I had already selected classes I wanted on my paper schedule, now all my counselor needed to say was "looks good thanks!" Unfortunately, she looked at my paper, looked and me and blurted out, "you know if you take this class, you won't be on our track for college, so I won't counsel you to be college prep anymore". The class she was referring to was my Ag class. I replied that it was fine and she took a red pen and crossed out my name on her "college prep" list in her scheduling binder. From that day on, she never met with me again to schedule classes. I continued to fill out the papers each year so that I would have all the requirements for a CSU-- by myself. When other kids in my classes got call slips for scheduling, I just dropped off my paper schedule in the office.
Having someone completely ignore my existence for taking a different path than she thought I should, did not hurt my feelings. It really shaped my high school experience, because I knew that not only did other kids think Ag was lame, but adults did too. I think that is one of the reasons I enjoyed college so much? Yes, college life is good but I think I enjoyed the experience because I was around people who had the same appreciation for agriculture that I do. I felt empowered by going to college because I was simply around people who were like me... Well had the same interests, anyway.
I very much appreciate my high school experience because it taught me that if I wanted something, I had to work for it to make it happen. I wanted to go straight to a CSU and therefore, I had to make it happen because I loved agriculture and no adult at my school understood that I could have my cake and eat it too!
I think I had forgotten the subconscious fight I had while in high school? I had forgotten that some people just don't get that agriculture classes are important? I had forgotten that not everyone values people who work hard within the agriculture industry? Until recently. It's an interesting thing to work diligently through high school, then college and even grad school to then have someone tell you that none of it matters. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I know I do a good job for myself and my students. If you disagree-- please stop reading my blog lol.
People forget that every person who attends high school is going to have some impact on our community. Good or bad, high school teachers have the ability to put some pressure on kids to make sure it's a good impact. That is the hope right? Making kids into community minded citizens who will contribute? By not providing different outlets for kids to find what they are good at, we will stifle communities. If we make every kid do the exact same thing and take the exact same classes, some will always feel like they are not good enough. They will live the rest of their life thinking it too. But if kids find out what they are interested in and excel at it, why should we cross their name off the list? Just because it doesn't fit into the cookie cutter mold? Last time I checked, plumbers don't go to a 4 year college, yet they are successful community members whose work is important.
My question is... Why do people who go to school for long periods of time think they are so smart? Now, don't get me wrong, I got my Master's-- but just because I took some classes and wrote a paper doesn't mean I am smarter than a teacher that didn't??? I think anyone who puts in the time to get experience working, is way more knowledgeable than someone who didn't. They understand the process more than a person who learned about it in a classroom. Takes me back to part of the FFA motto, "Learning to Do, Doing to Learn..." If teachers, administrators, everyone and anyone took that approach, we might start being successful in the grand scheme of life. We need more people who are learning to work, more learning to be good people, more who want to succeed and more who have dreams.
One of the things I am certain of... Every kid is innately good, it's the processes and influences that change that. Every kid has more potential than they are ever given credit for because some adult somewhere, doesn't recognize it. Get to know kids, do what's best for them to help them succeed! Pretty simple.
These are the reasons I love my job, regardless of someone else's opinion of my qualifications...
Having someone completely ignore my existence for taking a different path than she thought I should, did not hurt my feelings. It really shaped my high school experience, because I knew that not only did other kids think Ag was lame, but adults did too. I think that is one of the reasons I enjoyed college so much? Yes, college life is good but I think I enjoyed the experience because I was around people who had the same appreciation for agriculture that I do. I felt empowered by going to college because I was simply around people who were like me... Well had the same interests, anyway.
I very much appreciate my high school experience because it taught me that if I wanted something, I had to work for it to make it happen. I wanted to go straight to a CSU and therefore, I had to make it happen because I loved agriculture and no adult at my school understood that I could have my cake and eat it too!
I think I had forgotten the subconscious fight I had while in high school? I had forgotten that some people just don't get that agriculture classes are important? I had forgotten that not everyone values people who work hard within the agriculture industry? Until recently. It's an interesting thing to work diligently through high school, then college and even grad school to then have someone tell you that none of it matters. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I know I do a good job for myself and my students. If you disagree-- please stop reading my blog lol.
People forget that every person who attends high school is going to have some impact on our community. Good or bad, high school teachers have the ability to put some pressure on kids to make sure it's a good impact. That is the hope right? Making kids into community minded citizens who will contribute? By not providing different outlets for kids to find what they are good at, we will stifle communities. If we make every kid do the exact same thing and take the exact same classes, some will always feel like they are not good enough. They will live the rest of their life thinking it too. But if kids find out what they are interested in and excel at it, why should we cross their name off the list? Just because it doesn't fit into the cookie cutter mold? Last time I checked, plumbers don't go to a 4 year college, yet they are successful community members whose work is important.
My question is... Why do people who go to school for long periods of time think they are so smart? Now, don't get me wrong, I got my Master's-- but just because I took some classes and wrote a paper doesn't mean I am smarter than a teacher that didn't??? I think anyone who puts in the time to get experience working, is way more knowledgeable than someone who didn't. They understand the process more than a person who learned about it in a classroom. Takes me back to part of the FFA motto, "Learning to Do, Doing to Learn..." If teachers, administrators, everyone and anyone took that approach, we might start being successful in the grand scheme of life. We need more people who are learning to work, more learning to be good people, more who want to succeed and more who have dreams.
One of the things I am certain of... Every kid is innately good, it's the processes and influences that change that. Every kid has more potential than they are ever given credit for because some adult somewhere, doesn't recognize it. Get to know kids, do what's best for them to help them succeed! Pretty simple.
These are the reasons I love my job, regardless of someone else's opinion of my qualifications...
