Comments on: 10 :: Ain’t No Pudding Pops http://webel.net/archives/1195 The blog and website of Lance Webel. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:39:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Lance http://webel.net/archives/1195#comment-23229 Lance Mon, 12 May 2008 14:47:02 +0000 http://webel.net/archives/1195#comment-23229 Wow ... 43? That's absolutely insane, Annie. It must be exhausting to care so much when they don't. :neutral: Wow … 43? That’s absolutely insane, Annie. It must be exhausting to care so much when they don’t.

:neutral:

]]> By: Annie http://webel.net/archives/1195#comment-23224 Annie Sun, 11 May 2008 22:57:35 +0000 http://webel.net/archives/1195#comment-23224 Obviously, I am coming from a white middle-class perspective, but I tend to agree with a lot of Cosby's comments -- and not just concerning the black community. I work with a lot of high school students, both white and black, who are more concerned about what they're wearing, what music they're listening to, and hanging out by the stairs before school instead of caring anything about their education...These have always been the concerns of teenagers, but this year especially, our whole staff has really been struggling with a huge increase of apathetic, lazy behavior of students.... For years and years of history, people fought and even risked their lives to learn how to read; they marched and protested to earn the right to an education, and now that it's totally free, there are so few kids who are willing to take the opportunity. I think parents are the essential component. Last week I made 43 phone calls home to parents of students who have already failed my English class for the year or are on the borderline. A couple of parents answered, but I left mostly messages. Not a single parent called me back! No wonder my students have been so apathetic. No wonder that I have 43 kids with F's! I'm not saying that my students are not responsible for their own grades - They are the ones who make the choices not to do their work. But when I don't hear from a single concerned parent about their child's grades...That's making a statement. I think Bill Cosby is trying to say that instead of blaming the system or waiting for the system to change, individual parents should be responsible and teach responsibility to their children. Obviously, I am coming from a white middle-class perspective, but I tend to agree with a lot of Cosby’s comments — and not just concerning the black community. I work with a lot of high school students, both white and black, who are more concerned about what they’re wearing, what music they’re listening to, and hanging out by the stairs before school instead of caring anything about their education…These have always been the concerns of teenagers, but this year especially, our whole staff has really been struggling with a huge increase of apathetic, lazy behavior of students…. For years and years of history, people fought and even risked their lives to learn how to read; they marched and protested to earn the right to an education, and now that it’s totally free, there are so few kids who are willing to take the opportunity.

I think parents are the essential component. Last week I made 43 phone calls home to parents of students who have already failed my English class for the year or are on the borderline. A couple of parents answered, but I left mostly messages. Not a single parent called me back! No wonder my students have been so apathetic. No wonder that I have 43 kids with F’s! I’m not saying that my students are not responsible for their own grades - They are the ones who make the choices not to do their work. But when I don’t hear from a single concerned parent about their child’s grades…That’s making a statement.

I think Bill Cosby is trying to say that instead of blaming the system or waiting for the system to change, individual parents should be responsible and teach responsibility to their children.

]]>