sick of high school - Page 2

Hunter a H.S. diploma is the minimum credentials our society has set for the most basic entry level job. That H.S. diploma is just one of many accomplishments a person needs to advance themselves. You need to understand that successful completion of H.S. is for you and those you care about (or will). Doe's it mean anything? CERTAINLY DOES - to start with, it says to yourself and others, that your not a "QUITTER". It says you start and complete what is asked of you (YOU DON"T GIVE UP EVER!). Does it mean your smart? HELL NO! A persons education is there's to use for personal accomplishment and the advancement of all of us.

Our public schools are defiantly broken and have been for awhile now. As is our college system, tuition for even a state college is out of reach for the majority of our own citizens. In our public schools we are teaching to just pass a MINIMUM COMPETENCY TEST. A system that was designed to "CHECK" the teachers that our tax dollars pay. This was suppose to help fix a broken system and instead has sent us even farther backwards. Our colleges have better methods and teachers than our K-12 public schools. How do we know? Just look how many foreign students lineup to come here and are willing to pay even more than us!

There's no simple cures for our education system in this country. I'm sure about one thing, NONE OF US CAN AFFORD TO GIVE UP ON IT!

HS: I hated high school. I used to have dreams of escaping from Stalag High Schoool; machine guns and all. I didn't realize that I could use it to my advantage. Have some fun, avoid the jerks, learn something. I feel your pain, BUT: you will get through it and be better off for it. I have regrets about what I missed out on back then. Once you are in the working world, it is not all fun and games, either. You will be a better person for it. (Really) now go forth and prosper

haha I feel the same way, I hate the kids that drive the new mercedes and have tons of money thanks to mom and dad. im glad im independent to be honest (: half those popular stuck up kids will fail and end up cleaning bathrooms at the taco bell.. either way yea being independent and not stuck up is the good life. got a truck got a girlfriend and most importantly, a constant supply of scrap metal

Hunter, I know EXACTLY what your feeling. I had that same feeling last year. It's only four years, and it goes by WAY faster than you think. Freshman year takes forever, Sophomore year is shorter, Junior year flys by, and Senior year is gone in a flash. Just keep trudging on and enjoy the fun of high school while you can. Make the most of it, because you never get to do it over again. I can't believe I've been in school for a month already, it seems like we just started last week. It's crazy, and this year is already flying by.

Hunter, the best advise I can give you is to get in classes you like, surround yourself with people you like, and have fun!

Mechanic-
The mentoring idea is a great one. I will put that into my notes. If the school thinks they will come up with a "plan" they are sadly mistaken, my wife and I will craft one that will do him some good. I have already told the administration that "I feel we are looking at this from two different perspectives- you believe he has a disorder, I believe he has gifted traits" So right off the bat we started from differing opinions.. it continued with the addition of the principal and the counselor.

Brass:
I plan to contact the high ability "head" today. I would like to see his test scores for the high ability program and have that piece of information in my pocket for the next time the school and I meet with each other.

Hunter: I feel like I partially jacked your thread.. I apologize.. My advice is the same as the others. "Play the game" in the end once you get out of there.. the world is your oyster- and you have the ability to get up every day and work to crack that sucker wide open!
My 20th class reunion was a few months ago.. I didn't go- but to see the people after 20 years that were still living in the former glory of high school made me laugh- and it will you too! Think "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen brother!

Scrappah-
You just described my two little ones to a "Tee" My son is bold, energetic, and a firecracker. My daughter is also bold, but she is much more quiet, sort of "gets school" does her due diligence, "plays the game" very well. Just as smart (actually if you go by test scores her's are a slight bit better than my son at the same age" But she does not have to be center of attention. My son seems to like that- at home and at school.

These differences are wonderful and unique to both. They both will do well in life.. but of course it is my son who doesn't fit their "norm" and they don't like it. I will fully admit- my son- is me at age 8. I was a bit more introverted than he- but his spark, enthusiasm and lust for knowledge and life experiences are heads and shoulders above his physical age. I am a self-actualized individual and I see that-- as an adult- he will have no problems becoming one as well. But trying to get past a system that puts down and attempts to extinguish that spark- is the fight that I have and will continue to fight.. fight hard and will not rest until I have shown them the light!

