Forums → WEPR → High exprectations in school

Its a phrase my daddy's used. I complained to him I had a life, I didnt' want more upper-level classes. He looked at me and said all you have in a group of friends. He said I'll have a life when I have a good career set, education, friends I can get closer to instead of just seeing them everyday. It put a bit of an impact on my life. You hear those people say "But Miss, I have a life".. What life? Talking Gossip and getting new shoes? Or playing sports and saving up for the next videogame system?. After all, those were made for freetime. Even though companys have realized the potential of these things and have made them amazing. Its the choice of the kid. Would he rather have a school life that ends in highschool, and the rest of his life being a miserable drag that he put on. I hear kids being rude to kids that are poorer, because of immigrated parents or parents that didn't have a chance. It saddens me that those same people that are so rude to those kids will probably end up as the ones needing money, and thankfully some of those kids will accel in life.

I dont' think America is getting lazy, I think its getting influenced by laziness right now, and I think as that influence grows, the lazier we get. And soon, I fear, we may become lazy. >.<

Actually, if my music career takes off before too long, I might get away with not going to college. MIGHT. But that's a pretty big might, considering I've only gotten a handful of really positive reviews. Still, I've slacked off in high school. A lot. It's not like I'm stupid - the counselors and teachers are always talking about how I'm one of the smartest kids they've met - but I just don't see the point in school work, since it doesn't benefit anybody but me, and only then because my grades require it. I learn little to nothing from doing homework. I learn from lectures. That's the way I learn. Hence why during pre-cal I did about 40/100 homework assignments throughout the year and STILL scraped a B. I'm really good at taking tests, and I can work if there's no distraction. But when I'm distracted, when I'm at home and there's other things occupying my time, I just don't see the point of doing homework.

WOW. o.o. Were alot alike. xP

Still, thats because teachers know kids don't like homework, they dont make it big.

But megamickel, lets say you has tah go to college? Then what. The B's you've scraped are significant. But they won't beat that dude just as smart as you who took the small time to do the homework.

I dunno, It seems that even though its pointless, without it your not getting far. So, why not do it? Its the way I think, even though I hate it. I also try to get as much of it as I can in school.

to be honest, I don't learn much from homework. My dad said, that what you get is review. So you don't forget. I really don't believe that.

I hate when that happens but the stupid school districts makes it tougher on older kids which sucks

"We don't need no education!"

This is symptomatic of a greater social issue: there are so many people and so much knowledge it is now unfathomable by any one person or even group or people. Additionally, now that we're increasingly bereft of so-called "unifying anchors", turning en masse to idolatry of the idiot box and the mystical world of Hollywood celebrities...we tend to drift around not knowing what to do with outselves. Show me a person who knows exactly what they want to do with their life and I'll show you a Lincoln penny.

Armed_Blade, a word of warning: living life as if preparing for the life to come may leave you without any life at all. What you're living now is life, all of it, pointless and unreal as it might seem.

Look high school sucks all of us can agree ! the state thinks that they are doing us a favor when they over work us I don't like the state beacuse of that.

Yeah yeah, I know, I divided the response because I'm talking about different things :P

Throughout this thread are some common themes: competition and, as I mentioned above, our inability to grasp everything available to us now. As for competition though, this is a huge issue in the education system. By definition, the public education system has to cater to everybody- in practice this means that it caters to the median, meaning that it's not well suited to those on either ends of the middle (as Phill's response demonstrates). Out of all this, the debate on what grades exactly mean and what they do still rages on. There's been a range of tactics used such as bribing kids to do homework, removing fail grades...all such measures fail in the long term.

The take home message really is that going through school should teach kids the skills by which they can sustain themselves, and more importantly a resilient mindset. Too often (and finally getting back to the original post), the combination of parents, teachers, peers etc. puts pressure on some people to become results-oriented, which in turn causes a drop in performance. We should be process-oriented, ready to set out and do things and learn no matter whether we succeed or fail.

And in the end...everybody is different, even intellectually speaking. Everybody has different aptitudes for different jobs- the problem here is that this is a much bigger deal than it should be.

Just wait until you get to college.

Megamickel, homework has a lot to do with creating study habits. If you do go to college, you are going to have a rude awakening.

How do I know? I was just like you except the B's were A's.

Also, I can find no evidence to support the claim of a 60% dropout rate for Maine.

Back to general high expectations in American schools.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that, on average, America has fallen far behind so far as worldwide grades and IQ levels. So the gov't is trying to step things up, regardless of the students' level of prowness.

I remember learning stuff in 7th grade that kids are learning now in 5th. Darn NY state does not help either. They really step up, for some reason or another.

High expectations? You're kidding, right?

The problem with public schools is that everyone gets held back by the lowest common denominator to one degree or another. Face it, we are not all created equally. As a result, the best and brightest amongst us are not challenged in the public school system.

@Dragon - I still bet I'm smarter, but I'm an egotist as well as overly intelligent. But I didn't do enough to get A's, what with homework being like 40% of the grade and me only doing about half of it... Still, I already know college is going to suck for me. AP CHEM IS KICKING MY ASS. Seriously, I've never had a hard class before but this one actually is hard. I have to do shit to pass and I'm not used to doing shit... First time I've been in danger of failing for the semester. I don't need the credit, but still...

ok i just got back, i was grounded for 2 days because my mom found out im failing math, but luckily everything else is Bs. Sorry for the typo in the name. But anyway as to what people said on the first page, just because we don't make the best grades it doesn't mean we are not trying.
And yes i know alot of IQs have gone down, mainly because yes alot of poeple arnt trying. And yes schools are behind, im being taught now stuff i was taught in elementary school, as far back as 2nd grade

Nowaways, Decadent, we are challenged, if I or anyone else am one of those brightest.

Its called upper level, Horizons, AP. Whatever, they'll go to college for you as long as you get the credit.

Also, Strop, what I meant by that was that you shouldn't waste your education [something millions wish for] on a life you'll have for 20 years. So, in practicallity, its just 20 years of fun and the rest are sorrow. I wouldn't call that a life. I say have fun with it, but don't let your education drop below something just as stupid as your last football game or family guy episodes. I'm sure there are others to come. :P

well like i said armed blade, im studying and doing things for school in alot of my free time