It tends to shock me the way kids react when I say, “You poor child.” I am reflecting on their general lack of common sense or preparation. I am not making a statement about their financial situation and yet invariably that is the way they take it. Part of this is simply immaturity. Children tend to think in concrete terms. They are not capable of abstract thinking or associations. Educators tend to forget this. Part of the push for the coming Common Core Curriculum is based on ignoring this reality. They want to push Collaboration, Creative Thinking, and......... but they forget the simple lessons we all learned in Psychology of Education 101. Piaget showed that your cognitive ability must reach a certain development before you can think certain ways. At middle school very few children are ready for this. The sad truth is that many will never be ready.
The second reason is that the students have a very limited vocabulary. This can be related to many causes: TV, texting, parents, rap music and such. The only one I have any control over as a teacher is the education part. In education we keep talking about rigor and high standards and then order the text books dumbed down. We complain about low test scores and the answer is to change the test. We say they can achieve their dreams and lower the bar. I will do what I can in my room to fight that trend but it is a losing battle and the dinosaurs are on their way out. We will be replaced by the warm fuzzy mammals.
homo unius libri
Sad, but true.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, two generations of school brain-washing accomplished its goal - the election of a monster as president.
ReplyDeleteAnd even more frightening is that the brainwashing continues.
DeleteGrace and peace.