Originally Posted by Scrappah

Sledge:

I'm kind of a family man in that it's always been about home and those who i hold dear to my heart. To put it another way i don't get out much. It's a funny thing thing though because awhile back i struck up a close friendship with a gent who is president emeritus of a college that's well regarded. We live in such completely different worlds yet we thoroughly enjoy the company of the other. Each of us brings something to the table that the other lacks.

I got together with he and his wife a few weeks ago and we were talking about learning. Now ... bear in mind that the circles he runs in are out on the forefront of new developments in education. He was saying that the newly emerging thinking is that there's something called the "learning gene" and that it needs to be activated at a fairly early age. Maybe something like age 2 - 4 years ? If it's not done at that time it may never happen.

Given the way that you and your wife are so involved with the kids i wonder if you activated it ? It might be that spark you spoke of.

Now me .... I'm more of the view that a really good teacher ignites / inspires a love of new learning in a student. The problem is that there are very few really good teachers out there. A teacher cannot teach what they themselves do not know.

Heaven forbid that any educator should try to snuff out that spark.

I wish i had more to offer in the way of a solution.

I'm troubled .... what's normal ... ?

It seems to me that it's asking an awful lot of an eight year old child to sit in class all day. It varies by kid, but their attention span isn't very long at that age is it ?

Scrappah:
It is quite possible that my wife and I may have sparked this "gene" I can't say for sure. As all of you with kids know- they may have books out there about how to parent.. but no one has ever written an all encompassing book. Why? Because the very nature of we as human beings we are all unique.. we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses.. some of us are high energy.. others are chilled.. some love to read.. others can't stand to do so.

Sadly, there is a "mold" that the public school system in this country has created. If you cannot be squeezed into that mold- you fall into the "reject bin" People who get put in this bin to me are the higher than average and the lower than average. Schools are treating our kids like porridge. Well this one is too hyper.. well this one is too slow... we want "just right" and it crushes me. It literally makes me want to break down. For now I am fighting.. I was so wound up about this last night I could not go to sleep. I stayed up until 1 AM researching.

I've even had to resort to whipping out federal law to get information. I emailed my districts high ability coordinator yesterday. I asked to view and get copies of both my kids testing information. I asked kindly once, second time I asked sternly and informed him that "Under FERPA, a school must provide a parent with an opportunity to inspect and review his or her child's education records within 45 days following its receipt of a request. A school is required to provide a parent with copies of education records, or make other arrangements, a failure to do so would effectively prevent the parent from obtaining access to the records"

I never gave him my phone number.. but about 20 minutes after the email I was called directly by this gentleman to ask me when I could come in.

This is the type of B.S. I and many other parents are dealing with. All I want is the full picture of my child. This is a huge undertaking- the school sees a simple solution- MEDICATE. I see myself up until 1AM hunting facts to rebutt their "quick fix"

His attention span is a little short on things that bore him.. Put him in front of a pile of legos- that boy can build and create for HOURS!

I found this about a month ago and it hits home and cuts deep. Wanted to share with all of you!

Children Who Shine From Within--Rachel Macy Stafford
April 29, 2014


“What’s your favorite insect?” my seven-year-old daughter asked as we took an evening walk on the first night of her spring vacation. “You can’t pick butterfly. Everyone picks the butterfly,” she quickly added before I had a chance to respond.

“Hmmmm,” I thought out loud. “I guess mine would have to be a ladybug,” I finally answered.

“Mine’s a firefly. I love the firefly,” she said wistfully.

We kept walking. Talking. Enjoying the rare treat of alone time—just my younger daughter and me.

And then:

“Am I okay? I mean, am I fine?” she asked looking down at herself. “Sometimes I feel different.”

I immediately stopped walking and searched her face. Without saying what she meant, I knew; I just knew.

I bent down and spoke from a painful memory tucked away since second grade. “When I was your age. I felt different too. I felt uncomfortable, self conscious. One boy said really cruel things about the way I looked. He said I didn’t belong. His words hurt me for a long, long time,” I admitted.

