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> he bad students; the ones that are taking bathroom breaks during class every day because they don't feel like being in class. This is an abhorrent and inappr
by jMyles 7y ago
> he bad students; the ones that are taking bathroom breaks during class every day because they don't feel like being in class.
This is an abhorrent and inappropriate judgment.
I have dealt with a lot of the people you are describing and, in many cases, found the smart, motivated, wonderful, curious, kickass students inside them.
Many, many people do not want, at 10 or 11 years of age, sit through a class full of stupid, boring, authoritarian bullshit when they can be doing something (that they perceive to be) useful, like playing minecraft or soccer or learning how to play the drums.
There is nothing "bad" about this. The "bad" is the way these people are treated.
And to be clear: by your judgment, I was a bad student. Many of us here on HN were or are, I'm sure, bad students.
My success is due in no small part to people in my life who stood up to the people casting the exact judgment you are casting here.
> I see these types of arguments a lot.
If that's true, I don't understand why you haven't learned to respond to them in an appropriate, adult manner. I realize that my tone sounds combative, but I am taking this tone because I want anyone reading this thread who might feel judged by your words to know that this is not a reasonable way to approach this subject and is not welcome in actual serious discussions of education reform.
- RHSeeger 7y ago> my tone sounds combative That's because your tone is combative. Certain things are expected of students, and some children are not willing or able to do those things. That makes them a bad student; the same way that someone that won't run would make a bad soccer player. It doesn't make them a bad person. It doesn't mean they can't become a good student by changing their behavior. But they _are_ a bad student. You can argue that what is expected of a student should change, and you appear to be doing that in a roundabout way (by calling the current curriculum "stupid, boring, authoritarian bullshit "). But that doesn't change the fact that individuals who will/can not participate as expected with the current expectations are, by definition, bad students.