Learning Beyond the No Child Left Behind Act

This morning while watching the Today show, the topic came up about a teacher who taught kindergarten/first grade at an elementary here in the U.S. The teacher wrote a letter of resignation and sent it to the Huffington Post in effort to highlight her dismay in society surrounding the disconnect between teaching, learning and standardize testing, in short the No Child Left Behind Act.  The teacher explained in detail that she was leaving her position as a teacher because she felt that she taught primarily to appease the “Test” scores and often felt she was doing a disservice to several children who could have used attention in different areas and in the end, many students do not test well.  With pressure on both students and teachers to preform, the teacher came to the conclusion that her job was no longer a fit for her and to paraphrase her statement, “I didn’t leave my job, my job left me.”

The No Child Left Behind Act was instated back in 2002 under President Bush and congress in an effort to “close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice, so that no child is left behind.”  The bill was praised by republicans and democrats alike and held a pretty consistent and overwhelming belief among the public that it was indeed the right choice for youth advancement and bridging the gap between standard students and those of disadvantage.  I was certainly one of those individuals on the bandwagon.  I thought that there were several areas in the early education that could be better off.  Besides, a little pressure to set higher standards should positively affect both students, teachers and ultimately society in the long run.  However, I’m not sure if I, or others truly understood the magnitude of the new qualifications and other certain aspects like funding and curriculum, and how those factors would be impacted so drastically in attempt to withhold these new standards.   Hence, standardize testing.

Standardize testing has been debated for centuries. While I hold a pretty strong belief against standardized testing, I’m also a firm believer that there has to be some sort of a happy median between standardized testing and the alternative; a more creative, effortless form of teaching that varies from one to teacher to the next and has no barriers in their style or teaching outcome.  There’s one idea that standardize testing is absolutely an unfair assessment of one’s knowledge or curriculum, yet there’s another idea that some teachers need better structuring and guidance as to what’s important to these young learning brains, so no child is left behind. I’ve had the disservice of having both ends of the spectrum.  There’s the teacher who clocks in and out, who does the bare minimum to get by and could care less if students were more interested in napping than mathematics; then there’s the counterpart individual who was so focused on testing, it was not only extremely frustrating and difficult, it for me was more of an insult to demean me down to a silly test and hold me accountable on strictly those test scores alone. 

To be fair, I’ve had the privilege of having a healthy contrast between both ideas in some early education, but mainly during my undergrads at UM-Flint.  Regardless, at the end of the day I think the government on both a federal and state levels need to take a look at what’s being asked of, and in turn what’s suffering because of these implications and standards.   I think more often than not, particularly in the relationship among government and the academic world, that there’s this all or nothing attitude, when really compromises are crucial to succeed.  On one hand we have congress who, by all means have good intentions, yet seem a little out of sorts as to where attention should be focused, so they blanket the academic world in an effort to cover all the nooks and crannies. On the other hand, we have the academia who perhaps gets stuck in old habits and become complacent to structure and day to day activities, which can ultimately lead down a path of overwhelming disservice to students.  The disconnect is apparent and I think it’s worthy of some attention, focusing on these insights and moving towards how to remedy such situations, for the betterment of all society.  
I'm no longer really involved in the academic realm, I'm not an expert on the topic by any means, nor have any involvement in instruction, however I did spend nearly the last 20 something odd years as a student and I thought it was all insightful food for thought at the very least.  

Patiently Evolving

We’re quickly approaching the third the month of 2014, how’s that New Year’s Resolution going?   Sick of winter yet?  Are you still doubting climate change is a real problem?  If you’re like many, your answers look something like this; not good, yes and maybe - why do they call it global warming if it’s not warm (one of my personal favorites). Nonetheless, I’m hoping this New Year is treating you right and you’re strolling down that bright path of life.  I can’t necessarily say it’s been a cake walk here on my end, but rather a work in progress.  It’s fascinating to me when you have this ‘can do’ attitude, you think you have everything figured out, you believe you’re indeed superwoman, then everything comes to a screeching halt and before you know it, you’re left wondering what happened?  Without getting too detailed in what’s been occurring, I wanted to put something on paper and discuss change.  Evolving as a person is a must.  I know far too many men and women who never quite evolve into full adulthood, but rather do what they deem as necessary, continue with childish antics and become a part of society’s herd. It’s an all too familiar tale.  That’s the last person I want to be.  I can appreciate getting stuck in ruts, not rocking the boat and doing what’s needed to get by, but at the end of the day, are you really living?  Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and making choices to benefit you and your loved ones are essential to lead a fulfilled life.  One thing I never want to do, is look back 10-20 years ago and ask, what if?  The choices may not always be clear cut or easy to make, but at the end of the day, you only have one go at life and it would be a shame not to explore any and all opportunities presented.  Things don't necessarily happen overnight,  remain patient and have faith that things will eventually work themselves out. Just know, you’ll be a better person for saying you tried, regardless of the outcome. 