As she looked at me sadly, her previous words echoed in my head. “Everyone picks the butterfly,” she’d pointed out a moment ago.

I placed my hands on her sturdy little shoulders as if somehow this could make her feel my words right down to the bone. “I want you to know something. You can always talk to me when you feel different or uncomfortable. I will never laugh. I will never judge you or tell you it’s no big deal. I will never brush away your feelings because I understand. I remember how it hurts. And some times you just need someone to understand that hurt.”

“I love the firefly,” she had said a moment ago. I then realized I had something she could hold on to.

“You mentioned that you love the firefly,” I reminded her. “Well, I think you’re a lot like a firefly. You know why?” I asked.

The worry on her face lifted. She looked at me hopefully. “Why, Mama?”

“Because you shine from within,” I said touching my finger to her heart. “Not everybody sees it, but I do. I see it. And my job is to protect that light. So when people say mean comments that squelch that light, I want you to tell me. I will protect your light by listening and loving you, my brave, courageous, and unique little firefly.”

My daughter stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my neck. She still said nothing—not one word. Maybe it was because she was on the verge of tears. Maybe it was because silent comfort was all she needed in that moment. I can’t be sure. But what I can be sure of is this: this story is not over.

You see, as weeks have passed, I haven’t been able to stop thinking of our firefly talk and the timing of this message. The end of the school year can be hard for kids, especially the Fireflies—those who shine from within.

And it’s that time—time for awards, banquets, recognition, and applause. The Butterflies will be noticed. So brilliant. So colorful. Their talents so obvious. But let us not forget the Fireflies. Their triumphs are quiet and unsuspecting. Their gifts might even go completely unnoticed.

A firefly might be a seat saver on the bus so someone doesn’t have to go to the intimidating back row.
A firefly might be a songwriter who pens music in his nightly dreams and hums away his days.
A firefly might be an artist that creates pictures you can feel with your soul.
A firefly might save his money for years just waiting for his heart to tell him, “That’s the one who needs your help.”
A firefly might stay up past bedtime calculating numbers beneath the covers because he was born a mathematician.
A firefly might be the I.T. kid of the school who jumps at the chance to help teachers with their computer woes.
A firefly might get lost in a cloud of flour, delighting in culinary arts.
A firefly might be a horseback rider finding peace in the company of animals and nature.
A firefly might devour a 357-page book in one sitting.
A firefly might have eyes for the lonely, looking for someone who wonders if she’s invisible.
A firefly might stick up for the lost, the rejected, the alone.
A firefly might be the lost, the rejected, the alone … just waiting for someone to notice his light among all the bright, fluttering wings of the Butterflies.

Maybe you know a Firefly. Maybe you love a Firefly.

If you do, please don’t wait. Don’t wait for someone to hand him an award or a give her a certificate to make their talents and gifts “official.” That day may never come. So say it now. Say this:

I see your light.
I see it when you pick up your guitar.
I see it when you make brushstrokes of yellow, green, and gold.
I see it when you sing with your eyes closed.
I see it when you laugh with your mouth open wide.
I see it when you stand along the water’s edge dreaming of your future.
I see your light, my brave and courageous, firefly.

You shine from within.

And regardless if anyone else sees it or not—you know it’s there, and I know it’s there.

So keep shining.
Keep singing.
Keep creating.
Keep dreaming.
Keeping caring.
Keep adding, subtracting, and multiplying.
Keep making your magic.

And just you wait. Someday the world is going to see what I see. And your light will be so beautiful, so brilliant, so bright that the world is going to stop and wonder where such a light comes from.

And you and I will both know that light, well, it’s been there all along.

Because you are a Firefly.

You shine from within.

And I am here to protect that light, my brave and courageous firefly.

All well said. Let me just add this HS. I could have been any thing. yes I quit boring school. Yes I have done most any thing I wanted to in life. I truely lived it my way. was it the smart way .....no. Yes I played hard but in order to do so I had to work hard too.

I'm now 70 and my chosen path has taken a heavy toll physically. I could have been President of this country or any thing else I wanted and many here would agree. I have had 2 loving dedicated familys and several other broken hearts along the way, In the end I will die alone and lonely because of my choises in life.

