tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667548239944487847.post3708591974319188714..comments2023-07-14T08:35:24.248-04:00Comments on Two Learning Journeys: Not Good Enough?Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08168992059794528674noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667548239944487847.post-12055047515728921172010-03-03T20:13:58.052-05:002010-03-03T20:13:58.052-05:00This is a powerful statement of the reality I ofte...This is a powerful statement of the reality I often see as a reading teacher. Teachers and parents are always trying to bring children up to the highest achieving students in the class. I appreciate and try to share my excitement with y peers on the growth children make on a daily basis. Children are not race cars trying to get there first. They should be enjoying the journey as they go along the way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667548239944487847.post-52532687921184513822010-02-28T14:16:03.593-05:002010-02-28T14:16:03.593-05:00This really resonated with me. I moved from the up...This really resonated with me. I moved from the upper grades down to first grade last year and I feel the 'on grade level' push much more intensely now. I struggle with it even.<br /><br />It seems like kids don't have the chance to develop naturally. We have decided they must be 'here' at the end of kindergarten and 'here' at the end of first grade, etc. But we know that every kid is different. It seems cruel to set so many kids up for failure so young.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725549451973770515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667548239944487847.post-43612839341704799102010-02-28T07:31:57.293-05:002010-02-28T07:31:57.293-05:00The part that most concerned me was the fact that ...The part that most concerned me was the fact that the teacher is requesting the parents to frontload concepts...this child must be working all the time! Surely kindergarten is a time to begin the process of viewing learning as a joyous adventure? As a middle school teacher, I have parents who focus on "why is my child not getting A's?" rather than celebrate their child's progress as readers, writers and thinkers. So much pressure is placed on our children these days - they're expected to be scholar/athletes from such a young age...I think our kids miss out on so much in this pursuit of "academic excellence".Tara @ A Teaching Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07195982194362559883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667548239944487847.post-42534330048921535592010-02-28T00:01:53.924-05:002010-02-28T00:01:53.924-05:00Thanks for sharing, I am always debating & def...Thanks for sharing, I am always debating & defending this very point, our kids are where they should be when they should be! They need to be 5,6,7 etc. when they are actually that age! It is challenging as educators when we see kids being pushed and hand feed to do more & look smarter. I often ask myself am I expecting enough? My kids work does not look like Mrs.So and So's kid's or my kids aren't doing that independently, what am I doing or not doing? Then I take a deep breath, I look at my kids, I look at the standards, I pull out a few of my friends from the books on my shelf and I see kids where they should be then I hear Ann Marie "It takes a lot of slow to grow" then I celebrate all my right where they are!Frazierdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00471144794572994479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667548239944487847.post-65258873659172633452010-02-27T20:01:03.687-05:002010-02-27T20:01:03.687-05:00Oh, that makes me sad. In this test-driven societ...Oh, that makes me sad. In this test-driven society our perception of what is acceptable has changed drastically. How sad that this little girl's first experience of school is one of constant pressure to always do better. As teachers, we need to continue to stress the importance of always learning and finding the joy in learning new things. I'm glad you were able to have a conversation with the mom and help her have a new perspective.Juliehttp://www.raisingreadersandwriters.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667548239944487847.post-31825978731200109332010-02-27T18:23:23.072-05:002010-02-27T18:23:23.072-05:00My heart is cringing as I read this. Too often in...My heart is cringing as I read this. Too often in society today this appears to be the message. "On grade level" is not good enough anymore. Children must feel the pressure from their parents to be above and beyond average and thus the joy of learning has the potential to be lost. We, as educators, must work towards helping students realize that they will all succeed and that through a love of learning their greatest potential can be met!Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09659717841951263671noreply@blogger.com