If you were hanging out around the sea lion enclosure at the Houston Zoo on Saturday, you would've heard two things.
The first: a conversation between a group of teenagers (age estimated at 17):
Female Teen 1: "Is that a seal or an otter?"
Male Teen 1: "Do otters get this big?"
Male Teen 2: "I don't know, but I thought seals where white, not brown."
Female Teen 1: "I think these are otters."
The second: a frantic coughing fit brought on by yours truly choking on my Diet Coke during this exchange.
Did I mention their entire conversation took place not 18 inches from the conveniently placed plaque that read "California sea lion?"
Marlin, we have a problem.
What, would you rather they were out procreating?
I'm telling you, I teach 15-year-olds, and for the most part, they are fucking idiots. Okay, that might be a bit extreme, but they can't actually think. I hear shit that dumb like a soundtrack to my day. Really.
I hear equally stupid stuff from the parents most times we visit the zoo. And don't forget the moms who feel the need to Ewwwww whenever they see bats, spiders, snakes or rats.
Of course, my favorite game is to READ THE PLAQUES aloud and have people look at me as if I were the smartest person ever.
I asked a high school graduate (a member of the National Honor Society) who was a sophomore in college at the time, this question: "Who did we fight in World War 2?"
She said, "France?"
not making this up.
Half of all Americans have below average intelligence. And average is pretty low.
Well, that proves it, contrary to what my coworker asserts, "Jaywalking" on the Tonight Show is not staged. The people really are that dumb.
Basshole,
I feel your pain. I have taught 13-16 year olds and
and found it to be a dismal experience. The saddest part of all was the outraged response I received from many parents when I had the audacity to expect their children to actually study, take notes in class and complete assignments on time. I know we've travelled this road before, but I have to say it again. The main problem with public education today is THE PARENTS! I don't know one teacher who doesn't want parental involvement in the classroom. What they don't want is parental interference! Let teachers TEACH which means allowing teachers to expect students to work.
Amen. We have whole departments that won't assign homework because they know it means failing 50% of their students. No shit. The apocalypse is fucking nigh.(For the record, I love my job more than anyone I know.)
I was listening to NPR on the way to work today. The topic: state "graduation tests." You know, pass the test or you don't get your high school diploma.
Now, about 95% of the high school students here in CA ended up passing their test, which honestly better than I'd have guessed. And, as discussed above, given the generally dismal state of the average American high school student's educational status, I'm comfortable assuming the test's standards are not unrealistically high.
So the opponent of these tests gets his turn on the soap box. The crux of his argument is basically that not receiving their high school diploma would be damaging to the self-esteem of the 5% who fail.
Hmmm. Yes. I can see how bubble-wrapping the self-esteem of those who cannot grasp basic concepts in math, science, and language skills is more important than ensuring high school graduates actually possess the fundamental skills a diploma represents in the first place. Freakin' unbelievable. I get understand that for many some kids there is a language barrier that makes things more difficult. I just, for the life of me, can't figure out why that should matter.
and hey, then i get these kids at the college level and suddenly it's MY fault that they're not passing/getting an A.
i think that teachers must be more serious about education.
I think you must have narrowly missed seeing Bonnie and myself escorting the kids around the zoo on Saturday. We debated breaking into the giraffe enclosure to see the new baby giraffe, in part because baby animals are cute, but also because the idea of an angry mama giraffe makes me burst out laughing.