FISH TALK

It has been said it is difficult to know what fish talk about.  They know they cannot change the water.  Fish probably talk about how they must adapt to the changes the water brings to them.  Schools can change.   The student must realize they must adapt to the changes brought to them.  

DAILY GOAL FOR STUDENTS - 2012 PLEDGE

It is almost 2012.  Time for the schools to change from a teacher focus to a student focus.   High school administrations like to voice they are preparing the student for college or work after high school.  This is too far of a goal for a student.  Every day in school IS the life of the student.  Every day in school IS when a student should listen, learn and do what assignment is given to them.  Every day in school IS the sole goal a student should strive to achieve.  While administration is measuring a daily teacher goal per the lesson plan preparation and diversity of content.  The student has the one goal - graduate.  What a wrong scenario.  The administration must stand with the teacher, not in evaluation only, and be sure each student comprehends and completes each daily assignment.  Each day is a lesson for the student to learn as each day is the life of the student.  My plea for 2012 is for every administrator to stand beside with the teacher and look at the students as a team to get the student on the path of daily focus and completion of assignment.   Each parent and teacher should join as a team to ensure the goal for the student is daily.

REDEFINE YOURSELF - DO NOT RETIRE

I have been amazed coming back to the USA from my work in Africa at what getting older means.  Too many people I meet have one goal when they have a career.  This goal is to have a paid retirement.  In Africa there was very little paid retirement.  In fact, about the only time a person would say they were going to retire meant they were going home to sleep and relax for the evening.  The next day that person would get up and do some gainful work.  As a person in Africa become an elder they would never retire only redefine themselves.  I am trying to redefine myself as I get older.  USA people my age do not understand what I am doing writing a book and working each day.  Most USA people only wish to stop gainful work and retire.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary has a meaning for retire which means ‘withdraw from action, use or service.’  It is always a good time to redefine and not only retire.  More elders need to keep the youth in their focus and to assist in guiding them.  When I discuss my book with grandparents or parents with grown children they seem not interested in the educational system.  Each person must not retire from the ‘grown-up’ position in front of the current youth generation.  So I shall keep on redefining myself and starting the dialogue as I write in my book.  Please join me, all ages.  No retiring.  Keep redefining yourself and sharing your experiences and lead the youth and their parental generation.  Read my book.

YOUTH AND NIGHT CURFEWS

Many cities are having problems with youth out on the streets after dark.  Too many reported cases of youth causing trouble at night have also made the news.  Many city governments have instituted curfews for youth to be off the streets.  Then the city begin to discuss a manner in which the community can service the youth after dark so the youth have something to do.  I think the youth should do community service, the community serving the youth.  If a community keeps a child busy during the daylight then the child will be more tired and stay home to sleep at night.  This is the natural pattern of life.  Work hard during the day at required chores and then a restful sleep is the reward.  This is the lesson for the youth to learn.

PLEASE VISIT BOOK ARTICLE

There was an article about my book in the Independence Examiner.  The article was written by Frank Haight.  Please visit the webpage listed and the website for the book.  I hope to have you as a reader of my book and a regular member and contributor of this blog.  Thanks for the support.  http://www.examiner.net/news/news_columnists/x919542292/Haight-Author-hopes-students-will-G-R-A-S-P-tips-for-success

WAIT NO MORE

Society must start to take notice of the youth.  If youth rule the daytime, the youth will rule the nighttime.  In school if a youth talks dirty or demeaning, dresses inappropriately and just hangs around not doing the work, these infractions are only looked upon as a ‘slap on the wrist.’  The school is not taking enough disciplinary steps to redirect behavior while making each youth behave better and abide by the rules.  At night and after school, inappropriate dress, nasty, demeaning and disparaging language and just hanging around and not doing work are a major cause for ‘youth flash mobs’ and youth misbehavior.  Like I said, if the youth get by with no discipline during the day, they think they will get by with no discipline during the night.  Schools must enforce dress uniforms, proper usage of all language and not negotiable finishing and comprehension of all subject assignments.  Who ensures all this is followed?  The adults must take the leadership role to redirect all youth in school so they behave proper and not just hang around.  In short, each youth does work each day.  Change adults so they are more restrictive to the youth, more straightforward in directing inappropriate behavior and dress and discipline harsh enough so each youth is redirected to stay within expectations.  But teachers wait for administrators to be the first adult to enforce a rule.  The administrator waits for the teacher to be the first adult to enforce a rule.  The parent waits for the police or school to contact them to say their child is acting inappropriately.  The police is waiting for the parent to monitor and discipline their child for acting or dressing inappropriately.  So why the wait?  Each adult must act as an adult and redirect and take charge in changing the youth.  Wait no more. 

