Calvin

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 10/16/2019 at 09:09 • Filed to: None

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Once again, Watterson hits the nail squarely on the head.

nerd_racing > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 09:48

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This sums up most of my elementary education struggles.  

ttyymmnn > nerd_racing 10/16/2019 at 09:51

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And middle school, and high school.....

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 10:01

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Should be framed on every teacher’s desk.

Everything about school can’t be fun, but some of it definitely can be, and it’s different for every kid.

jimz > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 10:18

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since my time in grade school, we’ve gone from “the dinosaurs went extinct” to “birds are descended from dinosaurs.”

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 10:24

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We had about 20-25 kids in my AP English class in high school, where there is a lot of required reading. Kids in the AP class are clearly capable of reading just about anything, but not everyone is going to enjoy Moby Dick, for example (maybe a bad example, does anyone actually enjoy that book?).

My teacher, who was exceptional, actually had personalized recommendations for each of us based on our current interests and growing our tastes to include more literary works, approved by the AP English Society (or whoever is in charge of what books are “acceptable” as literature).

The difference that made is immeasurable. I was leagues ahead of my engineering peers when it came to literature and creative writing, but more importantly she taught me to actually enjoy reading and writing.

Looking back on it now, I had a string of excellent English and math teachers, all in public school. I’m very fortunate for that. I wish I could go back and give them less shit than I did at the time...

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > jimz 10/16/2019 at 10:42

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wafflesnfalafel > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 10:45

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C ome on, diagramming sentences all day is great fun.

ttyymmnn > wafflesnfalafel 10/16/2019 at 11:06

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I distinctly remember being taught that, though I had no idea what I was doing. Not surprisingly, they don’t do that any more. Hell, they don’t even correct kids’ spelling and grammar any more.

ttyymmnn > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M 10/16/2019 at 11:12

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I actually enjoyed Moby Dick , but I’m also a fan of that era of writing. Sadly, I left the book on a plane and never finished it. Did Ahab ever catch that damned whale?

Yes, what you are asked to read can make a huge difference on whether you read or not. My middle schoolers simply refuse to read, at least outside of school. I think they are required to read in language arts class, but I don’t know how they choose their books. Since they won’t read at home, I am reading to them. Right now we are in the middle of Lord of the Rings . Not exactly a great read aloud book, but at least they are being exposed to the literature and not the so-so movies, and they are hearing some gorgeous prose and being exposed to words they don’t know. We also read The Hobbit , and the fantastic teen lit series by Lloyd Alexander, The Chronicles of Prydain . Not sure what we are going to read next.

In HS, I remember being made to read Great Expectations. What a slog. If you want kids to read Dickens, have them read A Christmas Carol or, better yet, A Tale of Two Cities . Both are great reads, and great intros to Dickens. I remember having to read Slaughterhouse- Five in HS. I failed the class, but I devoured the book, and became a lifelong Vonnegut fan. So yes, even a small amount of thought about what kids read can have a lasting impact.

ttyymmnn > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/16/2019 at 11:15

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I remember when my kids were learning the phases of the moon. They said it was stupid and boring. I told them that not everything in school will be fascinating, and that one job of the school is to introduce kids to things they might not otherwise be interested in because some other kid might be interested. You might study the phases of the moon and discover a love for astronomy and become an astrophysicist. But you won’t if you are never exposed to it.

Two years later, one of my boys looked at the Moon and said, “Waxing gibbous.” Despite his disdain for the topic, he remembered. 

CobraJoe > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 11:20

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I’m currently reading a book very similar to that premise: That you don’t need to be successful in the standardized schooling to live a fulfilling life. It’s even making the point that personalized schooling is more effective and a highly likely future for education.

https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Horse-Achieving-Success-Fulfillment/dp/0062683632

It’s a pretty interesting read, though it does have me questioning what I want to do with my life.

facw > jimz 10/16/2019 at 11:27

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But if xkcd isn’t authoritative enough for you, birds are in Therapoda , which is a dinosaur suborder.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 11:28

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Yup. My daughter did moon phases just this past week.

She has a tougher time with her homework than her older brother does, but she wants to do well and is dedicated to the task. The biggest struggle is just finding enough hours in the days to get everything done with all her other activities.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 11:36

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We were forced to read Moby Dick over the summer and were tested on it during the first week of school. I failed the test, despite actually reading the damn book. Perhaps I’m biased in my hatred of it ?

Great Expectations actually made me cry; from the story, not because I was forced to read it.

I love Vonnegut too and I think there are tons of HS aged kids who “hate reading” that would enjoy his writing.

nerd_racing > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 11:38

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Unfortunately, I shaped up in time for later middle school and high school.  Had to earn a scholarship if I wanted to go to college.  

ttyymmnn > CobraJoe 10/16/2019 at 11:51

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it does have me questioning what I want to do with my life.

A little reevaluation from time to time is never a bad thing.

Derpwagon > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 11:51

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“Hell, they don’t even correct kids’ spelling and grammar any more.”

Don’t even get me started on that.   

jimz > facw 10/16/2019 at 11:52

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did I somehow give you the impression I thought it was wrong? I’m not that stupid.

ttyymmnn > Derpwagon 10/16/2019 at 11:55

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“We don’t want to stifle their creativity.”

No. Just, no. 

facw > jimz 10/16/2019 at 12:01

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You said “birds are descended from dinosaurs”. I’m saying it’s more accurate to say “birds are dinosaurs” (I guess it’s technically true, though a tautology to say “dinosaurs are descended from dinosaurs”)

Derpwagon > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 12:24

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*twitch*

user314 > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M 10/16/2019 at 12:44

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but not everyone is going to enjoy Moby Dick, for example (maybe a bad example, does anyone actually enjoy that book?)

No.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M 10/16/2019 at 12:57

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You should try to look them up and just send them a short email saying how much you appreciate what they did for you.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > VincentMalamute-Kim 10/16/2019 at 13:19

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We actually had dinner with her and a few of my classmates about 5 years after HS. It’s been another 10 years since then, though.

You’re right, I should look up some of my other teachers too.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M 10/16/2019 at 13:26

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I should take my own advice but I’m worried my one favorite teacher will show up as died if I googled her.

MrSnrub > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 13:29

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I mostly didn’t have this problem in school , but one thing I hated was annotating the books we were reading and writing  journal entries on the “symbolism” . It turned an otherwise enjoyable activity in to a real slog.

ttyymmnn > MrSnrub 10/16/2019 at 13:34

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Agreed, but since I learned that, it has made reading more enjoyable as an adult. Also listening to well-written song lyrics. I never understood The Wall until I had a good English lit class.

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 17:18

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School managed to make even learning about the things I like into a chore.

NojustNo > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 18:49

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So that’s how we get bastardized words used i n conversation l ike “tryna” and people use loose instead of lose all the time. Ugh.

I’ve got a friend that is terrible with spelling / grammar even on her resume and won’t let me correct it. I don’t get it. She’s s mart and capable in her field but doesn’t understand that a poorly written resume surely loses her some interviews.