So theres been a ton of debate regarding the “new” way of schooling kids.
Some examples:
-Many schools have chosen to oust the red pen!! Red writing, they said, was “stressful.” Many teachers have been advised to grade with colors featuring more “pleasant-feeling tones” so that their instructional messages do not come across as derogatory or demeaning.
-A lot of schools now offer every child a trophy just for playing in a sports game. They don’t single out the winners…it might hurt the other kids feelings….
-Some schools have taken away the F because it can traumatize a child..
There’s an endless list of ridiculous things I could add….
I am horrified to see how these “new” kids will function in the real world…..
Will they cry when not chosen for a job? Or stand bewildered when they are fired for doing nothing? The real world is not easy. If you get used to failure from a young age it makes you resilient and able to handle the REAL struggles life will bring you later.
I choose to raise my kids the same way I was raised. When I was little my dad’s infamous catchphrase was “Second place is the first loser”. I LOOOVE that quote!! It’s so true! haha. We used to play games to the death. Monopoly games were finished….”You never give up until it’s done.” We would sit up for days on end to find out who conquered the world in Risk. Why would you play something if there is no winner? It defeats the purpose! Competition is healthy and it will be something you must learn to deal with in every aspect of your life whether you like it or not, whether it offends you or not!
I would never had been a good student in this new way of teaching. I would have been the kid to just show up. Why work if there’s no chance of failure? I was a kid, like most, who got pride out of finishing my work and getting good grades. The red marks only made me work harder and be more proud of myself when I accomplished a test without them. You learn what your good at by process of elimination. “Wow, I suck at that, on to the next thing.”
I’ve read that parents don’t want their children to feel like loser’s. But what if he is the loser? He then will be motivated to work his butt off so it doesn’t happen again! If he walks home with a trophy he will be content in his averageness and not strive for anything. And the kids who have worked their butts off SHOULD be rewarded…or why work at all.
Just my thoughts:) Maybe I’m missing a point…. Let me know what you think….