Comments on: Special is as special does http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/ Blogging and teaching with hard-core attitude. Sun, 15 Jun 2008 03:02:29 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Posh http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-104 Posh Fri, 09 May 2008 07:04:54 +0000 http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-104 Yeah, some of those stupid fluff awards were just that fluff. Some were encouraging when sincere. My kid always had both. Genuine above honor honor roll. So that was cool but when she struggled it was hard to come back up because the bar was raised so high to start. She's a volleyballer. When you correct the same kid more than once, it can feel like your being picked on. It can make the player self conscious around that coach to the point they are not playing well. If you have real issues, then your coaching needs to be one on one for a bit. End result should be they learn from their mistakes and become a better player and person because of their coaching. Or in our case, they go on to play in college which is most students and coaches dreams for their students and eventually give back to their sports so they can in turn distribute those frolly awards. Yeah, some of those stupid fluff awards were just that fluff. Some were encouraging when sincere. My kid always had both. Genuine above honor honor roll. So that was cool but when she struggled it was hard to come back up because the bar was raised so high to start. She’s a volleyballer. When you correct the same kid more than once, it can feel like your being picked on. It can make the player self conscious around that coach to the point they are not playing well. If you have real issues, then your coaching needs to be one on one for a bit. End result should be they learn from their mistakes and become a better player and person because of their coaching. Or in our case, they go on to play in college which is most students and coaches dreams for their students and eventually give back to their sports so they can in turn distribute those frolly awards.

]]> By: Ellie http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-8 Ellie Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:11:09 +0000 http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-8 Building (and apparently tearing down) students' self esteem has been an issue for me in the last couple of week. I both coach and teach at the 7th grade level. The problem has come up on my volleyball team. I am aware that many 7th grade girls have fragile self esteem and make a conscious effort to be very positive. I also feel that as a coach (and a teacher) it is my job to point out when students are doing things wrong to help them to learn from their mistakes. Twice in one week I was called out by parents because I pointed out something their child was doing wrong in front of their peers at practice (one was having a cell phone out during practice, the other was the girl wasn't swinging though her attacks). One e-mail said that it is okay to make children positive examples in front of their peers, but if I have something negative to say it should be private, always, apparently even if their teammates could learn something from their incorrect technique. These girls are 12 and 13 years old, at what point do we stop coddling them? How are they going to survive in the real world? <strong><em>Hey Ellie - Thanks for dropping by. Coaching sports is a bit different, I think, than the classroom situation. I do both as well (basketball, in my case). I'm known as being rather intense, cheering loudly when one of my girls bangs it, but also when someone messes up a play, or worse, just plumb refuses to listen to my coaching. In team sports, the entire team certainly does benefit from the mistakes of teammates. I have no problems with that. But hey, that aside, I believe that positive self esteem comes arises from genuine achievement. And to those parents who yap, ask them if they would like to take up coaching the team, sacrificing dozens of hours a season, and taking coaching clinics to improve themselves. Then tell them to shut up. Alexi</em></strong> Building (and apparently tearing down) students’ self esteem has been an issue for me in the last couple of week. I both coach and teach at the 7th grade level. The problem has come up on my volleyball team. I am aware that many 7th grade girls have fragile self esteem and make a conscious effort to be very positive. I also feel that as a coach (and a teacher) it is my job to point out when students are doing things wrong to help them to learn from their mistakes. Twice in one week I was called out by parents because I pointed out something their child was doing wrong in front of their peers at practice (one was having a cell phone out during practice, the other was the girl wasn’t swinging though her attacks). One e-mail said that it is okay to make children positive examples in front of their peers, but if I have something negative to say it should be private, always, apparently even if their teammates could learn something from their incorrect technique. These girls are 12 and 13 years old, at what point do we stop coddling them? How are they going to survive in the real world?

Hey Ellie – Thanks for dropping by.

Coaching sports is a bit different, I think, than the classroom situation. I do both as well (basketball, in my case). I’m known as being rather intense, cheering loudly when one of my girls bangs it, but also when someone messes up a play, or worse, just plumb refuses to listen to my coaching. In team sports, the entire team certainly does benefit from the mistakes of teammates. I have no problems with that.

But hey, that aside, I believe that positive self esteem comes arises from genuine achievement.

And to those parents who yap, ask them if they would like to take up coaching the team, sacrificing dozens of hours a season, and taking coaching clinics to improve themselves.

Then tell them to shut up.

Alexi

]]> By: Bits of Wisdom from the Edusphere « Teaching in the Twenty-First Century http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-7 Bits of Wisdom from the Edusphere « Teaching in the Twenty-First Century Thu, 08 Mar 2007 04:04:22 +0000 http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-7 [...] up-Teacher with a Bad Attitude-on trendy-self-esteem inspiring-award giving behavior. I wonder what will happen when the great [...] [...] up-Teacher with a Bad Attitude-on trendy-self-esteem inspiring-award giving behavior. I wonder what will happen when the great [...]

]]> By: Mister Teacher http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-6 Mister Teacher Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:35:33 +0000 http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-6 Well said! I'd like to present you with a "Great Posts in Blogging Award" (suitable for framing). Hmmm, but then I'd have to give one to everybody... :) <strong> <em>You've hurt my self esteem. May I sue? Alexi</em></strong> Well said!

I’d like to present you with a “Great Posts in Blogging Award” (suitable for framing). Hmmm, but then I’d have to give one to everybody…

:)

You’ve hurt my self esteem. May I sue?

Alexi

]]> By: aquiram http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-5 aquiram Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:23:15 +0000 http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-5 I understand completely. My daughter previously attended a school where the awards assembly at the end of the year featured more awards for those "special" kids than the true achievers. Now, she attends a charter school and her first true run of honor roll, which also just became a bit more difficult to achieve, is over. I was glad to see it was a true honor roll-not a happy happy joy joy gathering of people who need to make everyone feel great. <em><strong>There are ways around it, ways that genuinely acknowledge true achievement. And I'm not so sure that those sad sacks don't gain at least a little bit by watching the fruits of that achievement. Alexi</strong></em> I understand completely. My daughter previously attended a school where the awards assembly at the end of the year featured more awards for those “special” kids than the true achievers. Now, she attends a charter school and her first true run of honor roll, which also just became a bit more difficult to achieve, is over. I was glad to see it was a true honor roll-not a happy happy joy joy gathering of people who need to make everyone feel great.

There are ways around it, ways that genuinely acknowledge true achievement. And I’m not so sure that those sad sacks don’t gain at least a little bit by watching the fruits of that achievement.

Alexi

]]> By: Carnival of Education at Joanne Jacobs http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-4 Carnival of Education at Joanne Jacobs Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:58:10 +0000 http://badteacher.wordpress.com/2007/03/05/8/#comment-4 [...] with a Bad Attitude questions the wisdom of giving awards to every student, including Satan Jr. Basically, every single student gets a “certificate of [...] [...] with a Bad Attitude questions the wisdom of giving awards to every student, including Satan Jr. Basically, every single student gets a “certificate of [...]

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