Glass House

I’m getting really tired of dealing with the public school system. Let me start by saying that I doubt it is the teachers who ratchet up the frustration component quite as much as it is “THE STANDARDS.” Seems like whenever one of my children shows an ounce of creativity with regard to a school project, THE STANDARDS get whipped out and are used to knock us both over the head so we understand that thinking for ourselves is NOT the object. We are only to think in whatever way has been decided to be grade level thinking by an anonymous (to us) group of alleged experts who don’t know us and, mostly likely, wouldn’t care if they did.
Here’s an example of a accomplishment that is required by the 4th grade math standards. Each student must be able to regurgitate the multiplication tables through the number 10 in 5 minutes or less and must get a minimum of 90% correct. So… if the child takes 10 minutes for this feat, he or she does not meet THE STANDARDS. This obviously discounts the fact that the child actually knows the multiplication tables, he or she just isn’t fast enough. Now, what is the point of this STANDARD? I don’t really know and I wonder if any one actually does. Or is this just SOMETHING EVERYONE OUGHT TO KNOW. Personally, I’d like to ask the School Board and the Superintendent to take this test and score them. I wonder how they would do? Do you think they might bog down in the seven times table?

Posted by Laurie Feldman at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Where would we be without a little glumness? I read an interesting article over the weekend. It had to do with happiness and melancholia. Apparently a backlash has started against the notion that everyone should be happy all the time and if you aren’t you need therapy. Several academics are now arguing for the benefits of sadness or “melancholia” as an important contributor to creativity. They point to Vincent van Gogh whose art was infused with his personal experience of mental illness. Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath are good examples of the effect of depression on poetic accomplishment. I’m sure I wouldn’t think of this trio as the poster children for the benefits of malcontentedness. After all, I think two of the three killed themselves, didn’t they? Maybe they did need a little bit of mental health care after all…?
It does bear consideration that there is something strangely motivating about having a bit of angst. A “bee in the bonnet” or something “stuck in your craw” can drive a person to demand or create change. A smidgen of discontent, irritation or annoyance and we get fired up to write letters to the editor, complain to the boss or organize a neighborhood watch program. Who writes a diary about all the good things that happen to them? Not me, that’s for sure.
So go out an insult someone? No, that might be dangerous to your health and that of the person you chose. But I guess I can embrace a little suffering in the interest of getting something done.

Posted by Laurie Feldman at 05:40 PM | Permalink