Comments for sursumcorda.salemsattic.com/post/more-lessons-from-the-one-thing-you-need-to-know

Comment #1972

2007-12-24T21:39:36Z

I was objecting to the term "most". I think I agree with everything that Stephan said. I never saw school as focusing on weaknesses. In fact, since I had so many privileges as being one of the top students, it was a great place to be encouraged.

I remember one time Mom said something about if I ever asked to stay home from school, she knew we should go to the doctor, because it had to serious, where at least one of my siblings would ask to stay home, and they may or may not be forced to go.

A day off might have been if there was something interesting to do, so I suppose you could say that it was "all I knew", though the summer months and winter vacations provided lots of opportunities for various things and for mom to revert to her famous lines such as, "Uh oh, you're not bored are you? I have just the perfect cleaning task for you."

I knew of some kids in middle school that tried to get out of school - but once the teachers figured out kids were getting out-of-school suspensions on purpose, they created in-school suspensions and then "Saturday school" in high school. Which I knew of the kids liked the Saturday school program, since it had some semi-forced disciplined time to do your homework - ie. you are going to sit in the library for four hours, so you might as well do some work. And, there was occasionally time for some basketball or something.

Off-topic, but I was just reminded of the time my name got on the Saturday school list, and a teacher was so astounded that she blurted it out in the middle of her class to all the students, so I got comments from everyone the rest of the week, until people figured out that there was some sort of typo or something.

I have heard parents not liking when there are days off, and worse, half-days, or delayed start, since it messes with the work and travel schedules. But, that was mostly (entirely?) from parents who both worked.

Thinking some more about the "focus on weaknesses", I suppose it could be that I don't really care about that, and I like criticism, and so wouldn't really have minded, for the most part at least. As long as the teacher is correct - being publicly told that I am wrong when they don't know what they are talking about is annoying.

Comment #1971

2007-12-21T20:00:09Z

Maybe I have selective memory, or maybe I really didn't experience times when my weaknesses were the main focus. Or maybe I'm also an adapter, adapting even before I realize that people are focusing on my weaknesses. Or maybe I'm oblivious to my weaknesses. I'm afraid my contribution to this discussion has run its course...

Comment #1970

2007-12-21T16:18:54Z

This is interesting. It's making me think of more things than I have time to post. :) One thing I'm wondering -- this is still a small sample size, but I'm wondering if maybe "kids don't like school" is a little like "parents rejoice when vacation is over and the kids are back in school" -- untrue of those who are usually less vocal about it. (Either because, as Stephan said, it's "uncool" to think that way, or for some other reason.) I read all the comics and hear all the jokes about how parents can't wait for school to start again, but know quite well how untrue it was in my case -- both for me as a parent and for my own parents.

But -- to try to make the point a different way -- think of any part of school (or life, for that matter) where your weaknesses were the main focus: were those happy times?

Comment #1969

2007-12-21T13:50:34Z

You realize, of course, that I don't mean children don't like learning! Learning is more important than just about anything to little children. But school is a different matter. If you had asked me, in elementary school, whether or not I liked school, I would have said yes. But that was because I didn't know anything else. That is, I'm pretty good at adapting to whatever I think is inevitable, and making the best of it, and going to school was as inevitable as brushing one's teeth. You just did it. It was where I saw my friends, and where I learned things and did things. But I do remember always preferring vacation time.

Comment #1968

2007-12-21T13:09:35Z

I took a small survey yesterday when the Kuhnses came over. Alissa said she wouldn't agree with either extreme - that most kids like or most kids don't like school. John leaned more towards the not liking side.

I appreciate Stephan's analogy.

Comment #1967

2007-12-21T05:33:45Z

I remember liking school, although there was, starting at perhaps grade four or five, peer pressure not to. It remained uncool to like school until perhaps high school. I don't think I realized at the time how much I enjoyed it, and certainly I didn't enjoy all classes equally, but getting a day off was, I think, usually fun and exciting because you could go and do whatever you liked, such as play for a prolonged time with friends or later in life go on a day trip. That made a day off unique, and thus special, but didn't make school any worse.

Say church was cancelled one Sunday. I think it'd be exciting: I could go away for the weekend! But if it was cancelled the next Sunday, too, I'd start missing it and getting irritated at it being cancelled.

Comment #1966

2007-12-21T05:05:56Z

Now I find that extraordinary, that you'd never heard of children disliking school, at least at the elementary level. As far as I know it's been nearly universal, in literature, for nearly ever. Everything from the poets (I think it was Longfellow who wrote something about the boy trudging miserably off to school, but I'll have to do some research on that one) to children's books (the Little House series comes to mind immediately, but there are plenty of others) to comics (think Calvin and Hobbes). Rejoicing over "snow days," shouting for joy at the liberty that vacation brings, groaning when vacation ends. Or read John Holt's experiences, as a teacher, of how afraid of school he found students to be. And a bit of immediate, personal, experience: S's Christmas break begins a day early tomorrow because school was cancelled district-wide due to a virus at one of the schools (physical, not computer) -- there may have been some groans from parents who have to worry about daycare, but I'm certain the reaction from students (and teachers) was nearly universal elation.

You must have gone to a very unusual school! But who knows? Maybe it's not as universal as I think. Anyone else have a comment?

Comment #1965

2007-12-20T20:46:58Z

Do you have any data for your statement, "most children dislike school"? I hadn't ever heard that statement before, and I suspect it is pretty much the opposite, at least if "children" is defined as up through elementary school years.

Comment #1964

2007-12-17T11:50:25Z

Argue away! Because I feel pretty strongly about this. ;) Not that we shouldn't, or can't, do things in many areas, but that concentrating most of our efforts on our weaknesses is cheating our strengths. Like, perhaps, making a student so paranoid of spelling mistakes that the world loses a gifted writer....

I also find this a strong argument for doing one's best to encourage and enable young children to become competent and knowledgeable in as many areas as possible while their brains (and enthusiasms) are still open, young, and malleable. The more they can do, the more they will want to do, and the more they will be able to do.

Comment #1963

2007-12-17T07:44:39Z

Very interesting. I'm not sure what I think. It makes sense, and yet I also can argue against it. Hmm . . .