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When we take away the risk of failure, we take away the possibility of success.
I've spoken to too many of lat year's geometry students who are no longer taking trig because their teachers were worried they would fail.
Most of these kids were failing geometry in the beginning of the semester too. We persevered and more than half passed. They deserved the same opportunity in all the subjects they take.
We talk about no child left behind and improving academic standards but our fear of poor statistics is keeping us from moving kids ahead.
I've spoken to too many of lat year's geometry students who are no longer taking trig because their teachers were worried they would fail.
Most of these kids were failing geometry in the beginning of the semester too. We persevered and more than half passed. They deserved the same opportunity in all the subjects they take.
We talk about no child left behind and improving academic standards but our fear of poor statistics is keeping us from moving kids ahead.
(Picture above, my new best friend--the Margarita maker my sister-in-law did not want. It makes great mudslides, the perfect after school stress relief drink.)
3 comments:
OMFG!!!!! You can't EVEN imagine how jealous I am of your margarita machine!! I've been looking at it for years at Sam's and Walmart, but I can't let myself spend the $$. It has come WAY down in price since it first came out, so I'm hoping there may be an end-of-season clearance soon. ;-)
I am very taken with your first statement. It is a very wise and extraordinarily easy idea to understand:
"When we take away the risk of failure, we take away the possibility of success".
Many children are being left behind on a regular basis, not just the kids who didn't take trig. If class sizes were smaller to begin with, the weaknesses could be addressed and there wouldn't be as much need for "academic intervention". Great points in this post!!
Failing at something does not make you into a failure. Giving up does.
When kids are being counseled to avoid learning what might prove be difficult for them, rather than to try and overcome the difficulties, they are being failed by the system twice over. Once for the opportunity they miss, and once more for the philosophy of avoidance they are encouraged to adopt.
As for the statistics people today are so enamored of, they are sophistry pure and simple. I'm tempted to call some of the so called results conjuring. Anyone with a working brain knows that numbers, like words, can be twisted around by the unscrupulous, to support or contradict any philosophy.
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