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I have to wonder if "constantly smiling" actually means she is happy. Picking and conforming to a group doesn't mean you are happy in it. It just means you don't wish to be alone. I spent my entire teen years refusing to conform to a group standard. I'd do anything to NOT be part of that stupid peer group. My sister conformed. Bent over backwards and twisted up to conform to whatever the morons who lead her group decided was cool. Conformity does not make us happy, it just makes it so no one can tell how intensely miserable we are because we have no idea of ourselves beyond what "the group" is.
I live in redneck suburban southern hell. Everyone here wears overalls, drives a truck, and speaks with a severe accent. They grill out, watch sporting events, and go on and on about their local church or conservative mouthpiece. I have no desire to buy a truck, overalls, a grill, watch a sporting event (or even get a clue what sporting event is currently in season) or attend their church. One does not need to conform to a peer group to be happy.
She seems happy. The smile seems genuine. A fake smile is easy to spot. I've been around teenagers long enough to know they want to fit in. Heck, so do adults. We want to feel we belong. While belonging is no guarantee of happiness, not belonging makes being happy harder because we're fighting loneliness. We're pack animals.
I see a strong need to fit in in teenagers. Really for people in general. Those who are individual end up lonely recluses unless they're rich and can buy friends or have some unique talent that others want to be associated with. We are more alike than we care to admit but there is nothing wrong with that. It's not my individuality that make me human. It's how much I'm like the other humans around me.
"If all or our teachers were excellent we would not be faced with failing schools!"
That was the comment from a friend of mine who was talking about the problem with schools and education today.
I tried to tell him that it was not really the teachers fault but the fault of unmotivated students, poverty, ignorance, teachers unions, a sick youth society, and government policies that says anyone who is interested in learning is a nerd, and a thousand other reasons. He would not buy it.
He went on to say: "If the teachers were any good they could get the students to listen to them and every student would excel. And if the teacher does not get results, fire them and bring in someone who can do the job."
Do you think my friend is right? Most of the fault is the teachers?
No. I think bad schools result from bad parents, primarily. Parents are the primary educators, and are responsible for sending their children to school prepared to learn and interested in learning. When they fail to do that, the best teacher in the world is hard-pressed to change the results.
No. I think bad schools result from bad parents, primarily. Parents are the primary educators, and are responsible for sending their children to school prepared to learn and interested in learning. When they fail to do that, the best teacher in the world is hard-pressed to change the results.
The most important things parents can teach their kids is that an education is valuable and that it is their job to learn. If parents do that, the sky is the limit.
When kids arrive in my class who do not see value in learning and do not consider it their job to learn, it's how low can we go. We keep lowering the bar for these kids and the keep going lower and lower. I know this isn't PC but it's time to start flushing them. If they don't want to learn there is not much I can do for them. I can explain it to them but I can't understand it for them. They have to do that themselves.
The most important things parents can teach their kids is that an education is valuable and that it is their job to learn. If parents do that, the sky is the limit.
When kids arrive in my class who do not see value in learning and do not consider it their job to learn, it's how low can we go. We keep lowering the bar for these kids and the keep going lower and lower. I know this isn't PC but it's time to start flushing them. If they don't want to learn there is not much I can do for them. I can explain it to them but I can't understand it for them. They have to do that themselves.
I agree. Our education problem is a cultural problem.
I agree. Our education problem is a cultural problem.
As we move to online learning, we'll finally have to admit that is the case. Who will they have to blame when all kids are sat in front of computers running the same programs and some kids still fail other than the kids themselves and the culture that gave them their attitude about learning?
The really sad part about education going online (and I think it will because it's cheaper and the public thinks it will guarantee consistency and excellence in teaching) is that the kids who are falling through the cracks that a good teacher can reach will have no one to reach them. While we cannot catch them all we can catch some. With the move to computerized learning thanks to Bill and Melinda Gates and all the money they stand to make with this move, we will flush the small percentage of kids who we do catch with the current system. There aren't a lot of them but we make a world of difference for them when they hook up with the right teacher.
Tough for me to say, as no schools in my area are failing.
Oh... and we are all union here.
Sounds like you come from a good area. A successful school must have good committed teachers. It must also have committed parents setting good examples.
