Moog, while I understand where you're coming from and I can't deny some truth in it, I do none the less have a serious problem with where you seem to be headed with those comments.
Yes, there are disruptive children. Yes there are bad parents. Yes, the kids can't concentrate because it's hot, cold or for other reasons.
I just can't help but think that with 12 years of having these children for 4 to 5 hours a day, nobody was able to teach them how to read or do simple math. Still, this happens.
Children just aren't learning. Way too many of them are not learning.
I hardly every took homework home with me from school as a child. My parentds didn't check up on me every evening. If there was a problem at school, they were contacted. Other than that, I did far less than the kids today are asked to do.
What gives?
Yes, there are disruptive children. Yes there are bad parents. Yes, the kids can't concentrate because it's hot, cold or for other reasons.
I just can't help but think that with 12 years of having these children for 4 to 5 hours a day, nobody was able to teach them how to read or do simple math. Still, this happens. Children just aren't learning. Way too many of them are not learning. I hardly every took homework home with me from school as a child. My parentds didn't check up on me every evening. If there was a problem at school, they were contacted. Other than that, I did far less than the kids today are asked to do.
What gives?
I could write a book on a reply, but I'll try to keep it short. My parents expected us to have our butt in class and to learn somethign regardless of who our teacher was. Homework came before TV or playing with friends. We were expected of course, to still do church-related things which were MORE important.
To make it short, circumstances, attitudes and perceptions, priorities, and so on and so on have changed. A climate of disrespect towards others is encouraged, people focus on the negative (as it looks like I'm doing here:), we blame others for our ills rather than being responsible for things, people place less importance on things that we used to think were more important, we are more prone to pout and scream if we don't get our way, some of us want our way no matter who gets in our way, we complain more about more petty things than we used to, we're more spoiled, and so on and so on. There are so many factors out there. I'm certainly not trying to blame any one thing. I'm saying that there are multiple things to consider (many, many, many more than I can ever list here)rather than putting all the eggs in one basket. I see many examples of wonderful things that happen that will never be told about. It is swept under the rug to make way for the more newsworthy negativity. My parents too, did not often help out at the school. If they were contacted, they dealt with the problem and things went on. But education was of parmount importance and they had high expectations. The important thing to my mom wasn't us going to Harvard, though, it's that we all turned out to be "good kids" and productive adults (oops forgot to mention being active participants in our religious faith). We all have. Honoring this is important to all 8 of us.
It's obvious you have good parents and more obvious you are one. I am SO thankful that my students have wonderful parents who work with them the 87% of the time they have their children. Actually, some of these parents become cherished friends and every year I see miracles happen (not due to me). One of these years I think I'll write a book:).