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I do see her as having cast a shadow on everyone elses graduation. By standing there and proclaiming how easy it was to scam the system, she insulted every student who had to work for their grades. She's oblivious to them. She doesn't care about them. All that mattered was her 15 minutes of fame. That attitude will catch up to her.
Seriously, if one of my dd's pulled this, I'd tell her to go play the system and pay for her own college education if she's so smart. I would not be a pawn in her game. She wouldn't see a dime from me for college. After all, she knows how to play the system so she could go play it.
Fortunately, I have one dd who has to work for her grades and the one who doesn't, has a lot of empathy for those who do. She would never insult them at their own graduation like this. I can see her, in private, making some of these comments but she'd never make them within earshot of anyone who struggles with getting through school. She knows that she's a special case and that others do not have it so easy. While this girl's intent was to insult the system, she really insulted every student for whom the system worked in the process and she didn't care. THAT's what bothers me. The only person who mattered that day was her and she didn't care if she rained on anyone elses parade.
What bothers me about this girl is she is, completely, lacking in empathy. She wanted her "Look at me" moment, and took it at others expense. Nice kid...Her mom should be proud... I would have been humiliated. I would have gotten up and left in the middle of the speech and I would have made sure everyone saw me leave. If my dd wants to boast about how easy it is to play the game and, literally, humiliate every student for whom it wasn't easy...she can do that on her own. She can walk home from her own graduation too. I won't be sitting around playing pawn in her game.
She is talking about her own experience. It was her goal to get the best grades and to graduate at the top of her class, something that many feel is very important. She focused all of her time and energy on that goal. She says that she saw every subject of study as work. She never said that it was easy. She studied for every tests, turned in every homework assignment and always asked for extra credit. She did these things because she believed that getting good grades was important. Since she was valedictorian I'm assuming she got mostly A's if not straight A's on all of her assignments. She says that she learned things but she didn't learn all that she could have. There is no doubt that she put a lot of time, energy and effort into getting the grades that she did.
I would be very proud if my daughter stood up at graduation and gave that speech. I do not see it as an insult to anyone. I see it as a personal reflection of her school experience and one where she became enlightened along the way. At some point in her journey she came to the realization that getting the best grades is not what matters most. She opened her eyes and saw the world in new ways. If that was what stood out to her the most when reflecting on her High School years then that is what she should write and speak about. She earned the the title of valedictorian and with that she earned the honor of speaking at her graduation. Her speech was about her journey and the important lessons that she learned along the way.
She is talking about her own experience. It was her goal to get the best grades and to graduate at the top of her class, something that many feel is very important. She focused all of her time and energy on that goal. She says that she saw every subject of study as work. She never said that it was easy. She studied for every tests, turned in every homework assignment and always asked for extra credit. She did these things because she believed that getting good grades was important. Since she was valedictorian I'm assuming she got mostly A's if not straight A's on all of her assignments. She says that she learned things but she didn't learn all that she could have. There is no doubt that she put a lot of time, energy and effort into getting the grades that she did.
I would be very proud if my daughter stood up at graduation and gave that speech. I do not see it as an insult to anyone. I see it as a personal reflection of her school experience and one where she became enlightened along the way. At some point in her journey she came to the realization that getting the best grades is not what matters most. She opened her eyes and saw the world in new ways. If that was what stood out to her the most when reflecting on her High School years then that is what she should write and speak about. She earned the the title of valedictorian and with that she earned the honor of speaking at her graduation. Her speech was about her journey and the important lessons that she learned along the way.
I think she dissed her classmates, her teachers and her school. She announced that she played the game and won. Not, exactly, someone I'd want to hire. I'd rather have innovative people who do something new with their intellect.
Listening to her speech makes me proud that my 12 year old is already trying to change the things she sees wrong instead of just getting her check marks to get the highest grades. It's really sad when you have the intelligence to do more but choose not to. Then again, maybe this girl doesn't really have the intelligence to do more. Maybe that's why she didn't.
Her speech is myopic and oblivious to the journey of her classmates, whom she was supposed to represent that day. Instead, she used this as a venue to harp on herself. No, I would not be proud. I wouldn't have shown up for graduation if this were my dd. I would have read the speech before she gave it and informed her that in dissing the system like this, she's really dissing all the kids who had to work to get through school and it is their graduation moreso than hers because she had it handed to her on a silver platter and they did not. Her place was to motivate her classmates. She chose to diss them instead.
This was not the time or place for this and this girl didn't have the sense or compassion to realize that. I'll cast my bet now and say that this girl does nothing to fix the system she thinks is so broken. That would be beneath her I'm sure . It's one thing to whine. It's quite another to implement solutions. Any idiot can tell you something is broken. It takes intelligence to actually come up with a plan and implement a solution.
