Principal’s Wrong Tone To Normal Academic Students?
I read with great interest the responses in the Forum to the Principal’s tone regarding the idea that some 60% of students won’t be able to graduate from their syllabus. In my opinion, I think many people will find problems no matter how they attempt to argue their case against the principal.
First off, I train many Normal students as well. It’s not always easy to determine when is the point where you take a harsh stance and communicate the truth to your students. This is in no way derogatory (at least to me). I believe that people who see a message from the principal like this will believe it is a harsh thing to do. But that’s because most of them don’t have the means to interact with NA/NT students on a regular basis, let alone be concerned for their day-to-day livelihood. So, my point is this - unless you have had the experience like this before over a long term, it’s not always simple for someone to say “you’re being unfair” because you have absolutely no idea what some NA/NT students in certain schools are doing. In that sense, your statements would be unfair too.
Second, it’s probably odd to me to think that the principal would even bother to address the NA students unless it were a very important thing. Could it be a last straw attempt? Many students who take their school for granted also often give problems to the school administration.
Given that, it’s a little tough to stretch the boundaries. I personally feel that NA or NT students are merely talented in different areas. Seriously, if you were in the same environment and family predicament, you might find yourself experiencing the same difficulties. They are considered the underdogs of society, and some who are able to overcome their environment end up successful.
In any case, if you’re a student in the NA/NT stream, don’t give up. I believe very strongly that your capabilities are going to be far more valued in the future. The world is starting to change. Even the fact that you are reading a blog is a sign of the times. There’s so much more possibility. You can be a famous chef. Or game tester. Or own a cleaning business. Many of these are still admirable goals. The question is not whether society be able to drop their biases and labels and look at your potential, rather than your limitations.
The real question is: can you?
Tags
Deep Thought, Expressing Oneself, General, Identity
January 31st, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Indeed it is true that it is unfair for outsiders to immediately come to a conclusion that the principal is harsh or unfair. But I do think that maybe the principal can choose a better method to pass this message.