You Talkin' to Me?
Have you every noticed how repartee can quickly spiral into provocative debate? At times I believe that we, the collective group of those who care about youth and their future, shoot ourselves in the foot. Our wheels are spinning in a whirl of preparation, change, upholding valued tradition, etc. In this frenzy to forecast the future, correct every injustice, and meet every need while maintaining rigor, we become so myopic that the big picture is mired. Pick your flavor of reasoning – overwhelmed, exhausted, disillusioned, or misunderstood - we solve nothing. Interesting, aren’t these similar answers students reason to excuse their vacillation in progress?
To me, the big picture is to make learning social studies relevant and meaningful to students. It is the electricity of connectivity. My hope is that within the extrinsic forum of school – and let’s face it life – I will spark an intrinsic desire to go beyond. I am, however, concerned that too much massaging of the student self-concept will foster a
trompe-l’oeil of their perceived importance.
There are many things I do because I must. Part of school is learning how to adapt, cope, and problem-solve. Dare I say, it also teaches some to master the art of playing the game. Students are in a developmental stage of life, which is shaped by experience. Experience is not always pleasant or hand-picked. Sanitizing experience sets one up for future failure; a time when the safety net of home and school may not exist.
The MSNBC link below addresses a study on narcissism. I plan to show the clip entitled, “What About Me?”, to my sociology students. I am interested to hear their responses, and most importantly, if they view adults as being as self-absorbed and deserving of a reality check as we perceive students to need.
What About Me?
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=6e65bb17-d518-45c8-81cc-ce9c01eb37bf&f=00&fg=email
To me, the big picture is to make learning social studies relevant and meaningful to students. It is the electricity of connectivity. My hope is that within the extrinsic forum of school – and let’s face it life – I will spark an intrinsic desire to go beyond. I am, however, concerned that too much massaging of the student self-concept will foster a
trompe-l’oeil of their perceived importance.
There are many things I do because I must. Part of school is learning how to adapt, cope, and problem-solve. Dare I say, it also teaches some to master the art of playing the game. Students are in a developmental stage of life, which is shaped by experience. Experience is not always pleasant or hand-picked. Sanitizing experience sets one up for future failure; a time when the safety net of home and school may not exist.
The MSNBC link below addresses a study on narcissism. I plan to show the clip entitled, “What About Me?”, to my sociology students. I am interested to hear their responses, and most importantly, if they view adults as being as self-absorbed and deserving of a reality check as we perceive students to need.
What About Me?
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=6e65bb17-d518-45c8-81cc-ce9c01eb37bf&f=00&fg=email
posted by S. Cornils | 6:40 PM
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