The real problem is, this one's not broken. At least not in the way she thinks it is. After all, she is talking about the school system that produced her. That's the real irony. She doesn't have the sense to realize that she's also dissed herself. What can you say? Sometimes, the validictorian isn't the brightest bulb in the bunch.
I for one would not want a school system that catered to my kids. Both of my kids have grown in ways they never would have otherwise BECAUSE they had to figure it out on their own. I don't think the system should be catering to it's brightest students and I don't think they should be whining about that. If you really need someone else to show you the way, I question just how bright you really are.
I've met this girl in my classroom (not her but kids just like her). They're not the ones who go far. The ones who go far are the ones who see a problem and then come up with a way to fix it. They, often don't have the highest grades though because they decide when it is and is not worth the effort. This girl's a sheep. She's a follower. Does as she's told and then whines about it. Makes me proud that my dd just refuses to do the work, lol. She says "This is stupid mom" and stands her ground. She's not a sheep and probably smarter than this girl.
Seriously, as someone who barely graduated from high school, I would have felt she was insulting me, personally. I didn't find it easy to get through the system. The game wasn't easy for me. I would have been put out that the person who was representing my class didn't get most of her classmates. This girl is nearsighted. Someone needs to get her glasses so she can see everyone else.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 08-18-2010 at 09:26 AM..
I think she dissed her classmates, her teachers and her school. She announced that she played the game and won. Not, exactly, someone I'd want to hire. I'd rather have innovative people who do something new with their intellect.
What if you have someone who is so innovative and focused on learning what interests them at the expense of their grades and schoolwork that they end up not paying attention in your class, not turning in their homework assignments and flunking your tests? Would you really want to hire them over someone who plays by the rules and focuses on the goals that that you as the employer (or teacher) have set?
Listening to her speech makes me proud that my 12 year old is already trying to change the things she sees wrong instead of just getting her check marks to get the highest grades.
Makes me proud that my dd just refuses to do the work, lol. She says "This is stupid mom" and stands her ground. She's not a sheep and probably smarter than this girl.
What is your 12 year old doing to change the things she sees as wrong?
What is your 12 year old doing to change the things she sees as wrong?
She works with kids she sees are struggling. Peer tutoring often works better when kids aren't getting what's being taught in class. The big difference between my dd and this validictorian is my dd can actually see the kids who are struggling.
What if you have someone who is so innovative and focused on learning what interests them at the expense of their grades and schoolwork that they end up not paying attention in your class, not turning in their homework assignments and flunking your tests? Would you really want to hire them over someone who plays by the rules and focuses on the goals that that you as the employer (or teacher) have set?
Why the extremes? Do you think they serve a point?
If they are so focused on what they want to do that they cannot get a job done, no. Fortunately, most innovative people find middle ground. Unless you're working in a think tank environment, you have to be able to get things done.
If someone is not paying attention in class, and they are flunking my tests, they are not learning what they are there to learn. THIS is a problem. If they're not paying attention in class and not turning in homework and acing my tests, that's another animal. (I get, at least, one like this every year).
However, if they choose to make decent grades instead of A's because they focus on their own interests, I'm right there. You just described half the engineers I worked with in industry. Everyone needs to be able to complete tasks they don't like to but no one has to complete them all unless they choose to (the sheep in the bunch) nor do they need to accomplish them all using prescribed methods. You have to know enough to know when a new method might work.
You can demonstrate that you can get things done AND focus on what interests you. If you focus on your interests to the exclusion of everything else you're supposed to do, you're probably not going very far unless you're picked up by a think tank and they are out there looking for you, or you happen to be focused on something that someone else is focused on.
She works with kids she sees are struggling. Peer tutoring often works better when kids aren't getting what's being taught in class. The big difference between my dd and this validictorian is my dd can actually see the kids who are struggling.
That's great that your dd is helping struggling students to learn the material and and improve their grades.
This valedictorian's speech was about changing the system so that it encourages student's curiosity, adventure, resilience, insight, innovation, creativity and critical thinking rather then focusing on grades and test scores. How would a High School student go about making those types of changes to the system?
What if you have someone who is so innovative and focused on learning what interests them at the expense of their grades and schoolwork that they end up not paying attention in your class, not turning in their homework assignments and flunking your tests? Would you really want to hire them over someone who plays by the rules and focuses on the goals that that you as the employer (or teacher) have set?
This wasn't directed at me, but I would want to hire someone who has the interest, and even passion, that they can direct towards their job. And yes, I do think they need to be able to follow the general rules of society and the job, but to do so in an independent way (because I sure don't want to have to supervise someone every step of the way). I would not want to hire someone who has no interest in what the job involves, or who isn't at least willing to try to drum up enough interest (even if only because of financial motivation) to do the job itself. No one is going to be passionate about everything at every point in life; some sort of balance is necessary.
