Posted on 06/03/2005 8:09:01 PM PDT by MRMEAN
Purple is replacing red as the color of choice for teachers. Why, you may ask? It seems that educators worry that emphatic red corrections on a homework assignment or test can be stressful, demeaning--even "frightening" for a young person. The principal of Thaddeus Stevens Elementary in Pittsburgh advises teachers to use only "pleasant-feeling tones." Major pen manufacturers appear to agree. Robert Silberman, vice president of marketing at Pilot Pen, says teachers "are trying to be positive and reinforcing rather than harsh." Michael Finn, a spokesperson for Paper Mate, approves: "This is a kinder, more gentle education system." Which color is best for children? Stephen Ahle, principal at Pacific Rim Elementary in Carlsbad, Calif., offers lavender "because it is a calming color." A calmer, gentler grading color? Are schoolchildren really so upset by corrections in primary red? Why have teachers become so careful? It seems that many adults today regard the children in their care as fragile hothouse flowers who require protection from even the remote possibility of frustration, disappointment or failure. The new solicitude goes far beyond blacklisting red pens. Many schools now discourage or prohibit competitive games such as tag or dodge ball. The rationale: too many hurt feelings. In May 2002, for example, the principal of Franklin Elementary School in Santa Monica, Calif., sent a newsletter to parents informing them that children could no longer play tag during the lunch recess. As she explained, "In this game, there is a 'victim' or 'It,' which creates a self-esteem issue." Is Anything OK? Which games are deemed safe and self-affirming? The National PTA recommends a cooperative alternative to the fiercely competitive "tug of war" called "tug of peace." Some professionals in physical education advocate activities in which children compete only with themselves, such as juggling, unicycling, pogo sticking, and even "learning to ... manipulate wheelchairs with ease." But juggling, too, poses risks. A former member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports suggests using silken scarves rather than, say, uncooperative tennis balls that lead to frustration and anxiety. "Scarves," he points out, "are soft, non-threatening, and float down slowly."
Anthony Pellegrini, a professor of early childhood education at the University of Minnesota, has done careful studies on playground dynamics. I asked him what he thought of the national movement against games such as tag and dodge ball: "It is ridiculous. Even squirrels play chase." Children who are protected from frank criticism written in "harsh" colors are gravely shortchanged. In the global economy that awaits them, young Americans will be competing with other young people from all parts of the world whose teachers do not hesitate to use red pens. What is driving the new solicitude? Too many educators, parents and camp counselors today are obsessed with boosting the self-esteem of the children in their care. These adults not only refrain from criticizing their young charges when they perform badly, they also take pains to praise them even when they've done nothing to deserve it. But two decades of research have failed to show a significant connection between high self-esteem and achievement, kindness, or good personal relationships. Unmerited self-esteem, on the other hand, is known to be associated with antisocial behavior--even criminality. Nevertheless, most of our national institutions and organizations that deal with children remain fixated on self-esteem. The Girl Scouts of America recently launched a major campaign "to address the problem of low self-esteem among 8- to 14-year-old girls." (Never mind that there is no good evidence these girls suffer a self-esteem deficit.) With the help of a $2.65million grant from Unilever (a major corporation that owns products such as Lipton and Slim Fast), its new program, "Uniquely ME!," asks girls to contemplate their own "amazing" specialness. Girls are invited to make collages celebrating themselves. They can play a getting-to-know-me game called a "Me-O-Meter." Uniquely Ridiculous One normally thinks of the Girl Scouts as an organization that fosters self-reliance and good citizenship. Me-O-Meters? How does that promote self-reliance? And is self-absorption necessarily good for young people? Yes, say the mental health experts at Girl Scout Research Center. The Uniquely ME! pamphlet tells its young readers, "This booklet is designed to help boost your self-esteem by celebrating YOU and your uniqueness. ... Having high self-esteem ... can help you lead a more successful life." The authors of Uniquely ME! and the executives at Unilever who funded it should take a careful look at an article in the January issue of Scientific American that debunks the self-esteem movement, "Exploding the Self-Esteem Myth." The authors, four prominent academic psychologists, conclude, "We have found little to indicate that indiscriminately promoting self-esteem in today's children or adults, just for being themselves, offers society any compensatory benefits beyond the seductive pleasure it brings to those engaged in the exercise." The good intentions or dedication of the self-esteem educators and Scout leaders are not in question. But their common sense is. With few exceptions, the nation's children are mentally and emotionally sound. They relish the challenge of high expectations. They can cope with red pens, tug of war and dodge ball. They can handle being "It." Christina Hoff Sommers is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. She is the co-author of One Nation under Therapy: How the Helping Culture is Eroding Self-Reliance. |
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Bingo!
from Auntie Meanie 3
Silliness to be sure.
Of course, grading in K-State purple, instead of Husker red, is a good way to subtly bias TEVALS where I teach.
(Go Cats!)
By the way, self-esteem is a vice.
(St. John Cassian enumerates it among the Eight Vices, the other seven being more familiar to Western Christians as the "Seven Deadly Sins".)
This coddling produces alot of incompetant spoiled do-nothings who expect to be complimented and praised for nothing.
Children already are little egomaniacs. Part of growing up is learning you aren't the center of the universe, and life can be hard, and that happiness is not dependent on meaningless superficial rewards.
My high school English teacher used her red pen so much that my papers came back to me looking like she had bled on them. Her comments were constructive and extenstive. She taught me to write well, and I'm grateful to her for that.
Alithos Anesti!
By all means, let's teach kids that being special means being whatever you are without even trying. Just show up and you deserve a prize.
I recall my 5th grade teacher used green for grading and that was in 1965-66. I can't remember feeling more valued by the color of his corrections.
Ok, that one made me laugh out loud. ;)
When I was in law school, I was a teaching assistant for an undergraduate business law course. It was at an exclusive university and there were plenty of students who griped at me when I only gave their papers B's. They were used to getting A's on everything. I remember telling one particularly whiny kid that she was damn lucky to have gotten her B, as her paper was not that great. She thought I was mean.
ROTFL !!!
fofl !
To any kid instilled with even a scrap of drive, 'bloodypaperphobia' can be an excellent motivator.
"self esteem" problems are cured by ONE thing......HARD work and occasional disappointments followed by occasional success.
Ms. Sommers,
My kids self esteem went into the manure pile on more than one occasion as they were growing up. Their self esteem was lower than the equator for many short periods when they committed simple stupidities more than once, not learning from the first error has a larger bite.LOL
I told them my love came free with me being their father, earning my respect came only with their performance in every area of their life.
Today their self esteem fluctuates as does their self respect but my love, pride and respect for them remains quite high because I see continual improvements in their growth as independent young adults.
Red was a common color in their young lives, occassionally on their buttocks!, and it apparently hasn't done any permanent damages to their ability to strive for higher levels of self esteem and self respect.
Every parent should be as proud as I am of the development of their children.
That is called discipline. A kid will think "the limit if I do this equals what?"
The principal of Thaddeus Stevens Elementary in Pittsburgh advises teachers to use only "pleasant-feeling tones."
Isn't that special. awwwwwwwww.
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