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To everyone who joined these forums at some point, and got discouraged by the negativity and left after a while (or even got literally scared off): I'm sorry.

I wasn't good enough at encouraging people to be kinder, and removing people who refuse to be kind. Encouraging people is hard, and removing people creates conflict, and I hate conflict... so that's why I wasn't better at it.

I was a very, very sensitive teen. The atmosphere of this forum as it is now, if it had existed in 1996, would probably have upset me far more than it would have helped.

I can handle quite a lot of negativity and even abuse now, but that isn't the point. I want to help people. I want to help the people who need it the most, and I want to help people like the 1996 version of me.

I'm still figuring out the best way to do that, but as it is now, these forums are doing more harm than good, and I can't keep running them.

Thank you to the few people who have tried to understand my point of view so far. I really, really appreciate you guys. You are beautiful people.

Everyone else: If after everything I've said so far, you still don't understand my motivations, I think it's unlikely that you will. We're just too different. Maybe someday in the future it might make sense, but until then, there's no point in arguing about it. I don't have the time or the energy for arguing anymore. I will focus my time and energy on people who support me, and those who need help.

-SoulRiser

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Freak Offline
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Post: #1
ReportCard

Ok I just got my report card.... Shall I explain it?

Math D (I HATE math,my math teacher doesn't like me because I'm a smart ass or something...if I'm a smart ass wouldn't that make me smart.....but then, why do I have a D?)
(I wonder were my Social studies grade is?)
Band A+ Biggrin
Orchastra A+ Biggrin
Lit-Comp D- (I'm missing 2 assignments....but I can't make them up because we had to....move on...)
science B (suprisingly I HATE atoms...and molecules....and what cellls are...and why we're here...)
Art A+ Biggrin (BTW 121%)
Grammer F(not suprised....why do we need to learn what every part of a sentence is and what eeevery word in a sentence means...., remember, memorize, repeat, forget...originally by: Ayliana
Spanish A+(believe me after my languages post I'm as suprised as you)
Well I also got a truancy ticket ticket for being tardy....(mutters) stupid 94$, well anyway let me explain I have to go from 2ed floor to first floor(locker) to 3ed floor.......we only have 4 minutes.....

One other thing: does anyone have any suggestions for my brother? He "blanks out" on tests, my mom does this too, and I do sometimes... Well for his teachers its no excuse because they say hes just a "goofball" and is trying to make an excuse....
_________________________________________________________
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
~Mark Twain

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12-30-2005 07:37 PM
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xcriteria Offline
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Global Cinema I (Incomplete)
Theories of Personality I (Incomplete)
Research Writing F
Research Design & Lab F
College Composition P (Pass... I took and passed a grammar exam to get the credits instead of taking the class)

Incomplete means I have like a year to finish some assignments in those classes, then I'll get a grade based on what I do.

I sorta quit doing work in most of my classes partway through the semester, mostly because I was doing other things or I wasn't getting much out of the assignments. By other things I mean studying, researching, etc. outside of class. I got a lot done, but unfortunately, typical school evaluation methods don't measure that sort of thing.

I'm changing my major from psychology to "liberal studies" so I probably won't need those classes I got F's in... I'm going to take CLEP exams for most of my remaining credits, and I just have to take like 5 "upper division" classes and I should be able to graduate.

freak-of-nature13 Wrote:Well I also got a truancy ticket ticket for being tardy....(mutters) stupid 94$, well anyway let me explain I have to go from 2ed floor to first floor(locker) to 3ed floor.......we only have 4 minutes.....
That's INSANE!!! How does being tardy = truancy?

freak-of-nature13 Wrote:One other thing: does anyone have any suggestions for my brother? He "blanks out" on tests, my mom does this too, and I do sometimes... Well for his teachers its no excuse because they say hes just a "goofball" and is trying to make an excuse....
By "blank out" do you mean not remembering the content when you take the test? For suggestions I'd have to know more, like, is the problem anxiety? Does this just happen during tests, or are there other situations in which it happens?

Since schools are generally not designed to provide individualized instruction and evaluation, anyone who has either difficulties or strengths that are unusual is bound to run into difficulties. There is a law, IDEA that allows people with a "documented disability" to qualify for accommodations (adjustments to rules, like during tests or with deadlines.) That can include psychological problems, "learning disorders," and sometimes giftedness (exceptionally high ability.)

