Teaching Young Students to be Failures

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Teaching Young Students to be Failures

The typical high school teaches 30% of its students to be failures. This is because the curriculum only recognizes academic skills and student intelligence is measured by this standard. Nonacademic skills and associated intelligence are ignored. A person who has the ability to be a first class welder is labeled a failure. He may never become a welder because self-fulfilling prophecy, based on academics, will determine his fate.

When the academic curriculum is a challenge to the natural talented intellectual, non-intellectuals cannot compete and will be labeled failures. They don't have the academic talent that intellectuals do.

When the academic curriculum allows non-intellectuals to receive passing grades, then intellectuals will not have opportunity to discover their full potential. These students will become unrecognized failures, meaning, their skills will be well below their capabilities.

There will always be failures when young people are sorted by age and expected to meet programmed achievement by that age. Human nature does not work this way. The system must be in harmony with human nature. In the right learning environment, anyone can excel and no one needs to be labeled a failure.

Before the 1900s, most people lived on a farm and schooling was in a one-room schoolhouse. In this environment, students were sorted by skill level, not by age. This allowed students to advance at a natural pace without negative stigmas. The system recognizes that everyone has a unique talent and has different learning speeds. Developing a love to learn was the goal and its effectiveness was based on the ability to share knowledge. Usually, older students shared their knowledge or interest with younger students. Younger students were inspired by older students and they became role models. This interaction developed a respect for fellow students, inspiring all to excel. The one room schoolhouse did not teach students to be failures.

The term "failure" was adapted by city schools that use multipliable classrooms and sorted students by age. Performance is based on averages with winners and losers in every class. Every student, in each age group, is expected to march in lock step to a single drummer, the instructor. Role models, in the classroom, have become a thing of the past, the sharing of knowledge, by students, is no longer an education tool.

Today's education has a production line mentality with inspectors to eject those that do not conform to the system. To make production line education work, the curriculum is limited to academics, because it can be taught in the classroom and results can be measured. This may seem efficient, but the price to society of failing students is becoming too high to be acceptable. Problems are spiraling out of control. To help maintain control, politicians are passing laws to keep the system in place. This cannot go on forever.

The system needs to recognize natural talent, plus skills that cannot be measured, and adapt learning environments to individual needs. Customizing education to students' personal interest and learning habits is why home schooling programs are so successful. Also, home schoolers do not receive the failure label because their progress is NOT compared to other students; the goal is to develop a love to learn. With a love to learn, additional skills can be mastered as needed.

The education system uses reward and punishment as a control tool. Intellectuals are rated most likely to succeed, and then they are offered scholarships that lead to quality jobs. Non-intellectuals are put on the punishment list. They are denied participation in special projects and other non-academic subjects including shop courses, subjects they could excel at. This policy guarantees that predictions will be right, "anyone who does not master academics will become failures in life." Self-fulfilling prophecy becomes the controlling factor.

Standardized testing is widening the gap between passing and failing students. The pressure to comply is forcing marginal students on one side or the other. There is a breaking point and many simply give up. Increase pressure will force students to reach that breaking point at an earlier age. The price will be more crime on the streets, not less. On the other hand, the school's performance rating increases when failing students walk away from the system. Click image for large view.

Society needs to abandon the belief that academics is the only skill needed for a successful and productive life. Human nature is not that simple.

Motivational and inspiration skills, that can't be measured, are not taught in the classroom. The student must discover and adapt them on their own.

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On Self-Esteem

A person who can't read and write develops negative self-esteem.
A person who can read and write, but is told they are a failure in every class they attend, also develop negative self-esteem.
People with negative self-esteem accept and believe the negative labels placed on them by others, especially authority, and simply gives up.
No one wants to associate with people with negative self-esteem, even classmates.
No employer will hire people with negative self-esteem no matter how many education certificates they have. These people are turned off to the learning process.

These same students could develop positive self-esteem in a different learning environment, one where academics was a byproduct. There is more to education than academics.

Employment is available for non-intellectuals with positive self-esteem.

On a Love to Learn

People who maintain a love to learn have freedom to make choices. These same people reject the status quo.
For most people, their love to learn ends when they master a professional skill that meets an acceptable lifestyle. These people embrace the status quo.
Project base education and self-education skills are the foundations for developing a love to learn. Academics is a byproduct.
A love to learn is the secret behind my successful adventure projects. A self motivated is the motivation behind seff-education . These skills create opportunity that most people dream about.

People who love to learn have positive self-esteem.

People who love to learn engage in self-motivated projects.

Guest

Failing Teens Turn to Street Gangs

Non-performing students are labeled failures by the teacher. This stigma is picked up by fellow students. Outside the classroom, these students are called dumb and stupid. They become social outcast by their peers.

The daily labels of failure, dumb, stupid become self-fulfilling prophecy. This belief, by the student, will stay with them all their life and will prevent them from discovering their true talent. These students could excel if academics was a byproduct of discovering and developing their natural talent.

Classroom rejects have an option - join a street gang. For many, this is the only alternative to finding acceptance among their peers. In fact, street gang members are considered heroes among their peers. The result may be self-destructive, but teenagers live for the moment, not the future.

Street gang members become role models for young students. Classroom rejects are welcomed by gang members.
Street gang members develop positive self-esteem. It is easy for these people to get a job no matter what their education level.
Street gang members develop a love to learn in relation to criminal activity. Their misplaced ambition leads to self-destruction. A love to lean is natural in teenagers.
If street gangs can develop positive self-esteem and inspire a love to learn, it seems the education system could use the same technique and offer motivating opportunities in a productive environment.