Ahh yes, the ever interesting debate [and it was a great conversation ashley!
] I was mentioning that I wasnt sure how/if I wanted to post it, but since its here! This is going to be another one of those headache in august discussions!
This discussion has passed around several times, and last night I was talking with our new teacher about it. We were trying to figure out ways to really motivate the students, to get them to get up and take action. I really like our team, and they are really hard workers, but its usually when a goal is set for them (and I see this with a lot of other teams). So someone (usually a mentor) has to step up and take charge, then the troops will eagerly follow.
But of course this dissolved into the "why" is this? "Why" dont students just get up and take charge themselves? Its being handed to them, they have great ideas, brainstorming is awesome, they will do tons of work if I throw it on the calendar... so why is it that so few of them will actually take ownership of a new idea and run off with it?
We decided a lot of it had to do with the way society is today. The famous "Its not my fault I spilled hot coffee on myself, McDonalds makes it too hot!!" So we sue McDonalds... come on! Lets blame our problems on everyone but ourselves. And its getting rediculous, I know teachers who ARE NOT allowed to fail students in elementry and middle school (like ashley mentions) because it will hurt their self esteem... well what about when they get to high school and cant multiply 9*8?!? Let alone do algebra or calculus problems!
Lets help these kids learn, but show them that there are consequences. Its like the parents who flip out because their 8 year old kid played a first person shooter game on xbox... well who let them buy the game? who taught them that at that age it was ok to shoot things? When I was a kid (and this really wasnt all that long ago!!) I knew what right and wrong were... I knew that there were consequences to making the wrong choices. But there are also so many benefits to making the right choices, to standing up and taking action, to becoming a leader.
Too many parents are protecting their kids from the harms of the great big bad world these days... I say let them experience it. Let them get hurt, but be there to help them pick themselves up. The world is real, and it will be much more of a shock if they are sheltered from it.
I could have gone through college like any other kid, graduated and become an engineer... but I chose to step up and start two FIRST teams... I wanted to lead, I wanted to inspire. But in high school there were others like that, we had a whole group of us, any of whom would come up with an idea, present it and then run with it. When I was a SOPHOMORE, I was convinced that there was a magic way to win the competition... "the magic bean", none of the engineers would believe me... so I sat down and sketched it out, one of the engineers took interest... together he and I built it, with my lead. And it worked! We didnt use it on the robot... but I learned so much, I learned that with a little creative geometry, I could engineer!
So what happened to those days? The days where there were so many student leaders... where kids lead because they wanted to, not because it looked good on their transcript??
Stepping back, the reason I am still so in love with FIRST is I still see so many students involved in FIRST who are willing to lead (so FIRST students, dont think Im bashing you), but my ponderance is how to I break through to those students who have that potential, but are still feeling sheltered... how do I bring out the leader in them, or just get them to take ownership (instead of me giving it to them). And no offense to the leaders, but I kind of want to hear this answer out of those of you who arent yet leaders, or mentors/students that have experience bringing this out in others.
And perhaps I already know the answer, its in the one on one, personal interaction day to day with students, where they see us as leaders, we believe in them, and they realize their potential... but some days I wish the rest of them would just wake up and see what they are really capable of.
Ok I typed enough... who cares about sleep! lol.
*holy cow that was longer than I realized now that I see it posted... my apologies if you made it this far!!*