"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is Nature's inexorable imperative." H.G.  Wells

Body Image Issues / The Biggest Loser = Rachel

I have a confession, I watch The Biggest Loser on a fairly regular basis.  For those of you who live under a rock, The Biggest Loser is a “game show,” that gives extremely overweight individuals a chance to shed the pounds with extreme measures of dieting and exercising, all with the hopes of not only losing lbs but also winning a hefty cash prize for the biggest loser.  By placing the contestants on a “ranch” with little to no communication with the outside world, the contestants are left in the hands of trainers and nutritionists who push their physical and mental capabilities to the brink.  While there are several positive outcomes from a show like this, it’s fair to say “The Biggest Loser” has also been scrutinized for its extreme measures and its nearly impossible to stick to regimen.  Case in point, last night’s finale episode.  During the finale, we learn the winner, Rachel, went from a size 20, 260 lbs to a size 0/2, a mere 105 lbs.  Rachel lost 60% of her body mass.  Let me repeat that, Rachel lost 60% of herself while on The Biggest Loser.  A transformation as extreme as Rachel’s case, is something that would be more appropriate for The Swan, a controversial tv show that used plastic surgery to transformed people from their ugly duckling selves into beautiful swans.  Rachel looked bone thin.  The before and after picture didn't give me a sense of ‘wow you did it, you look great,’ but rather I thought to myself ‘you not only look like a different person, you look like you suffer from an eating disorder.’  And don’t just take my word for it, trainers Bob and Jillian’s faces said 1,000 words when Rachel walked across the stage. They too had a look on their face that was of disbelief and shock.  Whether Rachel took her exercise regimen to an extreme, cut too many calories, or stopped eating in general, the possibilities are endless and regardless, Rachel may need to take step back from the spotlight, remove her contestant name badge and reevaluate her new found weight loss and how to move forward in life with a healthy balance.   As the extreme body image scrutinizing society we are, I hope this made other people stop and think that we’re taking things too far.  It’s one thing to be healthy and a completely different thing to be obsessively healthy by setting unrealistic diet and exercise regimens to measures to live by.  I commend The Biggest Loser for the countless positive, feel good stories, however Rachel and last night’s finale presented an enormous red flag that surely got my attention and the attention of countless others on social media. 

PS-

Let’s also not forget, earlier this week Gwen Stefani, lead singer of No Doubt, was scrutinized for tweeting a throwback picture of her “chubby self.”  While her body image may have been “chubby” by her standards, the rest of the world saw someone that was maybe a size 6 who looked completely healthy and by all means “a normal and healthy weight.”  I couldn’t agree more.  What I saw, was a ridiculous 80s outfit that you were wearing that would make anyone look large.  You were probably a size 4-6 and for that, shame on you and your name calling.  You can have your own expectations for yourself, but when it comes to using shameful words like “chubby,” I’d advise to choose your words more carefully and perhaps don’t add fuel to a society where people are taking their own lives daily because they’re “chubby.” #Accountability 

Say - Something

I’m coming to the realization that I may have a slight case of ADD, particularly when it comes to composition.  On a regular basis my brain is increasingly overloaded with different thoughts, ideas and influences that may aid in my composing, yet too often the words never hit paper.  It’s similar to a reverse writer’s block.  Such attributes are both a blessing and a curse.  It’s wonderful to have lots of things to say, yet irrelevant if not voiced.

What I find comical is the diverse thoughts that offer inspiration. Most days I find myself wanting to rant, yet who wants to hear someone complain on a regular basis?  Other days I want to simply throw some ideas and beliefs out there in the universe to see if what I can fish.  Some days I have an urge to share some fictional characters by tapping into my not-so creative part of the brain, for sheer giggles and the slight challenge.  Nonetheless, bear with me while I sort through my internal chaos.  First blog up to bat soon will not necessarily be something prolific, endearing or close to stimulating, but I promise it’ll be something instead of nothing.  Cheers.

