By the time my sister was in grade school, we were at the point where some schools were phasing out merit-based awards because kids' feelings might be hurt. You know what? Fuck you. Sorry, but this really burns my toast, because in a world where no one values merit, neither is anyone given any incentive to surpass the status quo. I mean, why bother? Everyone's got the God-given right to receive the same dinky trophy, no more and no less, so why put forth any extra effort? Besides, you shouldn't have to--the awards should just come to you, because you're special. And I'm telling you, I instantly realized what fruit this policy had borne when I started watching American Idol in its first season and saw all those talentless, self-entitled, back-talking kids in the cattle-call auditions--kids who had just emerged from that wonderful cocoon of encouraged mediocrity. GAH.
I agree with everything here. It has always, always pissed me off that there's this special unique snowflake and you just tried so that was wonderful, now go have a
( ... )
Back in the day (4 years ago), there were requirements to get placed in a higher level science course in 8th grade. A year or two ago they got rid of that, because it hurt the feelings of the kids who didn't meet the requirements to get in. So now all these kids who really don't belong in honors level classes are in them, because no parents wanted to face the fact that their child isn't the next Nobel Prize winner.
Little league sports no longer keep score during games, and even some high school sports coaches are required to play every member of their team equally, no matter how awful the player is.
As they say in The Incredibles, "Saying everyone is special is just another way of saying no one is."
As an example, Twenge cited a song commonly sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques" in preschool: "I am special, I am special. Look at me."
O.O Jesus Christ...
I HATE this new beautiful, unique snowflake crap. If you tell your kid they deserve whatever they want just because they were born, you raise bratty, demanding, self-entitled monsters. There's nothing special about that.
Hahaha. In Communist-era schools, everything was always marked with red pen, and teachers were VERY strict. They had good prizes for winning contests or being exceptional students though - at least at my old school in Moscow, we got books as prizes :) I remember writing a hard exam in grade 4, to get into advanced class in grade 5. The Russian school system was excellent.
Last I heard though, they're starting to downgrade it to the North-American crap system, aaargh. :(
This is EXCELLENT. I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Even in my own family, where I am the oldest and my youngest sibling is 8 years younger than me, we had a totally different educational experience due to these very practices. I worked hard, excelled and was rewarded, and there was healthy academic competition. Shame and guilt are great motivators. In my sister's class, it seemed that everyone was in Gifted and Talented; when I was in school, I was one of TWO in my school (my academic competitor.)
As they say in The Incredibles, "Saying everyone is special is just another way of saying no one is." Definitely on to something there. "No Child Left Behind" is all well and good, but how about cultivating the truly talented students in the public school system?
As an example, Twenge cited a song commonly sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques" in preschool: "I am special, I am special. Look at me." AUGH. This explains MySpace.
Okay, sanity check: Pre. School.
Despite agreeing with the general sentiment of the comments, I think the article itself is... not so well reported. I didn't really find the few presumably true/false questions they listed all that damning, honestly. "I can live my life any way I want to"? ONOEZ WHAT A TWISTED MINDSET D:
I mean, I'm sure there is evidence for the conclusion that kids are getting an inflated sense of their own abilities and what the world owes them. I just don't think this is it.
I think it's one thing to reward effort, in the sense that you should be able to earn an A in PE for showing up on time, dressed and ready to go and actually trying rather than saying "fuck this" and sitting on the sidelines. I'm not super athletic, but my teachers all appreciated my attitude and my effort, which was sometimes even better than that of the varsity athletes. And the same held true in orchestra, band, choir, that sort of thing- it wasn't necessarily your ability that mattered, it was more your attitude and the effort that you put into it. And I think that's valid, especially since what those classes are trying to teach can be learned even if you're not excellent at it. But you shouldn't earn an "A" just for showing up to AP English
( ... )
I actually was one of the smart kids who was earning all the "wow you're smart and special" praise before it was given out to everyone.
But do you know what else?
Being praised for that has only taught me to be lazy, because I honestly never had to put forth any effort. Granted, I was already good enough to score big on the tests without needing to expend any effort, but if I had had to work for it, I would have learned how to work for stuff, because my God am I suffering for not having learned that now
( ... )
In second grade, I finished the story in reading group, and started in on the next one. The teacher noticed this, and asked me if I thought I was special or something. My mom reports that when I told her the story, I looked up then and said, "But I _am_ special!"
I agree with everything here. It has always, always pissed me off that there's this special unique snowflake and you just tried so that was wonderful, now go have a ( ... )
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Back in the day (4 years ago), there were requirements to get placed in a higher level science course in 8th grade. A year or two ago they got rid of that, because it hurt the feelings of the kids who didn't meet the requirements to get in. So now all these kids who really don't belong in honors level classes are in them, because no parents wanted to face the fact that their child isn't the next Nobel Prize winner.
Little league sports no longer keep score during games, and even some high school sports coaches are required to play every member of their team equally, no matter how awful the player is.
As they say in The Incredibles, "Saying everyone is special is just another way of saying no one is."
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Ahahahaha...you win at the Intarwebs.
I'd like to metaquote, with your permission.
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http://community.livejournal.com/metaquotes/5890868.html
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O.O Jesus Christ...
I HATE this new beautiful, unique snowflake crap. If you tell your kid they deserve whatever they want just because they were born, you raise bratty, demanding, self-entitled monsters. There's nothing special about that.
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That's COMMUNISM. Obviously, the end of the Cold War is at fault here.
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The Russian school system was excellent.
Last I heard though, they're starting to downgrade it to the North-American crap system, aaargh. :(
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Even in my own family, where I am the oldest and my youngest sibling is 8 years younger than me, we had a totally different educational experience due to these very practices. I worked hard, excelled and was rewarded, and there was healthy academic competition. Shame and guilt are great motivators. In my sister's class, it seemed that everyone was in Gifted and Talented; when I was in school, I was one of TWO in my school (my academic competitor.)
As they say in The Incredibles, "Saying everyone is special is just another way of saying no one is." Definitely on to something there. "No Child Left Behind" is all well and good, but how about cultivating the truly talented students in the public school system?
Reply
AUGH. This explains MySpace.
Okay, sanity check:
Pre.
School.
Despite agreeing with the general sentiment of the comments, I think the article itself is... not so well reported. I didn't really find the few presumably true/false questions they listed all that damning, honestly. "I can live my life any way I want to"? ONOEZ WHAT A TWISTED MINDSET D:
I mean, I'm sure there is evidence for the conclusion that kids are getting an inflated sense of their own abilities and what the world owes them. I just don't think this is it.
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I actually was one of the smart kids who was earning all the "wow you're smart and special" praise before it was given out to everyone.
But do you know what else?
Being praised for that has only taught me to be lazy, because I honestly never had to put forth any effort. Granted, I was already good enough to score big on the tests without needing to expend any effort, but if I had had to work for it, I would have learned how to work for stuff, because my God am I suffering for not having learned that now ( ... )
Reply
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In second grade, I finished the story in reading group, and started in on the next one. The teacher noticed this, and asked me if I thought I was special or something. My mom reports that when I told her the story, I looked up then and said, "But I _am_ special!"
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