Some people have a substantial discrepancy between different abilities, like being very bright in some ways but having massive difficulty in others. That's definitely the case with me, and I bet it's the case with a lot of visitors to this site, because it can make school especially frustrating. There's an interesting article on the topic, http://www.educationaloptions.com/unevenly_gifted.htm that sums up some of the patterns and problems pretty well.

But aside from ability discrepancies, there can be other neuropsychological causes of difficulty with assignments and exams. Teachers have no excuse not to look into the sources of student problems before branding them with pejorative names or otherwise blaming the problem on the student's character. In my case, even my parents had that kind of attitude about my grades (I had slightly over a D average throughout jr. high & high school.) I think every year after elementary school, including college, my grades tended to go down over the course of the year. Boredom was probably a prime factor, but I also have neuropsychological problems, attentional problems, motivational problems, and being far more capable in some respects than school gave a damn about. In my case those were never detected as legitimate problems until I started researching things after I started college. And the ability to get accommodations in college is a lot less than in earlier grade levels.

Concluding thought: since report cards are supposed to measure performance and progress, I think it's always worth asking what exactly they are and are not measuring. Like, have you learned or increased in skill in areas your grades didn't measure, either in or outside school? Also, in terms of what was measured, how much did you actually learn or improve, and were you challenged in adequate ways (not too much or too little)?

(My answers to those questions, for my last semester's grades, are that they measured very little of my actual learning, and in fact I would say I learned a lot despite being in the classes, rather than from being in them.

Peter Gray & allies launching the Alliance for Self-directed Education

ASDE Newsletters: #1 Announcement | #2 History of ASDE | #6 Education Liberation


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12-31-2005 02:05 AM
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Aya Offline
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freak-of-nature13 Wrote:memorize, repeat, forget...originally by: DAMN! sorry would some one plz tell me I'd like to give proper credit......)

Biggrin I like it when a new phrase I coined becomes popular.

Anyway, here is my report card from last quarter

U.S. History B+
English C
Life Guard Training B+
Exploring Childhood A
Psychology B+
French B
12-31-2005 03:09 AM
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ANAL_FROST!!! Offline
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i never saw my report card, but my mom saw it. my highest grade is an 83% for spanish, 70 something in PE, and the rest are in the 60s. my mom was PISSED. she works for the school and...well, you get the picture.

"...if analfrost says killpress is a fag, it must be true. anal never lies. except that time he said he never ate cat shit...that liar"
-Niles Hartley

(quote edited so ppl would know who he was talking about)
12-31-2005 11:34 AM
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xcriteria Offline
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bungalow Wrote:i never saw my report card, but my mom saw it. my highest grade is an 83% for spanish, 70 something in PE, and the rest are in the 60s. my mom was PISSED. she works for the school and...well, you get the picture.
All the more reason to protest the ridiculousness of the evaluation methods! Biggrin

Peter Gray & allies launching the Alliance for Self-directed Education

ASDE Newsletters: #1 Announcement | #2 History of ASDE | #6 Education Liberation


School Survival & Catalyst Learning Network featured on AlternativestoSchool's blog
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12-31-2005 03:32 PM
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Freak Offline
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Well bungalow I know how that is. My friend's mom is a teacher and he gets pretty much C's and D's. I practicaly live at his house and I see his mom blow up. And I edited my post to show credit Ayliana ;D.
Ok well my family have a lot of problems involving shool. All my brothers (except my oldest he dropped out when he was 16) are all in special reading classes their ages are 18,15,and 9. The only one with a disibility is my youngest brother, he has ADHD. I think the main reason is they all hate reading. I probably would be in the same classes with them but when I was in 3ed grade I started reading, and got to really like it. Well, about the "blanking out" my mom had a conversation with our principal about it, and they're going to give him extra help. They want to put him in a leadership school. (leadership is a school one of my brothers friends go to. Its a school that gives,mostly, attention to bad kids. Its for them to straiten out. They have guards there that, if you try to run(its from 7am-3pm, but you can get extra hours if your bad,(up till 8pm) well if kids try to run(believe me they do) the get tackled and restrainted!Uhoh Well about the "blanking out" he loses consentration and he forgets what he's doing, BTW this is all on tests. My mom has the same problem. (Problems tend to run around in our family, for another ex. me, my little brother, and my mom all had to go to speech classes)
Well about the difficulties in one class and abilitys in another go for us usually too. Well my Dad is very logical, my mom, not so much. Nicks really good in math and is horrible in reading. I'm sometimes good in math, it just depends on what we're doing, but I really excel in the arts(music, band, Orchastra, and art).
Well another thing is, when you talk about the report cards and what you've learned, in my worst class(grammer) the only thing I can reallt remember is how to correctly use an apostrophe.
Oh and most of the teachers in my school are quick to judge and slow to forget. Also about the truancy ticket, most poeple who get a truancy ticket aren't even skipping school. If your late to school or a class 4 times you get a 94$ ticket if your late 3 more times a 200 something ticket and if your late another 3 time or a "hibitual truancy" you get a 650$ ticket. The worst part is I have a horrible time waking up in the morning. Dead
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You can get all A+'s and still flunk life. ~Walker Percy