Someone mentioned playing by the rules, with todays rules in the world today i'm not sure I agree with that but then, look where my free life style has gotten me.

For certain there is one rule to follow with out fail. lets see how truely smart and tough you really are. Follow that most important rule finish school. Just my .02.

Originally Posted by sledge

Scrappah:


This is the type of B.S. I and many other parents are dealing with. All I want is the full picture of my child. This is a huge undertaking- the school sees a simple solution- MEDICATE. I see myself up until 1AM hunting facts to rebutt their "quick fix"

His attention span is a little short on things that bore him.. Put him in front of a pile of legos- that boy can build and create for HOURS!

Ohh boy .... I've been debating today. Folks get a little grumpy if a thread wanders too far off track. On the other hand a good conversation will sometimes take on a life of it's own. What's the harm as long as the needs of the O.P. were met.

Okay ... i get the medicate thing. The brain is basically a chemical stew of hormones and stuff. That unique blend determines your personality. Alter the blend and you change the person. There's something to this but it's not the whole answer.

Take depression for instance: Depression can be strictly bio-chemical. It can also be situational. Maybe you're miserable and unhappy because you're stuck in a bad relationship or a lousy job that you can't afford to leave. It can be both where a bio-chemical imbalance and a lousy situation play off one another.

You can go to general practitioner and get pills to address the "symptoms" but that person isn't trained to address whet may be the core problem. That takes a specialist of some kind. It's like you said, it's a quick fix or band-aid.

Now you said he's hyper. I prefer to be looking at as being high energy.

Back when i was in school they used to beat the high energy children. I remember one of my best friends in first grade. New learning didn't come as easily to him as it did to some others but it was hard for him to sit still for long periods of time in class. The principal was a mean old lady and her office was just a few doors down from our class. She would sneak up and spy on the class every so often. If he was " misbehaving and being a bad child " she would rush in ,grab him by the hand, and haul him off to the office.

I remember the paddle that she used to have mounted up on the wall in her office. It was inscribed with the motto: " The Board of Education". I also remember the cries and screams that came from her office when a little boy or girl that misbehaved was being paddled on their bare bottom.

Nowadays, any school administrator pulling that kind of thing would be promptly arrested for felony assault on a minor but in it's own strange & twisted way that was bio-chemical adjustment as well. The pain inflicted triggered a release of endorphins not unlike that of a "Runner's high" and it chilled the kid out.

There's got to be a better way !

Okay, he's high energy. Is there some other way to bring his energy level down a notch so that it's easier to focus on the task at hand ? See, this high energy thing may be only temporary while his body is developing.His bio chemical makeup is going to change when he hits puberty. A change in nutrition or an exercise regimen before school might help lower his energy level.

The other thing is that he's shown that he can focus his energy for hours on a creative endeavor like Legos. It's the mundane one....step...at....a....time.... logic based learning that he doesn't have the patience for.

Just as people are generally born either left handed or right handed .... people are born with a predisposition for either creative thinking or logic based thinking depending upon which hemisphere of the brain they favor. If they are strongly polarized to either extreme then what you try to do is figure out ways of balancing them out.

It's my perspective but i'm just a guy with a high school education. My youngest son is an LCSW that works "in home" with young people ages 4 - 17 years. If you did a consult with somebody that's educated and trained in childhood development they might be able to offer any variety of solutions that nobody has even considered yet. The school department might even pick up the tab if afford is a problem for you.

~ Just a thought ~

I use to be a school teacher and one thing I can tell you. We have major epidemic in "poor regards" from parents, students, and some teachers/administration. It's coming down hard.

Blake, stay in school, I hated every day of high school but I stuck with it, wasn't the smartest kid but I stuck with it, didn't have a ton of friends but I stuck with it. I graduated with my class, walked across the stage and joined the Air Force the next month, and didn't look back, I would go home from time to time to see my family but other than that I could care less. I went to my 20 year reunion same fake people as they were when we were in school, but now they are fake adults, don't let some stuck up spoiled brats determine your life, who cares if you don't fit their mold, you have to be yourself, if they don't like you for you then you don't need them.