Happy freakin' New Year!

Just now, I went and re-read every post I've published here online. I'm not going to lie, I may have shed a tear.  I miss "this," wholeheartedly.  Perhaps the most comical part of my tear, I write these posts mainly for myself.  I'm confident the two people who did frequent my blog, have longed stopped checking, for, as my last post implies, I'm a slacker! Well, I say let's give this another go.  I really, truly enjoy writing and think it's important to get back to some intellectual stimulation and to put my writings out in the universe for others (1-2 people) to, at the very least, have the chance to skim through. More than any notoriety that could and most likely will not come from something like this, it's by far more genuinely pleasing for my soul above all else.

New Year, new resolution?  Bull shit.  I'm not about to climb on that bandwagon anymore.  I don't understand the unwavering and never ending idea that a new year can bring out a new you.  Time waits for no one. If you're waiting for the calendar to read January 1st to make these changes that you so desperately want to exercise, you're both waiting too long and most likely, waiting to set yourself up for failure. I can appreciate the "rah-rah" hype that's been instilled in us and magnified by corporate American and the media, however the whole concept of a New Year's resolution is nothing more than false hope.  By all means, changing yourself for the better is a great concept each and everyday, but if you're simply waiting for something magical to happen in January, I'm sorry to say you're likely  going to be SOL.  With that said,  throughout the year and your short, short time here on earth, remember to try to keep things in check and embrace change when you're really ready to do so.  The biggest obstacle that comes between you and being happy or doing what's right, is yourself.  Allow yourself to take chances, practice gratitude and go that extra mile and by all means, reward yourself when you achieve goals.  At the end of the day, life's too short to wait for change and you'll get left behind warming the bench.

Slacking....

Unfortunately I have become a slacker; a blog writing slacker to be exact....

Averaging my time between working, working out, hanging out with friends, making time for family, cleaning, lawn work (a new add on to the list thanks to Spring), a funeral here and there and vacationing in Florida for a week, I've let down my blog and my 3 readers.  I will do better, promise.

xoxo,
Lisa

This Is Me Trying To Find Myself ;)

Healthy competition?

To say I’m a competitive person is an understatement.     I wouldn’t go as far to say I’m a sore loser, but I’m a sore loser.  I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been overly competitive my entire life.  Growing up in a small town with two older brothers, I’ve always felt the need to be better than everyone else, so much so that when my 10^th grade basketball coach moved me out of the starting rotation, I quit the team.  I don’t like to do things I’m not good at, period.  I don’t necessarily need to be the best at something, but mediocrity is not an option.  I’ve tried to change my ways and accept the fact that I can’t be good at everything, but I can’t get it through my thick scull.  Take for example bowling, I suck at bowling, therefore I don’t bowl.  It’s deductive reasoning at its finest.  I’m pretty good at cleaning, therefore I clean a lot.  Now I know what you’re thinking, bowling is fun, or winning isn’t everything, or my personal favorite don’t compete with others, compete with yourself, all in which are incredibly true statements for a majority of people out there, I simply have a hard time believing in these relatively simple and factual statements personally.  Take for instance the gym.  I’m a pretty avid exerciser and do my best to push myself out of my comfort zone, but you know what really pushes me to excel out of that comfort zone, the skinny bitch two treadmills down who should put up her kicks and grab a doughnut.  Or my favorite, the 50 year old dude who is running laps around me.   No offense to him and it’s awesome that he’s in such great shape, but I refuse to be lapped by someone twice my age, hence I kick it into high gear and prove something, what that something is, I’m not sure half the time.  I’m beginning to convince myself it’s proving the fact that I’m overly competitive, selfish and an asshole in more ways than one.  Hopefully putting this on paper will offer me a moment to reflect and change some of these ridiculous tendencies I’ve embraced most of my life.  After all, competition can be healthy and a good attribute to an individual, when it’s not abused.  I do think I’m my own worst enemy in a lot of ways and at the end of the day, I need to step back and realize that being over competitive is exhausting and ultimately, an unfair standard to abide by.