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12-31-2005 04:06 PM
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xcriteria Offline
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I had to go to speech class for a bit in about 2nd grade, because I couldn't pronounce RRRRRRRR.

I also have inattentive ADHD/ADD (without hyperactivity) though it wasn't diagnosed until I pressed the issue when I was 17 and in college.

I usually have a horrible time waking up in the morning too, especially when I have class. In high school I had over 10 tardies in some classes in at least one semester... and that wasn't even the first period. I remember getting called to the office for tardies in jr. high... and sent to detention in high school. What a scam, given how much I was actually learning.

That's crazy to restrain people physically unless they pose a specific threat of harm to others. If school or other institutions are so bad that people try to run, they ought to examine what's wrong with the school.

Have you considered doing homeschooling, so you're not subject to truancy laws? I guess that'd mean giving up band and so on but for people with no reason to go to school I can't see why it shouldn't be considered. Of course you still need to learn, but there are ways to do that without the cruelty and senselessness that seems to go hand in hand with school -- especially for anyone who's "different." If you plan to stick with school for 4-5 more years I suggest getting a diagnosis that gives you special accommodations; it should be possible, and you may be able to avoid that truancy nonsense if it can be explained by a professional that it's not intentional misbehavior. Half of that diagnosis stuff is politics; the diagnoses aren't so clear cut as with most physical disorders. Really, just about any time someone has significant differences, the only way to get any recognition of them is to get a diagnosis. It can be a battle, but you should be able to get the school to provide or pay for evaluations.

:: begin rant ::
It really infuriates me how much school tends to focus on trying to force students into following senseless rules using Draconian tactics, while completely ignoring the task of helping students to learn and be inspired by learning and life generally. While many students can effectively conform to school requirements, those who don't are repeatedly treated like criminals and it's no wonder many end up viewing that as their basic position in life.
:: end rant ::

Anyway... with blanking out, does it happen other than on tests? Like when trying to do assignments or non-school tasks?

I actually do very well with tests, as long as I basically know the material. But, I tend to have trouble completing assignments, especially if I've done the same kind of thing a few times and it's become boring, or if the topics aren't of interest to me. After a certain point, it's literally impossible to do the work, no matter how hard I press myself. I guess part of it is an attitude problem, but I really love doing work when I'm properly motivated.

Hating a subject can make a huge amount of difference on people's ability, and so can liking it. I guess people tend to like subjects they're good at, but I think a lot of the cause is how subjects are presented by teachers. Since most teachers and schools have developed an attitude of "students will do what we say -- or else!" instead of trying to actually engage and interest students in their subjects, a lot of time gets wasted, and potential is squandered.

Peter Gray & allies launching the Alliance for Self-directed Education

ASDE Newsletters: #1 Announcement | #2 History of ASDE | #6 Education Liberation


School Survival & Catalyst Learning Network featured on AlternativestoSchool's blog
“Mom, Dad, can I stop going to school?”

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when the Stakes are High

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12-31-2005 05:17 PM
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Freak Offline
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Yes, it is basically on tests I'll have to ask him about it though. Also he doesn't do his homework becasue it's boring and he usually doesn't know the material. Sometimes I help him with it, or ok actual I DO it but.... Well i asked my mom about unschooling. Well she doesn't like any idea of me not being in school. Also doesn't unschooling require your parents attention? Also if i qualify, I could be homeschooled in 9th grade, but they way you learn is you get a labtop and do everything on there. My brother qualified for it last year but he got held back in 8th grade this year. They're also trying to hold him back again this year! :uhoh:Then he'll be in my grade!Uhoh Well basically I looked at the unschooling thing on the alternitive thing. And I really didn't understand most of it but it seemed like this: Parents teach children what children are interestes in. Ok, I get everything ecxept the parent teaching part. My mom works a lot and there's no way she'll have time for me....

