tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post5985489328372983965..comments2024-03-28T16:08:29.578-04:00Comments on Sardonicky: Educational Atrocities 101Karen Garciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612731479365562803noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-45116148660765941482014-02-19T12:25:02.712-05:002014-02-19T12:25:02.712-05:00Parents seem to care more about what their childre...Parents seem to care more about what their children are exposed to in terms of food or even vaccines than what they ingest in terms of exposure to aggression and violence. The saying 'you are what you eat' should be modified to 'you are what you expose your brain to'.<br /><br />I know two adorable kids, 2 1/2 and 5, who are the epitome of caring and thoughtfulness, very bright and well behaved. But they frequently lapse into these aggressive episodes where they pretend to shoot bad guys and monsters. Lately the little loving 2 1/2 began escalating it by saying he is going to shoot and kill his Mama and Papa and Grandma. Their parents are very conscientious and caring, so where is this coming from?<br /><br />Is it the ubiquitous American military worship where our soldiers are honored as our only 'true' heroes? They hardly watch any tv since they only get over-air stations. Video games? Or is the brain simply reverting to the more primitive animal behaviors?<br /><br />When I announced that there would be no violence or aggression around me, no gun play, no pretend shooting or anything along those lines, what happened? They turned into joyous little puppy dogs, happy and playful. They discovered that peacefulness can feel as good as aggression. But it seems almost un-American to openly and actively discourage aggression and violence in play because it is so normal in our society.<br /><br />Aggression isn't just rewarding in terms of winning competitions, it feels good. Look at some of the Olympics winners. Many contort their faces in what looks like anger, throwing their fists in the air, throwing their equipment, and roaring like conquering beasts. (The exception are those adorable young snowboarders who fall on the ground in a ecstatic group hug). <br /><br />Personally, I think the David Lynch Foundation has the right idea about promoting meditation in schools - and at home if we could be that fortunate. Meditation is proven scientifically to help the brain rewire itself to higher levels of functioning, overriding the default setting of primitive aggressive which often clouds judgment and often leads to impulsive behavior. Clearer thinking and better ability to make connections are also a benefit. <br /><br />http://www.davidlynchfoundation.organnenigmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-58598580869247906262014-02-19T06:10:48.097-05:002014-02-19T06:10:48.097-05:00I agree with Pearl - and have for a long time wond...I agree with Pearl - and have for a long time wondered why kids are acting the way they do in school. Is it the food? - because school age kids eat a constant diet of faux food - or is it the closing of society and opportunity? There isn't much hope for a lot of families and kids pick up on that hopelessness.<br /><br />I remember having a boy in my class who, the year before, picked up a chair and threw it at the teacher. He brought a knife to school and threatened one of my students. No one at school was provoking this child or mistreating him in any way yet he felt he could act this way and was very belligerent. I had a friend, a wonderful, caring teacher, leave the profession because she was threatened by one of her students for making him take off his hat in her English class. The whole thing got REALLY ugly, with him vandalizing her car and threatening to hurt her kids. Her principal said he couldn't do anything about it because the student was a special ed student - My friend was being intimidated in her own class and after a couple of months couldn't take it anymore and quit. So that is the teacher side of the issue. There are no easy answers to what should be done. Teachers and fellow students have a right to feel safe at school but what to do with the students who are considered a threat to others.<br /><br />On one hand, it seems like many problem students are spoiled or neglected - either way, they come to school with no respect for authority. They challenge their teachers for entertainment which is not only exhausting for the teacher but prevents the students who want to learn from getting the the attention and instruction they deserve. <br /><br />Yet, I wonder if this misbehavior is hiding deeper issues. So many families are financially insecure causing parents to be either absent (because they are working all the time) or depressed and angry because they can't find meaningful work - to say nothing of the burden of debt. Kids take on a lot of their family's worries and act out because they don't know what to do with uncomfortable feelings.<br /><br />It is a very complex problem. While I don't think the prison mentality is the answer, what should be done when these rough kids act out?Valerie Long Tweedienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-67007777701232725602014-02-18T14:14:11.269-05:002014-02-18T14:14:11.269-05:00Another area of concern regarding the increasing r...Another area of concern regarding the increasing reports of autistic <br />children, children whose behavior requires medicating, etc. may very well be connected to what is in the foods we and they eat. The large amounts of preservatives and other chemical additions for taste, etc. in processed foods has been shown to create problems in people's (especially children's) <br />physical reactions. I once purchased a pudding not requiring cooking which seems to be all of them now, and saw a listing for several unknown substances in the package and checked them up on the computer. They were either preservatives or artificial color or flavor enhancers which had <br />warnings on them about negative effects to the body, which could affect children more and who eat a lot of these puddings and other processed foods. <br />I myself will never buy such foods for myself and have found that I do have reactions to specific items such as artificial sugar substitutes.<br /><br />I know this seems to be a minor problem but basically it is not. One could add children not getting proper nourishment in impoverished homes which certainly affects their behavior and learning ability and which Michelle <br />Obama should have focused more on than obesity - which often goes along with poverty.<br /><br />I feel sorry for teachers trying to cope with children who are the victims of our society and should be able to teach without the restraints of children who cannot behave 'normally' due to the stress in their lives from family and society. Many give up and move to other areas of work especially when assigned to schools in impoverished areas which is a loss all around. <br />Great column Karen and very disturbing as well it should be. <br />Pearlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-4063462051544010832014-02-18T11:28:19.806-05:002014-02-18T11:28:19.806-05:00I'm sorry, but this line is silly:
"Poor...I'm sorry, but this line is silly: <br />"Poorly trained, underpaid school personnel make up their own rules as they go along."<br />It is not just a matter of "training". You can get all the training in the world, and in some cases it just isn't helpful.<br />I'm not justifying inhumane punishment, I'm just saying lets get real-- there is no magic solution to classroom disruption, but I would wager that smaller class size would help a lot.Katnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-27076465054111645552014-02-18T10:35:15.123-05:002014-02-18T10:35:15.123-05:00For all our breast drumming to the contrary, we...For all our breast drumming to the contrary, we're a strange, inhumane bunch. Not that classroom disruption and emotionally disturbed children aren't a big problem in this country (a lot of it probably resulting from that very inhumanity). Our reaction is as big a problem as the children themselves.James F Traynornoreply@blogger.com