Hey 5th graders, you better get your act together because when you get to middle school, this won't be acceptable.
Just because you can get away with this in middle school, don't you for one second think you can when you get to high school.
When you go to college, they are going to chew you up and spit you out if you think you can do things like that.
Wait until you get out into the 'real-world,' then you will see why we have procedures like this.
Hopefully as you read these they sounded as bad as it was for me to even type them.
Unfortunately, statements like the ones above are quite common in schools...
Simple question: can we all commit to not ruining a kid's time at one level because we have this ridiculous belief that if we don't they somehow won't succeed at the next level?
Do we honestly believe we are preparing kids for the 'next level' by making them abide with, comply, adhere to, conform to, and follow, rigid and strict practices that aren't based on sound or ethical learning, but rather on what we adults are comfortable with? (Rhetorical question...)
Must a kid experience something bad now just because they might experience something bad later... is that what preparing them for future success really means?
I guess I missed that class in college and I guess I don't fully understand what the word success means.
I thought that if we prepared kids to be critical thinkers, taught them to adapt and adjust, and encouraged them to respond appropriately based on the circumstances, that would be a good definition of preparing them to succeed no matter what terrible experience they would be going toward.
Here's the deal, let's stop telling ourselves that we are preparing kids for the next level and let's just focus actually on equipping our kids with the skills, the attitude to persevere, the flexibility, & the patience to cope with some of the crazy beliefs we adults so strongly believe...
Stepping off of my soap box now.
Just because you can get away with this in middle school, don't you for one second think you can when you get to high school.
When you go to college, they are going to chew you up and spit you out if you think you can do things like that.
Wait until you get out into the 'real-world,' then you will see why we have procedures like this.
Hopefully as you read these they sounded as bad as it was for me to even type them.
Unfortunately, statements like the ones above are quite common in schools...
Do we honestly believe we are preparing kids for the 'next level' by making them abide with, comply, adhere to, conform to, and follow, rigid and strict practices that aren't based on sound or ethical learning, but rather on what we adults are comfortable with? (Rhetorical question...)
Must a kid experience something bad now just because they might experience something bad later... is that what preparing them for future success really means?
I guess I missed that class in college and I guess I don't fully understand what the word success means.
I thought that if we prepared kids to be critical thinkers, taught them to adapt and adjust, and encouraged them to respond appropriately based on the circumstances, that would be a good definition of preparing them to succeed no matter what terrible experience they would be going toward.
Here's the deal, let's stop telling ourselves that we are preparing kids for the next level and let's just focus actually on equipping our kids with the skills, the attitude to persevere, the flexibility, & the patience to cope with some of the crazy beliefs we adults so strongly believe...
Stepping off of my soap box now.
