In contrast, my mom had to write to the school Principal before my 3rd grade teacher would stop trying to bust a ruler across my left hand during 'cursive' lessons.

I believe too many of today's kids will be ill-prepared for the harsh light of reality after their school days are behind them.

Martin

what do we expect when "parents" expect teachers to be the parent of their children.

we live in a society that puts value on youth and beauty.
so mothers are to busy trying to look and dress like their daughters
and the fathers are too busy being "buddies" with the sons.

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In contrast, my mom had to write to the school Principal before my 3rd grade teacher would stop trying to bust a ruler across my left hand during 'cursive' lessons.

I believe too many of today's kids will be ill-prepared for the harsh light of reality after their school days are behind them.

Martin

I'm wondering what being whacked with a ruler does to prepare one for adult life?
Was the purpose of this to prepare students to be accepting of abuses by their future employers?

Sorry, but I've never agreed with the whole "Spare the rod and spoil the child" thing.

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

In contrast, my mom had to write to the school Principal before my 3rd grade teacher would stop trying to bust a ruler across my left hand during 'cursive' lessons.

I believe too many of today's kids will be ill-prepared for the harsh light of reality after their school days are behind them.

Martin

I'm wondering what being whacked with a ruler does to prepare one for adult life?

What Chris said. Yep.

In my case I wasn't conforming to her standard of writing right-handed. A 'sin' that would hardly be noticed today.

Was the purpose of this to prepare students to be accepting of abuses by their future employers?

Employee/employer relations really haven't changed that much since Pharoah/slave have they?? What 'future' abuses could you be referring to? :)

Sorry, but I've never agreed with the whole "Spare the rod and spoil the child" thing.

I didn't like it all that much when my backside was still sore, either!

Martin

Went into College today on a one term short contract. Queuing in the canteen (they insist on calling it a restaurant) behind two 17 year olds.

So I went .....
And she goes ....
So I was like ....
Innnit ....

Is there an interpreter in the house? Kids today are only capable of speaking pidgin engish, there is no other word for it.

They have been so overstimulated by TV and other media they are incapable of forming complete sentences or adjusting tense or person to fit their thoughts.

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I'm happy she won her case. It's about time we start realizing that we don't all fit into the same blanket as everyone else. I personally have a hard time concentrating while taking tests/exams too, and I've failed a few not because I didn't know the material, but because I couldn't keep focus.

Let's face it. Technology is changing the way we live. You can either get old-man grumpy about it and complain that things are going horribly wrong or you can accept that we are a very adaptive species and we need to learn that dealing with these things in a better way are what's best for mankind's future.


I wonder if similar things have been said in the past about other technological advancements and their effect on "those damned kids these days".

It's also the case that a significant proportion of kids born today are "mistakes" living in one parent families. Others are deliberate meal tickets for state benefits such as council houses and social security payments. There is also a growing feeling that having kids is an insurance policy for when you get old, as its becoming clearer that the state wont be doing much to help.

If we only have a minority of kids that are wanted, and born into a stable 2 parent family unit, it's hardly surprising that a lot of parents don't give a fig abbout their kids education or upbringing. Of course there are many thousands of hard working mums bring up great kids that on to Uni but they are in the minority. Teachers are on a loser from day 1.

well speaking from experience, some two parent families can be worse than a single parent family. I'm still trying to undo the damage my ex has done to my oldest son.

The 'ideal' of a two parent family is missing the point entirely. The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" is very true. Two parents or one parent can't do it. Everyone has to be responsible for all children.

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Reality Internet Personality

I'm happy she won her case. It's about time we start realizing that we don't all fit into the same blanket as everyone else. I personally have a hard time concentrating while taking tests/exams too, and I've failed a few not because I didn't know the material, but because I couldn't keep focus.

Let's face it. Technology is changing the way we live. You can either get old-man grumpy about it and complain that things are going horribly wrong or you can accept that we are a very adaptive species and we need to learn that dealing with these things in a better way are what's best for mankind's future.


I wonder if similar things have been said in the past about other technological advancements and their effect on "those damned kids these days".

I agree. It's better to allow a child to use music to focus rather than loading them up with drugs.

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Reality Internet Personality

The 'ideal' of a two parent family is missing the point entirely. The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" is very true. Two parents or one parent can't do it. Everyone has to be responsible for all children.

Sorry, with the greatest of respect I will have to agree to disagree with you on this one. The stable 2 parent family unit worked very well for hundreds of years, it's only in the last 50 years that the concept is in the minority. Children need appropriate role models in their lives, a point which I know you have made many times in recent years.

100s of years? The two parent family as a family unit has been in existence for less time than that. The earliest you could say is the Victorian era. Most families have been extended and it was only around the 1950s that the nuclear family became the 'ideal' although most developmental psychologists will recognise that it is not the ideal.

and I strongly disagree with you that a really bad father is better than no father. I've known too many dead beat dads and amazing single mums to believe that one.

Do you really want to be single mum bashing around me Chris? I think we've taken more than our fair share of crap from society with out you dishing out more.

Just because someone happened to father a child, doesn't mean they are a decent role model. Rather than blaming single mums, why don't we take a look at men and ask why not enough of them are stepping up? A decent male role model doesn't have to be the child's father. It would be nice if that were true, but far too often it's not the case. Single mums clearly aren't the problem, after all, they are the ones that have actually stayed around and are there for the children. It seems insane to me to heap the blame on them.

I agree. It's better to allow a child to use music to focus rather than loading them up with drugs.

Yes in principle I would agree with that statement. However, where do you draw a line between that and a cheeky kid that just prefers to listen to pop music, rather than concentrate on the task in hand. We have a whole generation of kids that just can't survive day to day life, without a pair of earphones clamped to their head.

Why? because they are allowed to get away with it, and they do. Taking this to its logical conclusion, how long before we see girls on the checkouts at Sainburys who can't work a till without some rap crap in their ears?

The kid in the article has been diagnosed with an attention disorder.

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Reality Internet Personality

Went into College today on a one term short contract. Queuing in the canteen (they insist on calling it a restaurant) behind two 17 year olds.

So I went .....
And she goes ....
So I was like ....
Innnit ....

Is there an interpreter in the house? Kids today are only capable of speaking pidgin engish, there is no other word for it.

And Shakespeare would need one to talk to you, English has always been shifting. Your lack of understanding of the words spoken by these kids is a sign of your age, not their inappropriate use of language.

On the subject of "discipline" I also grew up in an era where teachers could throw objects at pupils that were not paying attention, I hated it then and am glad to see those days are a thing of the past. Teaching children that violent acts are the way to enforce leadership is not a valuable lesson.

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I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that ...

So I axed the popo whatzup?
He dis'd me and tol me get lost.

I have of late,—but wherefore I know not,—lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises; and indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o’erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire,—why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculties! in form and moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

Okay, which is easier?

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