Happy Summer Solstice!

[Sanjay]

Aw shucks! I can't believe I forgot the solstice. Equinoxes and solstices are among my favorite almost holidays.

[Kimra]

Yay, the darkness is retreating from our cold little world! More sunlight for us, and less rambling from stupid people about how it wouldn't get dark so quick if we had daylight savings, completely ignoring the fact daylight savings is not even applied during winter!

Day light savings should die. A lot. It's so stupid, if you want an extra hour of sunlight, wake up earlier don't make everyone else do it too.

[LordRetard]

Daylight savings causes tons of problems, but the kicker is that it increases electricity usage. Aside from that there doesn't seem to be any proper conclusion as to if it makes anything better or worse. I don't think anyone really thought it through when they gave the go-ahead to it, and the research is still lacking, after almost 100 years.

[Kimra]

The best thing about daylight saving where I'm from? It happens about a weak before the final highschool exams. So you get a whole lot of students who don't know or don't remember... all that sort of stuff. Pretty impressive considering the importance put on those exams (I failed mine, but I was totally on time).

[LordRetard]

I think I get it... Only the students who remember will show up, whereas the ones who are lazy or forgetful or unmotivated will not. That actually makes a lot of sense to me, what with how our schools are designed to work, with the exception that I've always thought that it was a bad way to run a school. They're always way more interested in passing kids who are hard workers or punctual or able to remember about facts and homework assignments, as opposed to kids who are actually intelligent and might actually do something cool. That is, of course, why I was persecuted through my entire grade school career!*

*Also I have on record from my own mother, who homeschooled me for about two years, that I was just a lousy student, which was undeniably true, but it was a rude thing to say.

[astasia]

I think I get it... Only the students who remember will show up, whereas the ones who are lazy or forgetful or unmotivated will not. That actually makes a lot of sense to me, what with how our schools are designed to work, with the exception that I've always thought that it was a bad way to run a school. They're always way more interested in passing kids who are hard workers or punctual or able to remember about facts and homework assignments, as opposed to kids who are actually intelligent and might actually do something cool. That is, of course, why I was persecuted through my entire grade school career!*

*Also I have on record from my own mother, who homeschooled me for about two years, that I was just a lousy student, which was undeniably true, but it was a rude thing to say.

But you forget that when it comes to actually holding down a job and being a useful member of society, it doesn't matter how smart you are if you are lazy, forgetful, and unmotivated. School is about training and socializing children in order to be productive citizens.

[Kimra]

Yay for the machine that is school and the way we institutionalise children into a format that our society feels it can handle. I'm studying education right now, so I get to read about it lots. Isn't it funny that teachers know the system is about uniform and suppression of nature, but so little is done about it?

[astasia]

Yay for the machine that is school and the way we institutionalise children into a format that our society feels it can handle. I'm studying education right now, so I get to read about it lots. Isn't it funny that teachers know the system is about uniform and suppression of nature, but so little is done about it?

Yup.

I just finished my degree to be a teacher.

I do not want to do the whole suppression of nature and uniformity, however, in large part, that is what is dictated by NCLB and by school districts. I do not think you can really blame the individual teachers as much as the institution. Teachers are currently punished for individuality and refusal to conform, themselves. It is the larger system that needs an overhaul - at least at first.

However, some things, like socializing appropriate behavior in group settings, politeness, and tolerance are things that I believe are important. And, I am very frustrated when I meet adults who do not realize how they should behave in group settings (are loud, aggressive, impolite, intolerant, impatient, etc.), and often wish I could correct them and properly socialize them so that everyone else in the group is able to feel like their ideas are important, that they are in a safe environment, and that bullying is not an acceptable way to get what one wants or to get others to listen to their ideas. (However, currently, that may not be true, but, I wish it was.)

[Kimra]

Astasia you just wrote a really nice reflection on the topic, and if I could keep my eyes focused long enough to read the words I would even engage in a conversation regarding it. However I can't, so I'll leave it for now and read it properly tomorrow. Because you totally wanted to know that right?

[Cirtur]

It's 5 o'clock for you! That's so crazy.

[Kimra]

Nope, 2am. Same time zone as Sydney. Still crazy for me though. I need sleep soon.

[LordRetard]

But you forget that when it comes to actually holding down a job and being a useful member of society, it doesn't matter how smart you are if you are lazy, forgetful, and unmotivated. School is about training and socializing children in order to be productive citizens.

Pfft, I have a job right now. How the fuck did that happen? Gwahah. I also have a GPA that doesn't bring shame unto my family, so it was okay that I didn't do anything in high school and can't remember anything beyond a few minutes. I think I'm working today.

[AHMETxRock]

It's a gauge. If you suck in school, you can still do well, but if you do well in school people have already seen you prove yourself.
I am against the conformity and lack of expression, but many teachers encourage you to develope as a person. Perhaps those higher up might lose sight of the real education process that happens between student and teacher and tries to make an assembly-line version of education in school, but this is not that common and it's mostly the suits in the govamint trying to keep you down.

It is flawed like everything else. But really, I've met a ton of bastards that just don't give a shit, and a person doesn't need to hire you just because you need to eat.

[LordRetard]

a person doesn't need to hire you just because you need to eat.

Are you sure? I have a job. I don't even have any skills beyond knowing the alphabet (admittedly it's most of the job). And my union just throws money at me.

[AHMETxRock]

You at least went and got an education however. You can speak good. They have some evidence that you can accomplish something.

Sorry, you are less of a failure than you think.