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Old 06-02-2012, 06:44 PM
 
Location: Texas
44,256 posts, read 64,088,329 times
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So, as the school year comes to a close, I see all my friends and colleagues posting pictures of their new grads going to college, their younger kids advancing grades and having parties, lots of smiling faces and joy and celebration.

What strikes me is the number of kids who have all won awards. It's mind-blowing. Man, when I was a kid, one or two kids a year would get some kind of outstanding student award, academic award, or something like that. In middle school, there might be honorable mention for each subject. In high school, there was nothing until graduation.

But I must be surrounded by the most accomplished people and children in the whole world, as not one single person has gone home from school without an award - an award that has been engraved, framed, and touted about on facebook pages by their parents.

Wow!
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Old 06-02-2012, 08:38 PM
 
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At my high school there are the main senior awards but students of other grades qualify for award because ofthe high # of classes offered and those who do exceptionally well in an honors or AP course are rewarded. Other awards are only for juniors. for example I received a scholarship and I am a junior.

However I'd like to know what are these "strange awards" you are referring to if you don't mind me asking
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Old 06-02-2012, 08:49 PM
 
Location: Space Coast
1,988 posts, read 5,366,902 times
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I can't understand why everyone has to be a winner and get an award these days. I think it just makes all awards meaningless (and therefore is just a waste of paper)
I don't recall ever getting an award other than a few trophies from bowling (on my own merit) and maybe one academic award for some writing contest that my teacher entered me in without telling me. Anyway, a lack of awards hasn't hurt my self esteem or my success at all.
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Old 06-02-2012, 09:17 PM
 
Location: Whoville....
25,386 posts, read 35,409,670 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eresh View Post
I can't understand why everyone has to be a winner and get an award these days. I think it just makes all awards meaningless (and therefore is just a waste of paper)
I don't recall ever getting an award other than a few trophies from bowling (on my own merit) and maybe one academic award for some writing contest that my teacher entered me in without telling me. Anyway, a lack of awards hasn't hurt my self esteem or my success at all.
Because everyone must have high self esteem. The only problem is the self esteem won this way only lasts as long as you keep getting awards. Real self esteem is rooted in ability and developing skills.
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Old 06-02-2012, 09:56 PM
 
Location: Space Coast
1,988 posts, read 5,366,902 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivorytickler View Post
Because everyone must have high self esteem. The only problem is the self esteem won this way only lasts as long as you keep getting awards. Real self esteem is rooted in ability and developing skills.
Exactly! Who is going to be motivated to developing skills when they think they are already at the top of the game because some award says so. The whole system (mostly academics) is geared toward increasing mediocrity.
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Old 06-03-2012, 01:26 AM
 
Location: Texas
44,256 posts, read 64,088,329 times
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Originally Posted by Jazzii View Post
However I'd like to know what are these "strange awards" you are referring to if you don't mind me asking
Well, it seems like every kid is on the honor roll.
There are other kids who are "christian character" or "lionheart award" or "imagination" or "integrity"...

Seriously? Wtf?
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Old 06-03-2012, 04:58 AM
 
Location: Whoville....
25,386 posts, read 35,409,670 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eresh View Post
Exactly! Who is going to be motivated to developing skills when they think they are already at the top of the game because some award says so. The whole system (mostly academics) is geared toward increasing mediocrity.
Yup. They say good is the enemy of great but, in this case, it's minimal effort because we celebrate minimal effort (trophies just for showing up) as if it is an accomplishment.
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Old 06-03-2012, 11:57 AM
 
Location: Great State of Texas
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That's because "everyone is a winner". What happens after K-12 though when these kids hit the real word ?
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Old 06-03-2012, 12:12 PM
 
Location: Texas
632 posts, read 1,176,000 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivorytickler View Post
Because everyone must have high self esteem. The only problem is the self esteem won this way only lasts as long as you keep getting awards. Real self esteem is rooted in ability and developing skills.

The way I see it, if only one or two people win awards and the rest of the students don't its not that big of a deal. However, when everyone starts getting bull$hit awards and you're the only one without one OR without a legitimate award that people care about, you're actually lowering the students self-esteem.
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Old 06-03-2012, 12:13 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,234,855 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stan4 View Post
Well, it seems like every kid is on the honor roll.
There are other kids who are "christian character" or "lionheart award" or "imagination" or "integrity"...

Seriously? Wtf?
In my district, not every kid is on the honor roll; that is reserved for kids with a certain GPA. (I don't remember what it is; my kids are long gone from K-12 school.)

What's wrong with giving kids rewards. IIRC, at my kids' high school, only the ones who were getting awards were invited to the awards ceremony. Maybe that's why it seems like everyone is getting one.

"Christian character" must be an award at a Christian school.
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