Posted on Jun 9, 2018
Does Anyone Else See A Trend Of Marginalizing Success In School?
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I have seen, in Canada, Administrators fire a teacher for giving Zeros or 'F' to High School Students (that policy was reversed but that teacher did not get his job back). I read that some schools do not give out trophies for the success of, let's say, the top 3 students, and give everybody trophies. Now, I read that in North Carolina they are ditching the Latin system of honoring the top student or top 5% of students.
I was wondering if this is just an isolated situation or is this the new normal? I was not the fastest cross-country runner in High School. I earned Most-Improved in Cross Country my junior year. I earned Most-improved in Cross Country at my Community College 3 years later. I was inspired. I sometimes attained a 3rd place in a running event. I was inspired. When I was the slowest runner in my 8th-grade track team running dead last EVERY SINGLE TIME in the 660-yard run, I earned or was given the 'most inspirational' award. I felt embarrassed but I did not get traumatized, start smoking or got hooked on drugs nor did I drop out of school or get permanently traumatized like some would think to get an award like that. I got inspired to do better and 2 years later I was running 3 miles in under 16 1/2 minutes. I am so upset about the trend to get away from awards. I have a personal stake in this. What do you think, Rallypoint?
https://www.wral.com/dad-buys-digital-billboard-space-to-honor-valedictorian-son/17606805/
Here is a story of a proud Father whose Son was Valedictorian in his High School yet the School is abandoning the practice of honoring the best students. Is this social justice thought process rewarding mediocrity? I was never a Valedictorian but I was proud to be on the Honor roll. What harm is there to honor the best? Why does it all have to be equal? Equal means Mediocre? Is this Socialism?
PFC (Join to see) Maj Marty Hogan COL (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Steve Mannell Sgt Steven Thomas Cynthia Croft SPC Margaret Higgins SFC (Join to see) @
SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @
I was wondering if this is just an isolated situation or is this the new normal? I was not the fastest cross-country runner in High School. I earned Most-Improved in Cross Country my junior year. I earned Most-improved in Cross Country at my Community College 3 years later. I was inspired. I sometimes attained a 3rd place in a running event. I was inspired. When I was the slowest runner in my 8th-grade track team running dead last EVERY SINGLE TIME in the 660-yard run, I earned or was given the 'most inspirational' award. I felt embarrassed but I did not get traumatized, start smoking or got hooked on drugs nor did I drop out of school or get permanently traumatized like some would think to get an award like that. I got inspired to do better and 2 years later I was running 3 miles in under 16 1/2 minutes. I am so upset about the trend to get away from awards. I have a personal stake in this. What do you think, Rallypoint?
https://www.wral.com/dad-buys-digital-billboard-space-to-honor-valedictorian-son/17606805/
Here is a story of a proud Father whose Son was Valedictorian in his High School yet the School is abandoning the practice of honoring the best students. Is this social justice thought process rewarding mediocrity? I was never a Valedictorian but I was proud to be on the Honor roll. What harm is there to honor the best? Why does it all have to be equal? Equal means Mediocre? Is this Socialism?
PFC (Join to see) Maj Marty Hogan COL (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Steve Mannell Sgt Steven Thomas Cynthia Croft SPC Margaret Higgins SFC (Join to see) @
SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @
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I have preached about choices and consequences forever, my son said I should write a book on it... I believe that we as human beings make choices and should be held accountable for those choices. One can choose to study in school or not, but there are consequences, if one studies they are or should be rewarded with better grades, if they don't the consequence is or should be reflected with a lower score. From my observations, too many people today have not been held accountable for their choices. IMO, this starts at home at an early age.
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LTC (Join to see)
Sir, I am from the old School. I Graduated from HS in 1980. I was not traumatized if I didn't get a trophy for just breathing and being in class like they seem to give out today. I wish I understood how this new thinking (I don't know if you can call it Liberalism, uniformism or Socialism?) began to be the standard in Schools in Canada and even in the USA.
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While I can neither confirm nor deny that my supervising principals have had me change grades so that everyone has at least a 50, I will say that I go out of my way to only give A=mastery of the content and it’s related concepts, B=understanding of the content and concepts, C=knowledge of the content but no understanding of concepts therein, D=familiarity with the content, F=failure to even have basic knowledge of content. The students with the highest grades in each class, I go to find some tangible reward to give them, in front of their peers.
And yes, I fight the indoctrination as best I can.
And yes, I fight the indoctrination as best I can.
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LTC (Join to see)
What or when was the Genus or beginning of this indoctrination? I live in Canada and this happened to a teacher who did a good job.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-no-zero-teacher-relieved-appeal-court-upholds-his-compensation-package-1.3404500
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-no-zero-teacher-relieved-appeal-court-upholds-his-compensation-package-1.3404500
Edmonton teacher relieved appeal court upholds his compensation package | CBC News
An Edmonton school teacher fired for giving students zeros says he's relieved a court once again ruled in his favour.
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LCDR (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) - sir,
I’m not completly sure where it started. I think it was more “take advantage of a situation” than create it. In the 80s, South Carolina passed the Education Improvement Act, which among other things, called for standardized testing.
