School Projects

[Cosbydaf]

When I feel inspired by something, it brings me a lot of pleasure to put my creative thoughts to use by making something constructive.

School projects are absolutely nothing like that.

I really, really hate projects, especially writing projects. Being forced to write about something I don't care about is like pulling out teeth.

And I find it funny, because whenever a project is announced, a surge of psychic pain seems to flow throughout the classroom. It's obvious to everyone there that noone gives a rat's ass about this assignment, yet it is done anyway. I'm just baffled by the thought of a forced creative assignment. It's so oxymoronic.

There's always some rubric that you may or may not get to see (Yeah, withhold the instructions for what you'll be grading, that's gonna help), and some long list of specific directions.

just give me a worksheet and stop forcing people to pretend like they give a shit. It's sickening.

[genuine anarchist]

Don't you understand? Like everything in school, projects are supposed to help you learn to obey your corporate masters so you'll know how to do useless shit that doesn't make sense to appreciate a broad array of topics. It's not like you should spend your free time having fun learning new thingsplaying video games and not doing homework.

*please note the heavy sarcasm, if it's not obvious

Anyway, I'm with you. I hated projects growing up, especially when I was younger and my mother "got involved." Weeks of anger, her screaming, me crying, and a hell of a lot of beating ensued simply because I didn't understand why I had to do the project, or why I was forced to enter a science fair I didn't care much for. I hated it when she called me stupid for not writing a paper the right way instead of genuinely helping me get better. You shouldn't be forced to write about something you have no interest in, and if you do have an interest in the writing theme, you shouldn't be forced to modify your opinion so that it is "acceptable" and "appropriate" to the teacher.

[Cosbydaf]

When you think about it, for the most part there's nothing to school but coercion.

Learning your place at the bottom of the food chain and doing a pointless routine over and over without any real changes.

The purpose of projects seems to be to coerce people into thinking, but within strict guidelines. To show creativity (as much as most students can muster at this point), but only the kind they want to see. I guess they need students to be able to think at least a little bit or they'd be too hard to control, of course projects just make them hate thinking even more.

For those who have creativity in themselves, why waste it on something like a school project? Your effort probably won't be acknowledged or appreciated, beyond getting a passing grade or bonus points. The only exception that comes to mind is Art class. Art is something that comes from the artist's heart, and mind, and school lacks both of those.

They don't care about your personal input, how you feel about something or how much effort you put into it. They just want you to give them what they expect. Which probably isn't much, since students hate projects and most of the ones I've seen in my life where half-assed. But who could blame them?

A school supporter would retort that by saying something to effect of "Everybody has rules to follow." Which is true, but school teaches you nothing but to shut up and do what you're told.

Sure, there's plenty of information in a textbook. You could learn plenty about history or mathematics,but forcing people to memorize it isn't going to do jack shit for anybody if they're only doing it so they can get a diploma and leave.

A teacher or parent can coerce Jimmy into memorizing enough crap to write an essay or pass a Math test, but in the long run he'll just forget it. All he'll remember is how he hated being forced to do things like that, and grow up to resent math and reading altogether.

You can't force people to learn things they don't care about, and that's why public school fails.