention span of kids so they can't even think for themselves.
Sad state of affairs for American kids, and it's not their fault, they are simply products of their environment, as is everything.
And yes, kids in other countries are smarter. I have students come here from other countries and they are two grade levels ahead of our kids. Our priorities are extremely messed up in America these days. Other countries still see the value in education and raising children properly. America, not so much, we are more concerned with our cell phones and snooki. Sickening really.
Bravo!
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(i truly am kidding)