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01-01-2006 10:41 AM
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xcriteria Offline
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freak-of-nature13 Wrote:Yes, it is basically on tests I'll have to ask him about it though. Also he doesn't do his homework becasue it's boring and he usually doesn't know the material. Sometimes I help him with it, or ok actual I DO it but.... Well i asked my mom about unschooling. Well she doesn't like any idea of me not being in school.

[quote=freak-of-nature13]Also doesn't unschooling require your parents attention?

freak-of-nature13 Wrote:Also if i qualify, I could be homeschooled in 9th grade, but they way you learn is you get a labtop and do everything on there. My brother qualified for it last year but he got held back in 8th grade this year. They're also trying to hold him back again this year! :uhoh:Then he'll be in my grade!Uhoh
Is this "virtual school" that's provided trhough the public school district? Like in Wisconsin, where I've lived most of the past few years, they've actually set up online classes, like http://www.wisconsinvirtualschool.org/. Some of those might have the same problems as regular classes, if they don't allow much individualization.
freak-of-nature13 Wrote:Well basically I looked at the unschooling thing on the alternitive thing. And I really didn't understand most of it but it seemed like this: Parents teach children what children are interestes in. Ok, I get everything ecxept the parent teaching part. My mom works a lot and there's no way she'll have time for me....
There are ways to make very little parental involvement necessary -- basically, this means some combination of (1) learner taking on a lot of initiative, (2) participating in online support forums like this one, and (3) hiring something like a tutor or "learning consultant" for some assistance with selecting what to do and evalution.

In particular, it's possible to buy a curriculum that you as a student can work through on your own (or in collaboration with others locally or online.) Basically, it's a set of topics and assignments, usually purchased as a set for the whole year (for I think a few hundred $ a year.) This can help you learn the basics at your own pace, and then you have more flexibility in pursuing learning you're interested in, or that you've been convinced is worthwhile. If you could find other students in your area (or online) who are interested in doing this, you could work together on some things and get some of the social interaction you'd get out of school. I can see that if you're in band, orchestra, etc. that you might have trouble finding an equivalent activity outside of school. But there could be a community orchestra or something for young people... that's the sort of thing to look for.

A lot of parents who do homeschooling seem to do it for purposes of religious ideology, and in some cases maybe to be overcontrolling regarding what their kids learn. But what I'm advocating, and a lot of what this site is about, is the learner taking increased responsibility for learning and deciding how to go about doing it. I guess the term "unschooling" refers to that, more specifically than "homeschooling" does. But technically, it's all homeschooling if you're not enrolled in public or private schools. The exact laws for homeschooling vary by state (or country); in some states you have to take some state exams and report how much time you spend on different topics; in some states your parents simply have to notify the state you're doing homeschooling. For example, see http://homeschooling.about.com/od/legal/

about.com has a homeschooling site and the homeschool methods section might answer some questions.

I'd like to collaboratively develop a free curriculum -- sort of like wikipedia is a free encyclopedia -- plus online study groups that could augment and support independent learning. We're off to a slow start with that on the Misled Youth Network forums, and in the alternative education forum here, but hopefully progress will accellerate as more people get involved and their needs and interests become more clear. It helps a lot that people are sharing their experiences and viewpoints.

If your parents want to keep you in school, at least look into qualifying for an Individualized Education Plan, which I bet you could do. In a lot of cases that seems to be a major hassle, but at least it gives you some legal backing to request some adjustments to the typical procedures. wrightslaw.com has a bunch of info pertaining to that.

Well this is all kinda complicated... ask if you don't understand something, and we'll try to explain it or figure it out if we don't either. Smile

Peter Gray & allies launching the Alliance for Self-directed Education

ASDE Newsletters: #1 Announcement | #2 History of ASDE | #6 Education Liberation


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01-02-2006 07:14 AM
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ANAL_FROST!!! Offline
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i know this doesnt have anything to do with what were saying(well, it is about school) but my friend was sent down to the office 2 weeks ago. he was skipping school. when he came back, i said "its about you skipping school?", and he said it was for that, and for 'bypassing the system'. the school is makin up shit about him now. i know for a fact he's not a hacker.

"...if analfrost says killpress is a fag, it must be true. anal never lies. except that time he said he never ate cat shit...that liar"
-Niles Hartley

(quote edited so ppl would know who he was talking about)
01-02-2006 07:40 AM
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