I overheard a couple of freshman parents talking about their sons’ schedules. They were trying to make sure that their kids were taking the most rigorous classes possible. They also wanted to make sure that their sons were involved in as many clubs as our school had to offer. After all, that’s the way to get into the most competitive colleges, one father said.
My first thought was, wow, these kids are not really going to enjoy the next four years at our school or the four years after that in college, as they are getting pushed to build a resume that I don’t think even impresses admissions directors or employers
Freshmen, how about instead of packing the schedule so that you have no room to breathe, you take the lightest schedule possible? This allows you to use the extra time in your first year to explore both the classes and the clubs that interest you. Once you find what interests you, it’s easier to build your schedule around it
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Focus your energies on the activities and classes that spark your interest. There might only be one activity that interests you, and that’s okay. Colleges and employers are looking for people who pursue interesting things. If you think you would make a great guest on a radio or TV talk show, you are on the right path.
Use your time in both high school and college to explore and cultivate your interest, not to build your resume. It will lead to a more enjoyable and beneficial educational experience.
This race, which begins so early in our culture, ultimately restricts students' sense of self. After mentor meetings this morning, I asked a colleague, "How were your freshmen?"
ReplyDeleteShe answered, "They're doing pretty well. I've got a football guy, a couple of lacrosse guys, and a guy who wants to play baseball. That's about all they were willing to share today."
I pointed out: Notice how immediately our students reduce themselves to a single thing. What is our community doing that such assimilation is privileged? Beyond that, why assimilate to a particularly common and unremarkable singularity - I AM sport?
Well... it's what everyone is doing. My classes? Rigorous. My involvements? Significant. Who are you? Sport.
Fast forward to senior year: Our students all want to write their college essays about their identity, hoping for an elite school. But by that point, they're caught up in the race; they've been assimilated.
The best essays - perhaps even the best students and best people - strike out in pursuit of authentic interest; in search of true self without regard for the race. I worry our efforts toward assimilation undermine this life goal.
I took my child out of public school and put him into CH because I did not wish for him to be a part of "the race" anymore. This "race" is bad for children. NCLB, RttT (and extended to ESA) and the Standardized testing industry drives this madness as parents push their kids into the arena to ever "succeed" via test scores that mean nothing except for the child's socio-economic status. CH does a wonderful job of allowing a young man to develop a sense of self while also teaching/educating for college and the future.
DeleteGlad that you are happy with Calvert Hall. We as any organization need to continue to grow and promote student interest. Thanks for reading and responding
Deletethanks for taking the time to respond. I agree 100%. I had the opportunity to listen to a couple of Penn students talk the other day. They mentioned how the variety of things they took in school helped them become successful business men today. They went from dancing to boxing to speech.
ReplyDelete