I also think that it's reasonable to expect that all students should have the self-discipline to be able to pay attention in class and at least fulfill basic expectations. Part of learning should be developing the ability to make the best of something and to find something relevant or at least worthy of attention in any subject. I do think teachers need to help create a supportive environment and to encourage kids to be able to to think about things for themselves, but I have a hard time finding much sympathy for kids who flunks things because they only pay attention to what they like. I don't consider it innovative or focusing on learning to just blow off entire subjects rather than to try to extract something of value or interest from the topic at hand. Not everyone needs to be an A student in every class or to like every topic equally, but to me, it shows a lack of respect for learning itself (not talking about school or teachers here, just the pure act of learning about the world) to not give certain subjects a chance. Spending a short bit of life learning about a subject one doesn't find interesting isn't going to hurt anyone; better to be exposed to, say, calculus, and know that you don't like it and don't plan on pursuing it beyond the basics, rather than to have never encountered it in the first place.
I do, however, agree with an earlier point made that the current traditional model of schools isn't the only model out there, and do think that public schools -- and society as a whole, really -- can, generally speaking, do more to encourage and nurture an interest in learning and in independent thinking.
That's great that your dd is helping struggling students to learn the material and and improve their grades.
This valedictorian's speech was about changing the system so that it encourages student's curiosity, adventure, resilience, insight, innovation, creativity and critical thinking rather then focusing on grades and test scores. How would a High School student go about making those types of changes to the system?
This validictorian's speech rained on everyone's parade. It was neither the time or the place. She may not have worked hard to graduate and may have thought she got away with something, but some of her classmates did work hard and that deserved her respect. Unfortunately, she didn't give it. That says a lot about her.
Anyone can whine. It takes guts to actually do something. She's a whiner.
This wasn't directed at me, but I would want to hire someone who has the interest, and even passion, that they can direct towards their job. And yes, I do think they need to be able to follow the general rules of society and the job, but to do so in an independent way (because I sure don't want to have to supervise someone every step of the way). I would not want to hire someone who has no interest in what the job involves, or who isn't at least willing to try to drum up enough interest (even if only because of financial motivation) to do the job itself. No one is going to be passionate about everything at every point in life; some sort of balance is necessary.
I also think that it's reasonable to expect that all students should have the self-discipline to be able to pay attention in class and at least fulfill basic expectations. Part of learning should be developing the ability to make the best of something and to find something relevant or at least worthy of attention in any subject. I do think teachers need to help create a supportive environment and to encourage kids to be able to to think about things for themselves, but I have a hard time finding much sympathy for kids who flunks things because they only pay attention to what they like. I don't consider it innovative or focusing on learning to just blow off entire subjects rather than to try to extract something of value or interest from the topic at hand. Not everyone needs to be an A student in every class or to like every topic equally, but to me, it shows a lack of respect for learning itself (not talking about school or teachers here, just the pure act of learning about the world) to not give certain subjects a chance. Spending a short bit of life learning about a subject one doesn't find interesting isn't going to hurt anyone; better to be exposed to, say, calculus, and know that you don't like it and don't plan on pursuing it beyond the basics, rather than to have never encountered it in the first place.
I do, however, agree with an earlier point made that the current traditional model of schools isn't the only model out there, and do think that public schools -- and society as a whole, really -- can, generally speaking, do more to encourage and nurture an interest in learning and in independent thinking.
While independent thinking can be encouraged, it cannot be taught. You either learn enough to move beyond what is being taught and choose to do so or you don't.
There were experiments back in the 70's. It was interesting but we didn't get it. Most of us still needed to be told what to do. Those who are capable of independent thinking won't be stopped by this system or any other.
Those who want more and are capable of more need to seek out those willing to help instead of complaining that everyone should be willing to help. Some are working on other problems that are way more pressing than whether or not an already advantaged child gets more.
It is the public that public education serves. Not the individual. Individuals are, however, free to seek enrichment both in school and elsewhere. The question is whether or not somone should be spelling it out for them. I think there are more important things to do. And, seriously, if you need me to spell it out for you, you're not ready for independent thought anyway. I can demand it all I want and you won't be able to deliver. Those who are capable of it will demand it of themselves.
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I would have been humiliated. I would have gotten up and left in the middle of the speech and I would have made sure everyone saw me leave. If my dd wants to boast about how easy it is to play the game and, literally, humiliate every student for whom it wasn't easy...she can do that on her own. She can walk home from her own graduation too. I won't be sitting around playing pawn in her game.
. It's one thing to whine. It's quite another to implement solutions. Any idiot can tell you something is broken. It takes intelligence to actually come up with a plan and implement a solution. 