MANUFACTURING VS. SERVICE INDUSTRY SCHOOL SYSTEM

America has changed over the years from a society of manufacturing industries to service industries.   Service industry is based upon appeasing the client.  Service industry is measured on the end result, usually making a sale.  Service industry is more likely to cut corners with the client so that the end result is met.  Manufacturing industry is based upon the accountability for the assembly of the product.  Manufacturing industries are about the means along the process towards reaching an end of a well assembled and accountable product.  Public school education has changed over the same period in time.  Public school education has a means and an end.  The means is each student’s daily comprehension, understanding  and accountability towards each subject.  The means in school is to produce a student who knows each subject matter and is accountable for that gained knowledge.  The end of a public school education is the issuing of the diploma.   More emphasis is placed by school districts upon the end which translates into more diplomas awarded to students.  Less emphasis is placed upon student understanding and comprehension during the high school education.   Students are held less accountable and within lower standards for comprehension along the means.  Correct spelling, proper grammar usage, math proficiency, historical information, writing ability, scientific concepts, etc.  are not as important as it used to be when America was a manufacturing society.  Schools are educating and appeasing students towards an end of receiving a diploma only.  This is a symptom of a service industry society.   Public schools are turning into a service industry.  Public schools should revert back to a manufacturing mode to produce a better product,  accountable fully educated graduated student.   Then each end product, the student awarded a diploma, is of measurable and accountable quality this USA society deserves and requires as we progress more and more into the 21^st century.

EDUCATORS CHANGING STUDENT SCORES ON STANDARIZED TESTS

This week in Atlanta numerous teachers, administrators and superintendents were revealed to have changed students  scores on standardized tests.  The report indicated this unprofessional practice is  widespread across America and not localized to any particular geographic region.  Too many educators have only two goals in their careers.  The first goal is to reach tenure with a school district.  Then the union can give them protection through job security.  The only other goal for too many educators is retirement.  Educators submit to cheating and sub-par practices to make their student and the district meet and better achievements and set statistical data. The powers overseeing the school district often narrow their look at data, not the individual student’s comprehension of said subject material.  “Students aren't knowledgeable, and are probably lazy and procrastinate, so they cheat. These are crimes based on a lack of knowledge. It's a terrible character trait to develop” Quote by  Fran Cohen.  As my book is about character traits I fully agree with the words of Fran Cohen.  The educator is deficient and lazy while not doing their job and knowledge so the student performance is acceptable.   Educators should not only do what is expected, they must do what is correct.  Let me conclude this entry with a description of the school district the educators have made through cheating.  Sri Guru Granth Sahib wrote,  “ Cheating is eating a rotting carcass.”  

Discipline is like digging a hole

It is said there is one constant, change.  Well, there is another constant, discipline.  Every morning when a person awakes discipline faces them.  Adults control discipline.  There is self discipline when an adult controls their own discipline.  In other words, the adult inside of you is controlling the discipline to be correct.  There is when one is not having discipline and an adult enforces the discipline. As with a youth who has no self control, an adult usually enforces some form of outside discipline on the youth.   Maturity is when an adult has self discipline.  When it is necessary, students must be consistently dealt with by adult discipline until mature.  Therefore, there is a second constant, discipline.
Discipline is like to dig a hole.  It starts with exact measurements.  This is the rule making for correcting the discipline.  Once the measurements are taken (rules set) the digging of the hole are executed to the details of the measurements.  The digging of the hole are likened to the enforcement of the rule.  What is not wanted in the hole is taken out.  All the incorrect behavior which is in need of discipline is removed.  The hole should be analyzed at this time.  The rules were in place, enforcement has occurred and all the wrong things have been taken aside and addressed.  Now it is time to put into the hole the correct soil or tree needed in the hole.  Once all the inappropriate behavior needing discipline is removed it is time to replace with appropriate behavior and the instilling of self discipline.  Now the new item in the new hole can be nurtured (self discipline) or monitored (adult supervision) and the appropriate item (good behavior) can start to emerge.  So to have an adult place discipline on a youth, the steps of digging of a hole must be thought of and used.  To self discipline is to achieve an understanding of the hole digging and move on to self gratification of nurturing good behavior.
Thanks for listening.