My asian friend
Goals & Obstacles
It seems to be that we, people who are superior in intellectual abilities than the average grade, are not doing many things that we could do to achieve the goal that we wanted ever since at a very young age. The common goal, to go to a good university, receive a good career, and live a fulfilling life. Many factors in life prevent us from reaching that goal (ex. girls, drugs, porn, alcohol, friends…), and we are doing our best to prevent these obstacles from getting in our way and blur our visions. But sometimes, it is so difficult that even for the best people in the world couldn't control their innocent selves, thus their visions are temporarily blurred.
This is a cycle.
After our visions are blurred, we decide to go along with the flow. And this is a mistake. How very cruel that we are absolutely not informed of it when it happens to us. What exactly is going along with the flow? An example would be doing things that are normally done: everyone failed that quiz on Monday, it's okay for me to fail as well.
Truth
It is highly possible for us to go to a world renowned university if we do certain things that others choose not to do. Very simple things such as taking classes outside of school for all your subjects (even the ones you are good in), and master life. How can we master life? Well this is what I think. First of all, we train our selves to a point in which we complete what needs to be done before anything else in a cheerful spirit. Secondly, we neglect everything that is a unnecessary burden to us: video games, appearance, unnecessary friendships… Thirdly, try to complete everything in the fastest time possible but also keep the quality up. Forth, fuck pride. Seriously, this is something that every, including you and I, have a serious issue on. No one should be proud; it is not good to be proud because pride is a trap in which destroys you bits and pieces in every moral sense.
No one is better than everyone.
School
There are so many flaws in the education system right now, that, I believe, is ruining the opportunity of many students: idling them, bore them, and assimilate them into the average grade.
This is what I think of how they could make schools much better. Everyone is different, thus everyone should learn in different pastes, receive different homework/tests, and earn certain positions in clubs and school. My plan is not a difficult one. Everyone is divided up by academic % level and learning style.
Academic Level
Every 4%~5% is a different academic level. ex. 80%~84% is different from 85%~89%. (*the academic level is not the average grade, infect, it is just the grade of one subject)
For every level, there will be different homework, different tests, and different opportunities. ex. 90%~94% would be much more challenging than 80%~84%. The homework would be more challenge and require critical thinking, and the tests will be harder (more things will be required to be studied). As for different opportunities, higher grade students (90%+) will be given access and informed by teachers about advanced learning methods such as AP, IB, and other international programs. Also, they will be accessible to student council (the ability to control fund, how the school runs, and manage clubs), and other academically challenge clubs (debate club, calculus club, biology club…)that will often have competitions with other schools in the city and the country.
Students will be placed into classrooms according to their academic level. How will this work? 90%~100% students will be in the same class. 80%~89% students will be in the same class. 70%~79% will be in the same class and so forth… You have to remember that although the students are in the same class, they still receive different homework, tests and projects… (*by placing students with averages about the same level will reduce the influence of bad students) Classes will be with people of your same level, and it will be a more comfortable learning environment.
Learning Style
Everyone is different, thus there will be different learning styles. Some people prefer studying/learning in a quiet room with just the textbook, a laptop, a notebook, the proper lighting and a cup of fresh coffee without any talking from the teacher nor anyway else, while others prefer learning from the teacher's lectures, power points, and taking up of homework in a class of other students. With this plan, this can be adjusted as well. The 2 different types of learners will be separated from each other into different classes: independent study style classes and group study style classes (the names may be changed to best suite the genre).
Independent study style classes are quiet, independent, as described above. These classes are often with a higher level of liberty, but students are only able to whisper. There are 1-2 teachers walking around, providing assist to students, but these teachers does not teach in front. Students are assigned with homework (just like any other class), independent projects and tests.
Group study style classes always has a well-trained teacher in front of the whole class to deliver a lecture and a detailed explanation of the subject. These classes are often with a lower level of liberty, but students are able to raise up their hand to speak. There are usually 1 teacher. Students are assigned with homework, independent or group projects, and tests.
Preparation
The truth is, independent studies are usually what universities are about. By separating academic levels to challenge high-marks students and support low-marks students, and pursue the different learning styles would result in a much better preparation for university.
Discipline
Children in the modern society lacks discipline, thus they often behave in a way that might not be suitable for others. (ex. disrespect teachers…) This problem could be solved with strict teachers (strict as in strict towards behaviour and basic rights), and mandatory discipline practices (ex. cadets). Or, if it is possible, physically discipline should be acceptable for parents.
Teachers
Teachers should be handpicked by the principle and the vice-principle accordingly to their teaching skills, engaging skills, and many other aspects such as encouragement, strictness, control… There should also be an official school website set up where you could access all the information about the school and rate the teachers. Every semester, or annually, each teacher will be rated by the students along with a description why you gave him/her the rating. This is all done anonymous of-course, and this would give the principal a basic understanding of how the students view the teacher, and would aid him in decision making. Good teachers will receive complimentary awards (such as a raise), and bad teachers will have to find another job and improve his/her personalty.
Social & Relationships
"Our world, with its rules of causality, has trained us to be miserly with forgiveness. By forgiving them too readily, we can be badly hurt. But if we've learned from a mistake and became better for it, shouldn't we be rewarded for the learning, rather than punished for the mistake?" Braid
Why are some people the way they are? Why do some people have to act powerful and stand on other people's shoulders? Why are there people who constantly disrespect other people without any clear reason? Why are there people who can't forgive others in the most simple sense possible? (this is applying to both students & teachers) Why do some people make a decision before realizing what is going on? The answer is simple:
Because we aren't perfect.
Why does couples have to break up over a mistake? Why does relationships have to end over an accidental sentence that is being said or a simple gesture that is being made?
"What if our world worked differently? Suppose we could tell her: 'I didn't mean what I just said,' and she would say: 'It's okay, I understand,' and she would not turn away, and life would really proceed as though we had never said that thing? We could remove the damage but still be wiser for the experience." Braid
School should not only boost a person's IQ, what it should also boost a person's EQ (emotional quotient). By providing interactive lessons in schools, students will be more confident about themselves and more self aware of their behaviours.
Health
In my opinion, health is even more important than knowledge: if there are no health, there will be no knowledge. Schools should also promote healthy eating by offering a free vegetable salad every morning. As for Physical Ed, students classes should not be spent to evaluate whether a student is good at this or that, instead gym classes should be used to improve a student's fitness as much as possible, thus marks should go to how much/how hard a student is pushing himself rather than how well he/she plays a certain sport. I decided to write a section for health due to the death of a former colleague at Don Mills Collegiate this year by Leukaemia.
Time
One of the most important things in life, time. I realized actually how productive and efficient we could be after seeing other people, especially COD gamers, waste their time and life on hours of mindless video games. It does not help world progress at all. In fact, we already know that the world is going to end one day and that the atmosphere that is protecting us from the sun's harm rays is being teared apart by the greediness of production companies. If we're already know this will happen and we will suffer one day, than why do we still have to waste our time on video games instead of trying to improve the world? I agree that entertainment is important, but it's never serious. Some of my colleagues have taken gaming seriously to a point where during a school lunch, they would go to someone's houses and game for less than half and hour, then comeback to school and bull shit a little more, and laugh about it. Seriously, who the fuck cares whether you have prestige or not, or even that virtual tomahawk that killed your virtual opponent?
