General update and VIT (Very Important Thoughts)

Told you I would put up another post soon.

Even though it took... more than 2 days?  Sorry about that.  It's just that there's SO MUCH going on at this school pretty much 24/7.  Between classes and seminars, athletic events, homework, SuperStudy, hall activities, and all the other unexpected bits of a day, there's also stuff like: clean your room, wash your dishes, make sure you're not attracting fruit flies to your pigsty - I mean, uh, dorm...  (I hate to say, room upkeep sometimes goes neglected; I've caused my parents a lot of grief because sometimes I wash my sheets and then go, "heck, who needs sheets?" and sleep on the mattress.  Oh well.)

That's not even counting just, you know, hanging out with friends and relaxing.  Or sleeping.  Sleep is a valuable commodity at this place, and I've transitioned (mostly) from using my free periods for homework to using them for quick, 50-minute naps.  Trying to do everything listed above in one day, and do it well, often means that I'm up till 12 or 1 a.m., or sometimes later (if I have a paper due or a test the next day).  Of course, most mornings I'm not getting up until 7:30, but still - that's not 8-10 hours of sleep.  No way.  So I try to make up for it during any free time I have during the school day.

Besides, napping doesn't just help me stay awake through the rest of my (looooong) day, it helps me de-stress a little bit.  I love NCSSM, don't get me wrong; I wouldn't trade my slot here for - um, a lot of things, like... well... um.  *This is what happens when Emmalee tries to think at 3:15 a.m.  At least it's a weekend.*  My point is, though, that I love the school, but my stress levels have gone up.  A lot.  The classes are harder, the tests are more difficult and comprehensive, the homework takes at least two hours most nights... and I still have to remember to, you know, eat, and not look like walking death in the mornings, and actually be a social, friendly human being.  You can see how that would lead to stress.  But I still manage to have fun.  (Rollerblading through the 2nd Reynolds breezeway, anyone?)  And I feel like I've had to become more independent and responsible because of the various stressors in my life, which can't be all that bad, right?

Right.

That sort of leads me into the second issue that I want to discuss right now.  It's not funny inside jokes or overheard conversations that make you double-take; it's not a lament on the cafeteria food or a complete listing of every possible location on campus with adequate Wi-Fi.  In fact, it's something I think is kind of serious, and very important, hence the designation of VIT (Very Important Thoughts).

See, today was Family Day here at NCSSM, which basically means that parents (and siblings, if they could be convinced to get out of bed before 8:00 a.m.) could come visit each of their student's classes, learn about the curriculum, and ask questions of the teachers.  I enjoyed Family Day, for the most part, but there was one thing in particular that really got under my skin - the attitudes and behaviors of some of the parents of students in my classes.  (This eventually got me to thinking about a different situation, but that's the paragraph after this next one.)

I'm all for parents that are interested in their kids' education.  However, when you start asking rapid-fire questions of your kids' teachers, on every subject from "will they be fluent after this language course?" to "and how will this help with college admissions?  how does it look on a transcript?" to "where did you do your dissertation?  what was it on?" to "I'm not sure I understand why they need to learn that in this course", it just seems like a flat-out interrogation, which the teachers here don't deserve at all.  Every teacher I've come across at this school is brilliant, knowledgeable in and enthusiastic about their subject, and more than competent for the courses they teach.  When parents demand to know this-and-this reasoning or that-and-that grading scale in an almost accusatory fashion, they sound like they don't trust their children's teachers to give them a quality education.  Not only that, but they almost seem more determined for their kid to do well (and get all A's even if it kills them, GOSH DARN IT) than the kids themselves.  *Note: I'm not saying the kids aren't motivated, but some of the parents are scary intense.*  Please, guys, tone it down a notch!  It's your student that's in high school, not you.

That, in turn, leads to another related problem.  I have multiple friends and acquaintances who are amazing, likable, smart people - and whose parents are "incredibly disappointed" in them because they don't have all A's.  And I have to say, this makes me beyond angry.  Because, quite frankly, this school is as challenging as many colleges.  Not only that, but NCSSM students are incredibly well-rounded, not just in academics, but in athletics, arts, music, clubs, community service... you name it (not to mention that the vast majority have plenty of healthy relationships with their fellow students, and actually manage to dig themselves out of the schoolwork quagmire long enough to have some fun).  And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the vast majority of NCSSM parents haven't walked in their kid's school shoes for a week, let alone a day, or even more than an hour or so.  So, parents, I say to you: If the most important thing, in your mind, is that your kid make straight A's at NCSSM, not only will you probably remain disappointed, but you'll be missing out on all the other incredible things your student is involved in, and all the accomplishments they've been working so hard for.  Today, for example, I talked to a senior who reminisced fondly about the day she got a B on an American Studies test last year.  She had been getting C's all trimester and it was a huge accomplishment for her.  She wasn't crushed because she didn't get an A - she was excited because she improved.  That's important to keep in mind.  Heck, my parents both went here, and they can tell you that, in many classes, a passing grade on a paper or assessment is something worth celebrating.  Not only that, but maybe your kid scored the winning goal in an IM soccer game the other night, or helped out at a local elementary school during one of their free periods today, or made friends with that one lonely kid who always sits alone at lunch, or understood a tough math concept they couldn't grasp before.  Grades reflect in an extremely limited way what your student is accomplishing here, and they shouldn't be the standard by which you judge your child.  All of us want to be recognized for all the hard work we do each and every day (which is a lot).  Please don't be so quick to condemn and lecture because your kid doesn't have a perfect GPA.  I guarantee, if you look for (and rejoice in) the non-academic milestones and achievements, you'll have a much better picture of your student, and a much better relationship with them to boot.

</soapbox>

Until next time :)