While I’m not a fan of standardized testing, being that I don’t like MY grades to be determined on one day by students who may or may not like me, I also have other problems with it.
Like, who determines what’s to be tested? And therefore, what is taught. Why waste your time teaching what isn’t going to be tested? And who determines what’s on the test? That’s right, the State.
Does it matter that the first Great Awakening revival had a profound and deep impact on the generations that declared our national independence? Or that no one in three subsequent 8th grade classes don’t know who Benedict Arnold is? Apparantly not-that’s not tested, so it’s not taught (I do, and risk my evaluations in doing so).
Course, the State says a Democratic Republic is what the US is, and that a Democratic Republic is “representative democracy”. Never mind that it’s not, that a democracy is rule by majority, while a Republic is rule by law (which the US is, you don’t get your way because you’re a majority, you get your way because the law says so).
Slaves of all colors, Irish,Scottish, African, Cherokee, Choctaw.....and slave owners of all colors, most of whom worked with the slaves and treated them humanely.....historically true, but the State won’t tell your kids that.
State says Democrats and Republicans switched in the 60s....except majority of Republicans voted for the Civil rights Act of 64, and Storm Thurmond was the only one who switched, hardly a whole party.
Most teachers are trained educators, how to teach, how to access if the teaching is effective. They’re more often than not NOT historians, scientists, etc. So they don’t often know what they’re being tested on...and therefore what they teach, isn’t necessarily correct.
I tell my students at the beginning of the year that history is not black and white. It’s the story of people, and there’s only one person, I believe, who was ever 100% good. People though, are good and bad, capable of both; to have blanket statements of “all ______ people are.......” is to create a caricature that is inaccurate historically.
As for math, science, and English, I can’t say what they teach. And I can’t say outside of my state. But go to your state department of education’s website, find the standards, and look for supporting documents, if there are any.
Now, that’s a soapbox. I stay within the limits of what I’m required to teach, while trying to avoid any indoctrination and teach critical thinking. Disclaimer is my personal beliefs don’t affect my teaching, while recognizing that it is never possible to totally eliminate one’s beliefs.
Kinda weird, to work for the State in both military and education, and yet never trust it.
Parents, on the other hand, have a great deal to play in teaching this generation narcissism or selflessness.
I’m not completly sure where it started. I think it was more “take advantage of a situation” than create it. In the 80s, South Carolina passed the Education Improvement Act, which among other things, called for standardized testing.
While I’m not a fan of standardized testing, being that I don’t like MY grades to be determined on one day by students who may or may not like me, I also have other problems with it.
Like, who determines what’s to be tested? And therefore, what is taught. Why waste your time teaching what isn’t going to be tested? And who determines what’s on the test? That’s right, the State.
Does it matter that the first Great Awakening revival had a profound and deep impact on the generations that declared our national independence? Or that no one in three subsequent 8th grade classes don’t know who Benedict Arnold is? Apparantly not-that’s not tested, so it’s not taught (I do, and risk my evaluations in doing so).
Course, the State says a Democratic Republic is what the US is, and that a Democratic Republic is “representative democracy”. Never mind that it’s not, that a democracy is rule by majority, while a Republic is rule by law (which the US is, you don’t get your way because you’re a majority, you get your way because the law says so).
Slaves of all colors, Irish,Scottish, African, Cherokee, Choctaw.....and slave owners of all colors, most of whom worked with the slaves and treated them humanely.....historically true, but the State won’t tell your kids that.
State says Democrats and Republicans switched in the 60s....except majority of Republicans voted for the Civil rights Act of 64, and Storm Thurmond was the only one who switched, hardly a whole party.
Most teachers are trained educators, how to teach, how to access if the teaching is effective. They’re more often than not NOT historians, scientists, etc. So they don’t often know what they’re being tested on...and therefore what they teach, isn’t necessarily correct.
I tell my students at the beginning of the year that history is not black and white. It’s the story of people, and there’s only one person, I believe, who was ever 100% good. People though, are good and bad, capable of both; to have blanket statements of “all ______ people are.......” is to create a caricature that is inaccurate historically.
As for math, science, and English, I can’t say what they teach. And I can’t say outside of my state. But go to your state department of education’s website, find the standards, and look for supporting documents, if there are any.
Now, that’s a soapbox. I stay within the limits of what I’m required to teach, while trying to avoid any indoctrination and teach critical thinking. Disclaimer is my personal beliefs don’t affect my teaching, while recognizing that it is never possible to totally eliminate one’s beliefs.
Kinda weird, to work for the State in both military and education, and yet never trust it.
Parents, on the other hand, have a great deal to play in teaching this generation narcissism or selflessness.
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I am a firm believer in sports as you strive to win and accept a humble defeat. You try your hardest and sweat profusely in the endeavor of being the best you can be.
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LTC (Join to see)
Try to tell out to a progressive educator. You can't even convince them to carry weapons in class and they hope that they can just put a flower down the active Shooters shotgun barrel and he'll stop.
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LCDR (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) - thank you for the “progressive educator” part. Too many lump folks like me in with their lot by simply saying “educators”. It does mean a great deal sir!
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