So you agree with my friend- the fault lies with weak teachers.
Sorry OP, stepped away from this thread for a bit.
Yes, I would agree that is due to weak teachers who have received their education from weak academic institutions some of which are online. This is also compounded by people who are attracted to summers off instead of the profession of educator, shaper of little minds.
Teachers when I grew up dressed, spoke and lived the part of educator. Not today...
Teachers when I grew up dressed, spoke and lived the part of educator. Not today...
This country gets the teaching profession that it deserves. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with 95% of those that are currently in teaching. However if you really want a "better" teaching profession, you need to be willing to compensate them accordingly and give them more control over their decision-making.
"If all or our teachers were excellent we would not be faced with failing schools!"
That was the comment from a friend of mine who was talking about the problem with schools and education today.
I tried to tell him that it was not really the teachers fault but the fault of unmotivated students, poverty, ignorance, teachers unions, a sick youth society, and government policies that says anyone who is interested in learning is a nerd, and a thousand other reasons. He would not buy it.
He went on to say: "If the teachers were any good they could get the students to listen to them and every student would excel. And if the teacher does not get results, fire them and bring in someone who can do the job."
Do you think my friend is right? Most of the fault is the teachers?
My opinion? Its not the teachers' fault. I know there are horrible teachers out there (I've had one - lol), but teachers have been teaching the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic since time immemorial.... so in other words, why is that kids could learn for decades and decades in generations past, but now suddenly they cannot learn? Its the family structure. I hate to say it, because it puts an awful lot of pressure on women to either not have children if they cannot be a supportive (mentally, emotionally, educationally) presence to their children OR it would guilt them into being stay at home moms (if they can afford to be) or work part time instead of full time.
Parenting is a full time job... which I had heard, but had no real idea about until I had my child. When you have parents (whether single or 2 parent households) working two full time jobs it doesn't give them much time or energy to put into their children's development. And no... DayCare is not the same thing. Kids need oversight! Bigtime. They also need constant guidance. They need to know Mom and/or Dad is going to be home when they come home so they cannot goof off and so Mom and/or Dad can help them with their homework. They also need parents that are mentally tuned into them. Many people now work jobs that require 2-3 people... by the time they get home they are exhausted and barely have time to do anything with their kids, let alone help them with homework. All many folks have the energy to do now is either go get fast food or a quick boxed meal to make for dinner then plop down on the sofa to watch tv. Kids have been effectively left to raise themselves except for the basics like a roof over their heads, food (usually it isn't healthy, freshly prepared food, though), clothes and transportation. To teach a child something you have to interact with them for a meaningful amount of time. Who has time to do that anymore?
We cannot expect teachers to become miracle workers to pick up the slack of a changing culture of overworked, tired, drugged up (prescription), emotionally absent parents who don't have the time or money to raise their children. Policies must change. Now... that's gonna take forever because we live in such a politically divided nation! We can't agree on what would make children's lives better in this country.
What would make children's lives better?
Unfettered access to free birth control (all forms) so people can stop having children they cannot or refuse to care for properly, living wage pay for all adults in this country whether they work in a fast food joint or as a maid to clean a hotel room (people must be able to afford places to live for themselves and their children with as little government help as possible), updated public school facilities and equipment, access to solid and informative health care (including child rearing classes and mental health access), access to healthy AND affordable food choices in public schools and in rural and urban communities (there was a study of a juvenile detention facility a few years ago that tracked children's behavior and learning skills to how processed their diets were with freshly prepared foods giving them the highest/best results) and finally a more informative - more public - more direct national campaign on how to raise physically, mentally and emotionally healthy kids who will then turn into more educated adults.
Can teachers help with these initiatives? Sure... some of it... But the responsibility rests with parents and if parents need the above help to be pushed into making better choices for their offspring, then so be it. Teachers can only do so much.
Teachers are constantly fighting three battles. One with the student, another with their parents and lastly their own administration.
If one of those entities actually work with the teacher the result is a good education. That was my experience during a short 4 year stint.
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The most important things parents can teach their kids is that an education is valuable and that it is their job to learn. If parents do that, the sky is the limit. 
