You don't REALLY hate me, Melon, do you.
I guess I should have said "paleoconservatism" and "paleolibertarianism," rather than referring to the individuals who partake in them.
You don't REALLY hate me, Melon, do you.
That would be my impression too, the libertarian sites I frequent are mostly secularist minarchists who have issues with overregulation and government interference in social matters.Is it fair to say that most American liberals are only "liberals" because they are envious of rich people? No, clearly not, so I don't think your above characterisation of most American libertarians is fair either.
Incidentally, on US libertarian forums I have visited, Reagan is not particularly venerated (Thatcher more so) and the Christian right are largely despised.
I think that my profession contributes to the problem by not adapting teaching practices that meet the needs of all children in general. I will use my son for example....
He HATES what he is reading in school. Put a graphic comic novel in front of him and he can read. Bring him to the museum of natural history, and he will read about fossils....but the materials that are inside of the books we use to instruct children, time and time again, are not material that he would want to read.
Lets look at culture. Time and time again, we see that subgroups, of some minorities score lower. We know that there are cultural barriers, and learning styles that help overcome these barriers. But, they are not consistently implemented.
And I honestly believe that there are NOT enough fathers being role models. There are not enough male teachers at younger ages.
I also think that parenting, has a major major influence on this. It is easier to put a kid on a video game and have peace and quiet than to parent.
It all contributes to the problem.
what does this have to do with ritalin? schools aren't disciplining kids out of fear, parents have completely pussified our youth... something has to be done. pop 'em full of meds, that'll shut 'em up.
Please explain further what you mean by "parents have completely pussified our youth"...
.NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- Nine-year-old Jericho Scott is a good baseball player -- too good, it turns out.
The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. He throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his coach that the boy could not pitch any more. When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left, his coach said.
A US teenager has quit school to master the hugely popular Guitar Hero video game - and try to make a living out of it.
NME reports that 16-year-old Blake Peebles chucked in school to focus on becoming a Guitar Hero expert.
His parents say they let him drop out of the North Carolina religious school to stop his incessant complaining.
He hopes to turn pro - along with thousands of others - but so far has only won gift certificates, game gear and chicken sandwiches.
His parents say they let him drop out of the North Carolina religious school to stop his incessant complaining.
I follow your reasoning, but presumably the same drugs are readily available in other Western countries, and yet they aren't prescribed (to the best of my knowledge) to anything like the same extent as in the US.
But he's teaching high school and almost all of his male friends from teachers college are as well, because no guy in today's society wants to go to kindergarten. A little kid bursts into tears and needs a hug and you get called a pervert. So why risk it?
Interesting point - I have increased recess time - hoping it decreases behavior issues...increasing learning.
High school is just as risky as grade school. I think the reason many men don't risk it is b/c of salary concerns.
My daughter struggles in english and history - due to being assigned things that are uninteresting.
My daughter struggles in english and history - due to being assigned things that are uninteresting.
Really? It's all uninteresting?
At the same time, I wonder how far this can go. Because the reality of life is that you are always going to be doing uninteresting things. Does anybody at work ask me if drafting this agreement or that is interesting? Yarite, you just do it. So part of me feel justified in complaining and the other part thinks that we should suck it up to an extent because life isn't a buffet.
I've been teaching her the "suck it up because it's life" idea. I tell her to figure out how to get through this stuff because you will always have to do something that you are not interested in. I push her like it's her attitude, but in the last six months, I have started to wonder if she just can't control the focus and perhaps should take the focus medicine for homework too. She's almost 16.. I'm letting her figure that out for herself.
She's probably in my grade, then... just remember, medicine won't make her more interested in the material.
from Dreadsox mere hours after I implied that Dreadsox might be an idiot
Yup, I think too highly of myself.
Thanks Matt!
A good rap in the knuckles for bad behavior is perhaps now replaced with giving the kid a pill. Either way though, the education system has the kid being forced to conform to a certain style of learning.. just sit still and make yourself focus.. when a lot of kids just don't have the ability to learn that way.
It was a great day. So when my military buddies bust my chops - I laugh, because they would not understand that the things like these little stories mean more to me than the jokes and public perception of males in my profession
i fully support more male teachers at the elementary school level.
my first job was as a teaching assistant in a preschool. the other two men who worked in the early childhood school (nursery through 2nd grade) were, likewise, gay.
this is something straight American men need to get over, and yet another reason why homophobia hurts everyone. men are going to choose *not* to work with younger children because, god forbid, someone might make the (possibly mistaken) assumption that they're gay?
I thought the reason for many men rather teaching older kids than kindergarten, preschool or elementary school was more along anitram's line of making one wrong movement and someone will call you a pervert and sue you.
When my son was in elementary to middle school I had several teachers suggest medication for my son who was borderline ADD/ADHD. I refused to medicate him, and worked harder as a struggling single parent with school officials, counselors and male friends and family members to keep the meds away. My son became involved in sports which helped a lot. When he was in high school he began to see more of his father which made a difference also. I think we were lucky, and I believe in my case we did the right thing.
My son is in 4th year college now. Last week while driving together to visit family in Nor. Calif. he shocked me by telling me he's been taking ADD meds to stay awake and focus more. These medications are easily available on campus. I didn't know what to say to him after everything I went through during his challenging childhood. He claims they help, that he doesn't take them all the time and he guarantees he won't become hooked on them.
I don't know what to think!