Comments on: Failure is not an option? http://www.invertedmind.com/2008/09/failure-is-not-an-option/ Junkfood for Thought. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:11:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: K.B. http://www.invertedmind.com/2008/09/failure-is-not-an-option/comment-page-1/#comment-382 K.B. Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:03:34 +0000 http://www.invertedmind.com/?p=162#comment-382 All I can say Mike is AMEN. If there were more people in this world with the same school of thought(no pun intended) we'd get a lot more done for this country. The curriculum in our school districts is ridiculous, they've dumbed down every subject to accommodate those who can't bother beyond the classroom(if they can even bother in the classroom at all). We give trophies, awards, and pats on the back so the we can make everyone "feel good". They don't even keep score in little league because we don't want anyone to feel bad and "take the fun out of the game". When I grew up and you failed a class, you lost privileges, when you lost the game, your coach yelled at you. I'm not seeing a therapist for my failures in college and I don't have violent panic attacks when I walk by a soccer field. We lived, we learned(again with the puns) and we moved on. When did all these parents give up all responsibility and when did these kids become such wussies? All I can say Mike is AMEN. If there were more people in this world with the same school of thought(no pun intended) we’d get a lot more done for this country. The curriculum in our school districts is ridiculous, they’ve dumbed down every subject to accommodate those who can’t bother beyond the classroom(if they can even bother in the classroom at all). We give trophies, awards, and pats on the back so the we can make everyone “feel good”. They don’t even keep score in little league because we don’t want anyone to feel bad and “take the fun out of the game”. When I grew up and you failed a class, you lost privileges, when you lost the game, your coach yelled at you. I’m not seeing a therapist for my failures in college and I don’t have violent panic attacks when I walk by a soccer field. We lived, we learned(again with the puns) and we moved on. When did all these parents give up all responsibility and when did these kids become such wussies?

]]> By: Mike http://www.invertedmind.com/2008/09/failure-is-not-an-option/comment-page-1/#comment-381 Mike Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:02:42 +0000 http://www.invertedmind.com/?p=162#comment-381 This is just another example of a breakdown in governing, unfortunately. The general concept of the No Child Left Behind Act is a noble one, but the practice has been flawed from the start. Sadly, there are just some kids who will be unreachable. In discussion with another teacher Monday night, the simple idea came up of removing the failing kids from the curriculum and placing them in an alternative curriculum more suited for their current level of learning. Not so much remedial learning, which is considered insulting by the kids who just don't understand rather than simply not wanting to, but more of a "targeted learning" environment where each kid spends more time under directed instruction. It's expensive, I know. But there are 500 government programs that can be either scaled back or eliminated entirely without hurting society one little bit. And that's what should be done to improve education in this country. A child who is failing honestly should not be either left behind or "pushed through regardless" simply because of money. We're mortgaging our nation's own future to the lowest bidder if we continue to attempt to build a workforce out of poorly educated students. I commend our educators across the board and have more respect for their job than any other job except the military. I don't blame educators, I blame the state and federal governments for paying more attention to pet projects than to the education of future generations. This is just another example of a breakdown in governing, unfortunately. The general concept of the No Child Left Behind Act is a noble one, but the practice has been flawed from the start. Sadly, there are just some kids who will be unreachable. In discussion with another teacher Monday night, the simple idea came up of removing the failing kids from the curriculum and placing them in an alternative curriculum more suited for their current level of learning. Not so much remedial learning, which is considered insulting by the kids who just don’t understand rather than simply not wanting to, but more of a “targeted learning” environment where each kid spends more time under directed instruction.

It’s expensive, I know. But there are 500 government programs that can be either scaled back or eliminated entirely without hurting society one little bit. And that’s what should be done to improve education in this country. A child who is failing honestly should not be either left behind or “pushed through regardless” simply because of money. We’re mortgaging our nation’s own future to the lowest bidder if we continue to attempt to build a workforce out of poorly educated students. I commend our educators across the board and have more respect for their job than any other job except the military. I don’t blame educators, I blame the state and federal governments for paying more attention to pet projects than to the education of future generations.

]]> By: twotimes http://www.invertedmind.com/2008/09/failure-is-not-an-option/comment-page-1/#comment-380 twotimes Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:47:40 +0000 http://www.invertedmind.com/?p=162#comment-380 That is 12% not 125 That is 12% not 125

]]> By: twotimes http://www.invertedmind.com/2008/09/failure-is-not-an-option/comment-page-1/#comment-379 twotimes Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:45:20 +0000 http://www.invertedmind.com/?p=162#comment-379 Unfortunately the number of kids who fail means how much money we get from our government. these kids can't do their times tables, fractions, percents, or long division and they are in high school. We pass them through to college who spits them back out (for failing the class with a 125)and it the rich peoples fault. Education is not as good as it once was. the famous saying "if it aint broke then don't try to fix it" ring so loud in our schools today. Unfortunately the number of kids who fail means how much money we get from our government. these kids can’t do their times tables, fractions, percents, or long division and they are in high school. We pass them through to college who spits them back out (for failing the class with a 125)and it the rich peoples fault. Education is not as good as it once was. the famous saying “if it aint broke then don’t try to fix it” ring so loud in our schools today.

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