Susyseek2 Loc: Pennsylvania

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: That's why this country is in it's current shape! And the greedy, or the squeaky wheel keeps getting the oil... or the handouts. Unfortunately, those who are wise and educated, or take the time to become educated, are in the minority now. I feel doomed...and unable to change the path we are on. All I can do is speak out and try to help educate those who will at least think about the issues. Seems like an impossible task at this point in time.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Simple, the students from America are coming from a society that recognizes the hand out as the norm. All Mommy and Daddy have been focused on is making sure their kids are given anything and everything they could possible desire, everything with the exception of learning the true value of whatever by working or suffering for it. Parents who have worked hard all their lives naturally want their childen to have a better life than they did. These parents fail to understand that their upbringing taught them values in life. Unfortunately the only thing most parents will do is give give give to their kids and as a result of all the giving the kids do not learn the value of what they have. They do very little to preserve the value of the gifts regardless of their value. It starts with toys, then the latest style of clothing, more expensive toys, cars and then the biggee A college education. All of these are very easily set aside as they place no valued on them. They don't think about the blisters on mom and Dads hands, the put off vacations, the nicer cars for the family, things that the folks put off so they could put that little bit of extra money back for college.

The majority of the kids that come from a foreign country know the value of college and thats not just the dollar value but the true value. They are not privledged to be raised with a sense of entitlement. Working alongside their parents they learned the true value of some things in life.

Sorry hoggers, thats just me blowing of steam. I see so much waste with the youth of today I get steamed.

Susyseek2 Loc: Pennsylvania

UP-2-IT, :thumbup: :thumbup: And that is just part of the problem, but reassuring to hear someone else voice my thoughts! Thanks for your post, it is so appreciated. I don't feel so alone when I hear others who understand!

Jer Loc: Mesa, Arizona

I taught High School for a lot of years. Schools don't teach cursive, or traditional clocks.
Most students are more interested in their social lives rather that their studies.
I think they learn the stuff as long as they need it for the test and then blow it off.
But, is that any different than society in general. I heard of a lady who had hit three deer. She wanted the deer crossing changed so she won't hit anymore deer.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Remoman, some of what you mention I'm sure is correct, but I believe even more at fault than anything else is our poor teacher selection. THEY don't have to pass updated tests to keep their job. Some are there since the school was first built and just getting by 'teaching'. I feel if our students are not learning as you and I believe they should be that possibly we are teaching the wrong stuff - or just passing them to the next higher grade to keep them moving... but into what kind of world?

shealinda4 Loc: Detroit area summer and Cape Coral FL winter

Actually, that is not that unusual or an indication of intelligence. I am 66 and still have trouble with left and right and, therefore, clockwise and counter-clockwise. I think it's genetic because 2 of my girls also have that problem.

shealinda4 Loc: Detroit area summer and Cape Coral FL winter

To: Prairie Seasons,
Actually, that is not that unusual or an indication of intelligence. I am 66 and still have trouble with left and right and, therefore, clockwise and counter-clockwise. I think it's genetic because 2 of my girls also have that problem.

HOHIMER

Here is my story about the education of today’s youth.
At the grocery check-out counter my items added up to $1.26 per the computer. I handed the teenage cashier a five dollar bill, a quarter and a penny, expecting four dollar bills in change. She looked at the money I handed her for a long time and tried to hand me back the quarter and the penny several times, which I refused to take (playing with her). It was evident she did not know what to do or how much change was due. By this time the line was beginning to growing longer and longer while she pondered the problem. Finally, in desperation, she asked me: “How much do I owe you?”. I replied; “I don’t know.” (playing with her again). After a while she called for the Manager over the store’s intercom. In a little while the Manager appeared at the check-out counter to solve the problem and send me on my way with the proper amount of change in hand.

krgatlgm Loc: Las Vegas, Nv

In the Navy the rookie on the ship would get sent looking for a bucket of steam or relative bearing grease. In Hospital Corps School I got sent to Central Supply to pick up sterile fallopian tubes. Spent 3 hours in the cafeteria, "looking for them"
On the ship the rookie deckhand stood the mail buoy watch!

Add Loc: S.W.Florida

I had an eight grade algebra teacher that was a good algebra teacher,but never got my name straight,and I thought she was pretty dumb otherwise.As I got older I chalked it up as just a kids view,until she came into my store one day as a customer and I realized I had been right all along.

Susyseek2 Loc: Pennsylvania

Reply to HOHIMER... Sad isn't it... we shop at a Farmer's Market on Fridays, but everywhere though, it is the same these days. Old and young alike cannot figure out what change to give you if you hand them the extra so you can just receive dollar bills. I do this all the time, because my purse gets too heavy from all the change. It is incredible to receive all the perplexed looks when I do this. Even at my age, if there is something I don't understand, I make sure I do understand it by the next time I may be confronted with the same issue. It is called e-d-u-c-a-t-i-o-n... and you get it by being interested enough in researching it and learning it!!! There are too many people who do not care enough to improve their minds.

DougW Loc: SoCal

Was a guy in our arty battery in VN. We constantly were sending him to the other guns for gallons of muzzle blast, black out paint, boxes of grid squares etc. He was a math major with degree.

Susyseek2 Loc: Pennsylvania

Reply to DougW... Just a thought... do you think we might help the situation in this country by pulling the clueless one aside and explaining it to them. Maybe they would have a lightbulb go off in their brain :lol: :lol:

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

Nope, like raising taxes, blaming teachers is the easy way out. I remember when I was in school, taking regents chemistry, our teacher had coke bottle bottom glasses and no peripheral vision. Three of my classmates pulled every trick in the book to mess with her. She'd have to stop and try and figure out what to do. I remember thinking at the time that she's spending more then half of her day dealing with these few jerks... rather then teaching what is a hard course. Thinking back, I should have ratted them out, today I would.

Today, if she kicked them out, only then would the parents show up to complain. My wife who is a teacher, deals with this all the time. She's had students not hand in a single project, and then when she handed out zero's, only then did she get phones calls ... but to complain.... about her!!!!

Teachers should not have to baby sit, and problem children should be removed from the classroom. Teachers should be well paid or we'll get the dregs of society teaching our children. Children with aptitudes for things other then academics should have an avenue to study that is fully supported. Like they do in Germany, where they turn out the best butchers, and bakers, and mechanics..etc.etc and where they are still making stuff... real good stuff!

My wife is a good teacher, she truly cares about her kids, and she spends every extra period and time after school with any they ask. But she'd jump at the chance to get out... because of the crap.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Richie, your wife is the kind of teacher I would want my kids to learn from. My point is that there are not enough teachers like her. Of course wages are important, but something has been lost along the way. There are dedicated teachers but there are also those who nearly as uninformed as some of the students that we're talking about. Possibly they 'thought' they wanted to be a teacher, but when confronted with the real job of teaching found it was not an easy task. Even back in 'Lincoln's time', (when I was in school:o).... I can remember a few, and I mean a very few teachers who were really dedicated to their job and they taught... both by example and because they knew how to teach. So few today (in my opinion) fall into that category. In school, the main job should be to teach the students HOW to study and learn. I wonder if some of these teachers underwent the same process? Now it's unions, hours, wages.... and with some, the student is the secondary consideration. God Bless your wife! We need more like her.