Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire more of the "everyone gets a trophy" gone amuck

In what high school are the kids allowed to take ANY elective they want just to improve their GPA. There are electives, but no student gets carte blanche to just make their own schedule. Honors/advanced classes should be weighted more. Competition is healty.

This article makes no sense to me. My son is in private school, so maybe I'm missing a big piece of the puzzle. He is mandated certain classes per the curiculum. He is allowed 1 elective in each of his sophomore, junior, and senior years. Just 1 each year. That may boost his grade some, but the more heavily weighted classes should trump any elective.


Clyde

This situation and discussion bring out some interesting issues. Over the years, I have witnessed significant differences between those students who aspire to be "learners" as compared with those primarily driven to be "achievers".

Those who are deeper and sufficiently mature enough to realize that knowledge/wisdom/great skills are the highest goals of learning will seek the classes and teachers that are most likely to help them in their quest. Those students basically are in competetion with themselves and the world of learning. They seek the challenges.

At the other end of the spectrum of bright students are the ones who tend to rate themselves in comparison to the acomplishments of others and need the "marks" and the "noted achievements" for gratification. These are a different breed than those above, and quite often they will seek the easier course/teacher grading in their quest. With these students, a lot of contention can arise when the grades and "honors" are awarded.

At times the roles and vicarious experiences of parents come into play, sometimes to silly excess, and can push toward extremes. It seems sad when that factor is overbearing with regard to grades and "honors".

Of course, many good students are working between the extremes and experience varying degrees of personal outcomes and benefits. I most enjoy the students who are serious learners focused on their own development but who also have the competetive drive to give the "achievers" a good run for the medals.

Obviously you haven't visited my bathroom. There's a trophy in the bowl every morning.

Not HS, but graduating from college a friend of mine shared outstanding graduate honors with another student. Both of them had a 4.0 GPA, both were Honors Program graduates, et cetera. My friend majored in computer engineering, the other guy in history.

Would you 'fire members rank them the same?

Depends.

Were either of them democrats?

mathman - interesting question and situation, but I wouldn't begin to try to do ranking simply on the basis of the info there.